Street in Granada
The Albaicin is the old Moorish quarter across the valley from the Alhambra, a UNESCO-listed maze of whitewashed houses, jasmine-covered walls, and narrow streets climbing the hillside. Free to wander. The Mirador de San Nicolas at the top offers the classic view of the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada behind it, especially stunning at sunset. Budget travelers walk up through the neighborhood and get the best free view in Andalusia.
Practical
On foot
Free and low-cost routes that stop at Albaicin.
The Granada Albaicin Sunset Walk is a self-guided evening route through the Moorish quarter to the city's best free viewpoint. Free. From the Albaicin through Sacromonte to Mirador de San Nicolas for sunset over the Alhambra, it is one of the most atmospheric free walks in Spain.
The SANDEMANs Essential Free Tour of Granada covers the city center and the approaches to the Albaicin. Budget travelers use it as their introduction to Granada before visiting the Alhambra independently.
Nearby
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Alhambra is the Moorish palace complex above Granada, one of the most beautiful buildings ever created. Entry is paid and tickets must be booked well in advance (often weeks ahead).
Carmen de los Martires is a 7-hectare garden estate on the southern slope of the Alhambra hill with peacocks, fountains, a duck pond, and views of the Sierra Nevada. Free.
Granada Cathedral is a massive Renaissance church built on the site of the former great mosque after the Reconquista. Entry is paid at a modest price.
The Mirador de San Nicolas is a stone terrace in the Albaicin neighborhood with the single most famous view of the Alhambra: the palace complex with the Sierra Nevada mountains behind it, best seen at sunset. Free.
The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance circular courtyard inside the Alhambra complex, built by the Holy Roman Emperor after the Reconquista. Free to enter (no Alhambra ticket required for this section).
The Paseo de los Tristes is a wide promenade along the Darro River at the foot of the Alhambra walls, named "Walk of the Sad" because funeral processions once passed this way. Free.
Working out what Granada costs?
The whole of Granada