More than an experience

Write your experience here... I am looking for cities for my next Erasmus exchange (for this coming year, if possible... ) and I have already read a thousand experiences about different cities and truthfully, comparing them all to Granada, none of them are enough. This is why I have decided to write my own on this city. It's true that I always say that I need a change and a new city but with only a week left to go, I already miss Granada and it's atmosphere.

I will tell you rather briefly (because you will always hear a thousand different experiences about Granada, it's the good thing about the city) about my experience there and I hope that it may be of help to those who are going to arrive.

The climate

In Winter, it is somewhat 'mild' (I have just read experiences from central and northern European countries... hehe), very rarely passing the 0ºs and normally between 5-9º. What is really bad and extreme comes in Summer... with a stifling heat reaching towards around 43º in the middle of August; although, don't be scared. If you come from September until June, it's really nice with many sunny days a year - so many that from time to time, a rainy day is appreciated.

Gastronomy

Granada is the ideal city to eat out; above all for students due to it being fast and cheap. In nearly all the bars, they give you a 'tapa' when you order a drink. A beer normally costs €2 (I don't drink coca-cola and those types of things so I don't know about those... ). If what you want is a a greater quantity of 'tapa' without the quality being poor, I recommend the calle Gonzalo Gallas, Pedro Antonio and the Plaza de Toros area. If you prefer your tapa with less of a quantity but more elaborate, other areas of the city centre are better, like the Calle Navas and the streets close to the Plaza de Gracia.

In my opinion, the best bars are El nido del búho (Plaza de Toros), Metrópolis, Peruanos and Madroñera (in Gonzalo Gallas) and Bar Bubión (in Pedro Antonio de Alarcón). In these bars, with two beers and their respective tapas, you'll have eaten quite well (€4).

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Culture and customs

Without a doubt, what is to emphasize here, is it's university character. The university community is composed of more than 80, 000 students so that is why.... everything relating to this influences the city's customs and culture to a great extent. There are many festivities (like in most of Spain) but more still, for the university students.

Each faculty has it's patron and their day, on which a fiesta is celebrated. In some faculties, bars are put out where they serve beer and cheap wine and put music on, with students from other faculties also joining - you already know that the party calls the party!

Days such as "La fiesta de la Primavera" also exist where, (if you like doing the 'botellón') everyone goes to the botellódromo (somewhere to do the botellón) - the only place permitted to do this. It starts from 2 or so in the afternoon until you can't go on anymore.

El Corpus: It's Granada's city's fair. It's celebrated for a week, more or less.

Granada is a city with lots of atmosphere during the day; many people in the terraces, passing by and sightseeing. However the night has nothing to envy the day for, being very very busy, mostly with the students.

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Prices

Really in my opinion, it's not an expensive city. If you're looking for cheap supermarkets, they are Lidl and Día but if you are looking for products with a higher quality as well as being cheap, I recommend Mercadona without a doubt. There are also Carrefour and Hipercor but they are somewhat more expensive.

Transport

Granada has a wide network of urban buses (although not too regular... depending on the line that you catch) which cost €1. 20 a trip, although if you get the "bonobús", you will get it much cheaper. This can be asked for in any bus and you can top it up with credit whenever you need to. Truthfully, bikes could be used more. They aren't seen every often around here, something which isn't true for the cars (too much traffic in the early hours of the day) and motorcycles, which don't respect any signalling. They are currently constructing a 'light tram' - Let's call it that.

Accomodation

If you don't know whether to choose a flat or a residence, choose a flat without a doubt. Here, the residences are very expensive and don't have many Erasmus in them. From what I know of them, they are usually around €500 (correct me if this is not so)... whereas in a flat, you have a more or less central individual room for around €299 or less. Three or four bedroomed flats are very common in Granada; all individual with a living room and kitchen. It depends on the area. The prices can vary from around €150-€270. If they charge you more for an individual room and it's a flat with 4 or more rooms and not too central, think my friend... They are ripping you off!

The zones with the most students and that I know are: Plaza de Toros and the Camino de Ronda, Pedro Antonio, Ancha de Capuchinos areas... and there are some more.

To find a flat, it's enough to pass through these areas and the faculties, which are flooded with posters offering flats or rooms and in which, you can stick your poster up in you are looking.

Fuente

Parties

As I have already said, Granada is a university city and as you already know, where there are young people and students... there are parties for sure. I have travelled a lot. I have been to many parties by luck or disgrace and without a doubt, there is nothing like Granada. There are parties every day of the week and according to what type of music you like. There are places for everyone. The clubs are:

• Mae West: Plays commercial music and is where many people go to every day. It's somewhat 'overwhelming' but it isn't bad if you like this sort of place. It costs €10 (entry + a drink). It has two floors and several rooms. It is in Calle Neptuno.
• Kapital: Situated in the Plaza de Gracia, it costs €6 or €10 for entry with a drink... I don't remember. Truthfully, I don't like it at all, although on one day of the week (I don't remember which) they do a free bar of beer until around 12 or 2.... I don't know, it's all about informing yourself.
• Granada 10: Another of that type.

If I have missed any, it's because I've never been to them.

• Electronic music: I'm already getting tired of writing so I won't specify too much hehe... They are la Sala Industrial Copera, Opera 4, Süite, Quilombo and on some day or another la Sala Tren plays electronic music. If you like Drum&Bass, the latter is the place for you. They also usually do very good concerts in there and in la Copera.
• 80's music, alternative pop, rock and indie: There are Vogue, Sugarpop and Booga Club.

All of them have varying opening hours, but normally they shut at around 6 or 6. 30 during the week and 7 or 8am on weekends.

If we're talking about pubs, the Pedro Antonio area has every kind of music, normally shutting at around 3 and 4, respectively. I recommend "Las Marismas" with half litre jugs of beer at €1. 50, "Los Porrones" with big cocktails for several people for €5 and some of the shot bars. There are usually many 'happy hours' in these places, with determined hours with somewhat cheaper drink.

If you like to put on make-up and wear a ton of it, the pubs in la Plaza de Toros are without a doubt your place to go. The people are very 'put together' and there are also different kinds of music depending on the pub.

Nothing is as enjoyed as much as the night in Granada and no matter what time it is, there are people in the streets who are on their way to party, or are returning from doing so.

Well, my fingers are now hurting from typing and I believe that in very few words, I have outlined as best as possible my experience in Granada, which without a doubt is unique and will always stay in my memories through the many other cities to visit. I hope that these words are of help to any lost Erasmus student or just to anyone who wants to visit this city.

Farewell and enjoy every part to the maximum.