Granada is said to be one of the most beautiful cities of Spain and sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas. The ski resorts are a forty five minute drive through spectacular scenery. It has excellent road links to the cities of Seville, Malaga and Almeria while the Mediterranean coast is less than an hours drive south.

At the heart of the city there is lively, bustling centre with just about everything expected to be found in a modern day city with a wealth of shops and a wide and varied selection of restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets.

 

The Alhambra Palace is Spain’s number one tourist attraction and was on the Sabika Hill overlooking the city of Granada. This magnificent fortress and palace was the home of the Nasrid Dynasty (1238-1492), the last Islamic Sultanate in Spain. An original Ziridian fortress had existed here from the 11th Century known in Arabic as Al Qal a al-Hamra - the red fort. When the Nasrid King Ibn al-Ahmer chose Granada as his capital he began adding to the existing structure by building towers and walls. The construction of a palace was begun although it was his 14th Century successors Yusuf I and Mohammed V who were responsible for the building and decoration of most of the rooms. The main points of interest within the grounds is the Nasrid Palace, a royal palace consisting of beautifully designed and decorated function rooms, courtyards and living areas of the Muslim rulers. The Palace of Carlos V is a Renaissance style structure that adjoins the Nasrid Palace and was built by Emperor Carlos V. A whole section of the original palace was demolished to make way for this building which consists of an outer square containing a circular central courtyard. The Alcazaba is a fortress built on the highest part of the hill overlooking the surrounding area whose function was purely military. The grounds consists of beautiful gardens, patios and fountains this is also the site of the Muslim rulers summer palace, The Medina a small town within the fortified walls used to house craftsmen who served the needs of the court. Remains of houses, baths and workshops can still be seen.

The best times to visit Granada are spring and autumn. During the summer months it can become unbearably hot with temperatures often reaching 40C whilst in winter, despite blue skies during the day, the nights can be cold with the occasional frost and even the odd dusting of snow.

This National Park covers an area of just under 90,000 hectares. It comprises rivers, gorges, glacial lakes and dramatic snow capped summits with over 20 reaching heights of more than 3,000m making this the second highest mountain range in Europe after the Alps. The highest of these peaks is Mulhacen which stands at 3,482m above sea level. There are 45 pistes of varying degrees of difficulty, including one floodlit piste for night-time skiing, with a length totalling 65km as well as cross-country skiing circuits.
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Pradollano is the resorts business and residential area. The visitor will find everything expected from a good ski resort including a wide choice of bars and restaurants and a wealth of ski hire outlets.

Running along the southern edge of the park are the foothills to the mountain range known as the Alpujarra. An area of outstanding natural beauty dotted with picturesque white-washed villages that cling to the steep mountain slopes.

Activities within the park are numerous and include hiking, biking, horse-trekking, rock-climbing and skiing.
For those who enjoy nature it is interesting to note that there are more than 2,100 species of plant life and as well as an abundance of wildlife. For bird-watchers there are over 50 species of birds found in the area including eagles, falcons, vultures and kestrels.

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