First stop: Granada

As this is my first post, I have to talk about the city that had seen me being "born", it's not the city where I was born, but it's the city that has made me into me, which saw my evolution into the person that I am today.

If you have not yet been to this city, you should definitely prepare your hand luggage and spend at least a weekend there, although a weekend will never be enough to see all the hidden marvels of this city. In regards to the monuments and life, it's not possible to discover them in a weekend, but as soon as you step onto Granadian land, you'll begin to understand what I mean.

As for monuments, you surely already know what's customary:

Alhambra and Generalife

A guaranteed stop for everyone. In a few words: there are no words. A wonder which has loads of views and art which can help you learn a lot about this piece of history in Granada. But like almost everything in this life, you have to pay to see the spectacle. You can buy entrance tickets from the ticket booths in Alhambra (the same day), by telephone through 'Caixa' (some days before), at Servicaixa ATM's under the option of "compra de espectáculos"/purchase of shows (in advance), in a travel agents or on the internet: Purchase Alhambra tickets here

You have to remember that they give you a time to go to visit the Palacios Nazaries; you can choose the best time to suit you. You also have to take advantage of any sort of discount you may be entitled to which will always come in useful. In general, the prices usually end up at about 6€ (for European students) or 14€ for a normal adult ticket with no discount. It's a little expensive but it's definitely worth it. The times usually change according to the time of year, but the above link will provide all that information.

If you decide to go up the Alhambra, you should know that it's a difficult slope to climb, so there is also a bus which takes you right up to the top - the walk up is worth it though. There is also a part at the top which is called Carmen de los Mártires, another visit which is worthwhile where you will be surrounded by fountains and peacocks, and most importantly, it's free!

If you don't have enough money to spend 14€ on entry, then you can also see the Alhambra from different viewpoints; the most famous one is the San Nicolás viewpoint which is always full of people and tourists (at night, a lot of them go to the viewpoint with guitars to sing and dance). There is also the San Cristóbal viewpoint, and the one that I, personally, find the most beautiful, the San Miguel Alto viewpoint, which as its name suggests, is really high up. Consequently, the best way to get there is to take a bus, but going up by foot is really worthwhile. All of these viewpoints are located in the Barrio del Albayzin - another place which you can't afford to miss! If you want to go to this area, it's recommendable to go during the day since it's not the safest area at night. To visit, the best option is to spend some time getting lost in the streets and then returning to looks at a map. You'll discover gorgeous and tranquil places.

Palacio Carlos V (Carlos the 5th palace)

This is also located in Alhambra. It has an art museum and it's also free! The visiting hours are from 8:30 to 20:00. Sometimes there are also expositions which are quite interesting.

Cathedral and Royal Chapel

This is another visit you have to do do from a touristic viewpoint which has great artistic value thanks to the Catholic Kings. Visits to the Royal Chapel are daily, except for 3 days. You can find information about the Royal Chapel from the following link: Royal Chapel Information and information about the cathedral here: Information about the Cathedral

It can seem a little expensive just to see these two monuments, but it's an obligatory visit. If you spend more time there, you can also get free entries on the following webpage, but only at certain times: Free entries.

Together with the free entries to the Cathedral and Royal Chapel (of course both are in the centre), there are entries to the Sacremonto Abbey and the Granada Charterhouse. Both are also obligatory trips.

Other lesser-known places but which also make for interesting trips are the Monasterio de San Jerónimo, "El Bañuelo" (the Arab baths from the 11th century), the Madrasah, the Corral del Carbón, the Casa del Chapíz which are all close to the Cathedral and can be easily reached on foot. Furthermore, if you see any open churches, don't hesitate to go in - a lot of them can surprise you like the Basilica of San Juan de Dios or The Angustias, and don't forget that this is a highly Muslim populated area, so you can't miss seeing some mosques such as the San Nicolás Mosque. Visits to faculties and libraries can also surprise you; my advise would be to go to the Hosptial Real, the Real Chancillería or to the Law School.

The central area is really easy to see and getting around there is very simple since you end up finding shopping streets, squares full of people like Plaza Nueva, Jardines de la fuente de Triunfo, Fuente de las Batallas, Plaza Bib-Rambla, the Alcaicería or the famous Paseo de los Tristes (a must-see! ) Other parks which would also be interesting to see are the Parque del Genil (Genil Park), which from time to time has expositions and the Parque Federico García Lorca (Federico García Lorca park).

Generally speaking, Granada is an atmosphere that surrounds and captivates you from the first moment that you step on its land. Not only as a tourist, but also as a student since it's one of the biggest university cities in Spain. Practically everything is prepared for students so if you know how to get around, you can find some fairly interesting things.

The nightlife is very important, it's just as important to go for "Tapas" as it is to go out to have a nice glass of "Alhambra 1925 (a brand of beer from Granada). The good areas to go for tapas are Plaza de Toros, Calle Gonzalo Gallas, Calle Elvira and Calle Navas. At the city gate, there are public relations people who provide offers which you can't refuse.

An area which you can't afford to miss is "Calle Elvira" which is where you'll find all kinds of tea rooms and where there will also be good deals so you can go out for a drink in the evening.

To go out to party, you can choose between a variety of places; if you prefer to have a quiet drink then go to Plaza de Toros, Pedro Antonio. Public relations people will harass you relentlessly here to the point of not going into their establishments, but of course it's always a little tempting to accept their offers. As for clubbing, the most popular are Campus (which is for younger people), Camborio (all Erasmus and with views of the Alhambra by night), Mae West (be careful of coming here because it's so busy and the bouncers can be somewhat rude), Vogue (more of a "street-music" ambiance) amongst others. You will find places to have shots, drinks or a beer.

As for more cultural trips, there are various museums such as the Manuel de Falla museum, the museo-casa (house and museum) de los Tiros or the museo-casa de Federico García Lorca, (unfortunately the historical museum is closed) but a trip designed more for kids is the Parque de las Ciencias (the Sciences Park) which is free on the 28th February. It's very interesting due to the different expositions that they put on, with a lot of interactive zones where you can actually learn quite a lot. Sciences Park link

There are more relaxing trips to different spas; the best is the Arab Baths one which is close to the "Paseo de los Tristes", which also offers student prices. Spas

I have to say that if you arrive at the bus station in Granada then you will have to take an urban bus to the city centre, but you'll get there within 15 minutes. If you're coming by train, you'll already be in the city centre and everything can easily be reached from here by walking.

The best time of year to come is during spring, when the atmosphere is better, the weather starts getting good and there is still a student atmosphere.

Granada is not the only place which you can visit, there are other options too such as the small, charming towns that are close to the city: la Alpujarra de Granada, beaches (most of them are stone beaches), and most importantly - Sierra Nevada, perfect for spending a day with your friends or family whether it's snowy or not (but obviously it's more recommendable to go when there is snow).

As a student in Granada, I have to say that Granada is gorgeous to come and see as a tourist, but it's even better if you live there and you get to know the place bit by bit. It's one of the best universities in Spain and that's not without reason. The city is the choice of a large number of Erasmus students, and when they leave, they all swear that they would come back again. It's not only the student atmosphere which is great, but also the fact that there are events which are held all through the year (concerts, parties, festivals... ). Some advise as a historian; read a little bit about Granada before coming and the city will surprise you even more.

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