Cheap flights to Granada do so much more than bring you to one of Spain’s most visited cities inexpensively: they transport you to an intimate, multicultural haven where the trendiest of tapas bars share a city block with ancient ruins of the former Moorish stronghold. Before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sponsored Columbus’ voyage to the Americas, they took Granada back from the Moors and converted their hilltop fortress and palace, the Alhambra, into the summer residence of the Reyes Católicos. The Alhambra and the Generalife, the royal gardens of the palace, are now the crown jewels of Granada’s tourist trade, and they’ll most likely be the first stops you’ll hit on your trip after the landing of your Granada flight.
The view of Granada from the grounds of the Alhambra is intimidating in that an expansive urban landscape sprawls beneath you, but don’t be fooled: Granada is a fraction of the size of Madrid, and the center of the small city makes for fantastic walking tours and hours of spontaneous sidewalk exploration. Plaza Nueva is a good place to start: follow Calle de Las Lagrimas out of the Plaza and up to the Albaicín, the whitewashed quarter of the city where flamenco strains echo off the cobblestone streets, or look shop along Avenida Reyes Católicos, where you can blow the cash you saved on your cheap flight to Granada at one of the avenues chic boutiques. If your Granada cheap flight featured some less than stellar cuisine, wander through the alleys off the major avenues to discover some family owned tapas bars. Most Spanish cities will give you a small bowl of olives or some bread and cheese with a glass of wine, but Granada is gastronomically unique in that it serves up complimentary small plates with every drink you order: sample some grilled chorizo (sausage) or salmorejo (a cold tomato, ham and egg soup).
After whetting your appetite and catching up on Spanish time after a siesta, hit the streets with the rest of the city and spend the night on the town. Head up to Sacromonte, the gypsy neighborhood famous for its hillside cave dwellings, for a mesmerizing flamenco show, or dance ‘til dawn in one of the discotécas favored by the University students who flock downtown on the weekends. Old and young, trendy and traditional, artsy and sporty types alike all agree that Granada caters to its diverse population and international visitors. Granada is melting pot of Spain, where Spanish, Arabic, and English can be heard on the street at all times, and where cultures collide to satiate the senses.
