Quick Getaway to Granada, Spain

A very sold out Alhambra, many closed businesses for spring break, and a true adventure seeking parking in the city. These were all harsh reminders that Matt and I make excellent vacationers but are still on the journey to becoming experienced backpackers. Our vacations always come with a solid plan and bookings made well in advance. Backpacking, on the other hand, has been more of a “wing it” situation.

Despite our bout of bad luck with places being closed or sold out, we still had a very enjoyable short stay in and around Granada, Spain.

Where we Stayed

Just a few kilometers outside of Granada was a small town named Calicasas. So little, it is home to only just over 500 inhabitants. The streets are narrow and the hills are steep, but it was the perfect location to catch a little bit of relaxation outside of the city. There were a couple of bars in this small town within walking distance of our Airbnb, but mostly it is very remote. Instead of waking to car horns and other street noise, we were awoken by the donkeys outside our window each day. The first “heehaw” was slightly unexpected but left me thoroughly amused.

Staying in this town was far less expensive than staying in Granada itself. However, you will need a car to get around if you choose to stay here. Since we had just driven down the coast from Barcelona and had a few days left with our rental car, it was important to our budget that we stayed somewhere with a free place to park it. There is a public bus here but the hours are very limited according to our Airbnb host. We definitely recommend this property. Very clean and cozy with a well-equipped kitchen.

Tip: Head to the nearest Lidl or other local supermarket and stock up on your groceries and wine. An absolute essential while staying outside of a main city. Maybe it was because we just flew in from Iceland, but we were very surprised at how inexpensive the Spanish wines are. Perhaps not the best wine we’ve ever had, but most markets have a good selection of bottles for under 2 or 3 euros.

Eating/Drinking in Granada

Due to our own lack of research, we had no idea of the insane popularity of the Alhambra. We tried to reserve tickets the night before we wished to visit but realized it was sold out for the next two months! Even the month beyond that was already limited on tickets. If you are intent on visiting the Alhambra, be sure to secure your tickets far in advance.

With no sightseeing planned, we turned to what we do best. The food and the wine. Or in Matt’s case, the beer. There was no special destination we had in mind, just that we wanted to eat, drink, and eat some more.

We tried to be proactive and choose a parking destination prior to our departure into the city, but turns out we chose incorrectly. We picked a place too far in the outskirts for being in walking distance to the restaurants so we just meandered from there until we got to a more condensed area likely to lead to snacks.

Tip: Here is a good resource if you are trying to determine where you should leave your car while you explore on foot.

I couldn’t even begin to tell you where we ended up drinking/eating, just that there are a plethora of places to choose from. Let your eyes and your nose be your guide. Half of the fun for us was wandering up and down the alleys looking for a place we found appealing. Don’t be afraid to enter the places that look a bit like a hole-in-the-wall as these tend to offer up both some of the best prices and tapas.

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Just a short drive from where we stayed in Calicasas are some great hiking trails in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Matt and I did a little research and stumbled upon the information for this trail, Cerro Huenes. It seemed to have easy access and was short enough in duration that we could complete it far before the sun threatened to set.

The day was already starting to get away from us, so we quickly changed into our hiking gear, threw some water and energy bars into our pack then made our way towards the mountain.

We spent much longer getting to the start of the trail than we intended to. The restaurant we were instructed to park at could not be found in our GPS. The road is unmarked so we found ourselves looping through the town of La Zubia. We decided La Zubia would also be a good place to stay for a few days as it had more variety in places to explore. Eventually, we made our way to the trail via the horseshoe that we constantly joke must be stuck up Matt’s butt.

Tip: If you don’t have a great navigation system with you, pay close attention to the directions before getting in your car. More importantly, when you do make your way to the restaurant, be sure to stop in and have a drink before starting your hike. As is customary in Granada, the drinks will be shortly followed by a complimentary tapas (small plate). The food here was traditional, rustic, and more delicious than I would have imagined.

After a quick bite to eat we found our way to the starting point of the trail. At first, the pace was easy and the trail was wide. Opposed to our hike up the Devil’s Peak in South Africa, this one seemed quite mild in comparison.

Fast forward, ohh I don’t know, say 3-5 minutes and the altitude quickly changed. The walkways narrowed and the gravel became loose. Matt will tell you I am being dramatic here, but I felt myself taking baby steps and hugging the nearby rocks a little tighter. I’ve always considered myself to be a brave soul, but the steep drop off had me reconsidering.

Halfway through the trail, we were both walking uphill with our hands on our knees. Slowly, step-by-step dragging the dead weight of our tired legs up the incline. We both looked to our left and noticed a group of unfenced cows. A bit excited to see other life forms up so high (knowing the struggle we made ourselves to get there) we almost overlooked the fact that there were also many bulls in this group! And suddenly my high school Spanish lessons came flooding back to me.

“Oh, Dios, mio!”

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to give two piles of cow crap about us. So we climbed. And climbed. And climbed some more. It felt to me like penance for consuming far too many tapas.

And then, at last, there it was. Not quite the Emerald City, but maybe even better. The summit! When we reached it we were both hit with a wave of energy. We set up our tripod and took a few celebratory photos before racing the sun back down the mountain.

Tip: Give yourself plenty of time to complete the trail. We were worried about running out of daylight after the time we lost looking for the trail. Also, bring more water than you think you need.

Well friends, that about sums up our short time in Granada. We wish it would have been longer. We also wish we had made better plans ahead of our visit but can confidently say we’d love to return someday and would recommend it in a heartbeat!

Cheers,

Megan + Matt