Erasmus Experience in Granada, Spain by Maéva

Why did you choose to go to Granada, Spain?

For the warmth and the Andalusian accent.

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How long is your stay for? How much aid do you receive?

5 months. I receive €1, 500 from Erasmus, plus support from my region (CROUS) and from my department.

How is student life in Granada?

At the university, the Spanish students don't speak to the Erasmus much. On the contrary at night, you can go out to a bar or even a club no matter what day of the week and you will always meet students from all over the world. Most people in Granada are warm, kind and party a lot.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Granada to other students?

Yes.

How is the country's food?

Classic Spanish dishes are found pretty much everywhere: paella, croquettes, calamari, churros... There are also many tapas bars where tapas are free with every drink consumed.

Croquettes

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Did you have any difficulties finding accommodation in Granada?

No. You can find one by simply clicking on the Internet. Granada is a student city, par excellence with many Erasmus. Flat shares are easily found, with many ads put up in the universities.

How are living costs in Granada?

You can easily live on €350 or €400 a month, depending on the price of rent which can vary a lot. Life in Granada is cheap: food shopping for the month costs between €70 and €80. Going out is what costs more. Prices are rather low but Granada is a very festive city. It's not rare to go out nearly every night of the week which can be expensive in the end.

How is the learning of the language? Did you go to any language courses organised by the university?

There are language classes organised by the University, which cost around 250€ for 5 or 6 months, according to the level chosen.

Even if the Spaniards don't talk with the Erasmus much at university, you meet a good number of them going out and you also meet many Spanish speakers from Latin America, especially Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. It is therefore fairly easy to learn Spanish in Granada.

What is the most economical way of getting to Granada from your city?

From my city, the bus was the cheapest and took even less time than the plane. A plane journey cost over €150 and it took almost 22 hours due to very long layovers. The bus cost me €120 and took 19 hours.

Which places would you recommend to go out to party in Granada?

El Camborio, Mae West and Campus are the city's best clubs. They play mostly reggae-ton and other Latin American music there. For more electronic music, there is Vogue. The Chupeteria is a great place to drink a bit before partying: a good atmosphere and a range of €1 shots.

And to eat in Granada? What are your favourite places?

To eat, Garden is certainly the best tapas bar: very cheap, enormous and delicious. Maese Pío is just as good.

What cultural visits do you advise?

La Alhambra: a magnificent place that you should visit at least once in your life. The Sierra Nevada is also a splendid place. The Erasmus associations (ESN, Erasmus best life experience) organise many trips to other cities in Spain; mostly in Andalusia but also abroad: Portugal, Morocco...

La Alhambra

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The Sierra Nevada

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Any advice to give to future students in Granada?

Granada is the warmest and most festive city I've visited in my life. Go out and enjoy it!