I often find myself telling my friends about my hometown. Some general tips for those of you enjoying Granada in free time: you should go to mirador de San Nicolas (watching point), it is a bit of a soft hike but best view ever with some gypsies playing flamenco often, and best view of Alhambra castle.
You should also walk by Paseo de los Tristes and calle de las teterias (tea shop narrow streets). Stroll by plaza Bibrambla and plaza de las Pasiegas.
Granada is the only place where tapas come for free when you order ANY drink, so please don’t sit in tables to eat, sit better at the bar or a barrel; ask your drink and let the tapas arrive (in many places you can even choose them).
May be close on Mondays but my favourite for fried fish is Rincon del Rodri bar, but also bar la blanca paloma, bar Avila where you choose the tapa. In Bodegas Castaneda you get the best homemade vermut for 2e with tapa.
100 montaditos is also great chain for mini bocadillos and 1.5 eur pints of beer. Outside the center bars you can eat very well in bar Kiki (fish), bar Ecu (huge sandwiches as tapa and burguers, bar la madraza, and bar la recacha (last one has prize winning croquetas, ask them as tapa or a plate).
Please keep in mind you will need to adapt to Spanish timetables so there won’t be lunch places open at noon nor at 6pm. The time for lunch is 13-15.30 and for dinner 20-23.30 roughly (maybe the center has some times open all day).
Sweets to try: churros with chocolate (for breakfast) e.g., in Cafe Futbol, or in Plaza Bibrambla are some good places in the center. You should try a pionono sweet in Casa Isla cafeteria too (typical sweet of Granada only) or a San Cecilio (great pastry shop in Plaza Larga, Casa Pasteles). Typical breakfast apart from churros is tostada de tomate y aceite (olive oil and tomato toast)
Transport: in smaller cities in Spain bus works better than train, so check alsa.es for your rides to Malaga/Madrid etc.
Cannot miss: Book your Alhambra tickets asap, preferably months before, they get sold out soon!, book online and include also the jardines del Generalife, it is a must see in Granada! If you are late go at 7am, they save some daily tickets for same day early birds, or book a night ticket.
Dancing: go to live shows at RockandRolla, anytime drink /cocktail in Paripe/ Perra Gorda or Ganivet 13 where you can dance the most popular Spanish music -my favourite, what we call Pachangueo- (Angel Ganivet street has plenty of options).
Cocktails: Try the rooftop chill out Monasterio (entering through the hotel), and have a coffee with Albaycin view in El huerto del Loro.
Enjoy sun, tapas and people in Spain!
