Is Granada really worth visiting?
Guidebooks on Granada, Spain, boast of free tapas, a vibrant city with a vibrant nightlife, and that it is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. I stayed in the city for three weeks and my experience was the exact opposite. And, I’m not alone in my opinion.
My time spent in Granada was such an anticlimax that I felt obliged to take photos with the Noir setting on my phone – a reflection of just how disappointed I felt with a city that I had been so looking forward to experience, and had been recommended to visit.
Tapas in Granada.
It’s often claimed that when you order an alcoholic (or sometimes, a non-alcoholic) drink, a plate of incredible tapas will come with it. Perhaps 40 years ago this was the case, but it can’t be expected that the same applies today, what with increased drink and food costs, higher energy utilities, higher taxes, and higher wages.
I frequented a number of tapas bars, staying for a while, and either the tapas were inferior compared with paid tapas that I have eaten in other cities in Spain, or I had to nudge the bar staff into giving me my rightful tapas (which were likewise inferior compared with paid tapas that I have eaten in other Spanish cities). And when each tapa came, it was small, of a very basic quality, and nothing like what I had read in the Granada guidebooks.
I wanted to try them in Bar Los Diamantes, but the queues of tourists (as with other ‘famous tapas bars’ in the city dissuaded me. I did try them in other bars and restaurants, including in Bar Candela – the first tapa was a slice of bread with a cheap fish spread and a pickled pepper on the top. The second (better) was a layer of warm ham on sliced bread. Either way, though, I would have preferred to pay for my drink separately and pick from a choice of tapas with quality ingredients.
I did ask a local, who has lived in Granada for almost 40 years, and she informed me that these days local Spaniards have a tapa while seated at the bar and waiting to be seated for their main meal. In other words, the traditional tapas scene is now dead and a tapa takes the place, instead, of an amuse–bouche.
Nowadays, tapas bars serve cheap wine (beer, or non-alcoholic drinks) at a premium when serving tapas because it wouldn’t doesn’t make financial sense for them to do so otherwise.
Oh, and tapas bars such as Bar Candela – despite their awesome atmosphere and cult status – made me cringe at the health and safety aspect of their operation. One of the barmen sneezed, failed to wash his hands, and continued to prepare my tapa before serving it to me – it would have been more appropriate to to have a sign outside, advertising honestly that that you can get a better quality of tapas inside only if you are a local. It appeared obvious that tourists were just handed inferior tapas (often needing to ask for one) that were a very poor quality, and the quantity of drink poured varied from tide-out to tide-in. And the negative Google reviews for this bar, written by non-locals, have very rude replies, written by the staff at Bar Candela.
Tapas in other cities that I have visited in Spain are far superior – the tapas scene in Granada is overrated and to experience authentic tapas culture, you’ll need a machine to travel back 40 years in time.
Sierra Nevada.
The Sierra Nevada (snow-covered mountain range) is a majestic natural feature that can be viewed from almost every viewpoint in the city. I asked whether it was common for locals to ski, given that its ski slopes are only about an hour away from Granada by bus and car. The answer left me disappointed and indicated a further reason why foreigners in Granada are not as welcome as in other cities that I have visited in Spain. I was told that the hotels and ski facilities are too expensive for locals and that it is only the wealthy foreigners and wealthy Spaniards that can afford to spend time on the slopes. The Sierra Nevada: an unreachable landmark vista of the city, out-of-reach for the majority. I did try to catch the bus up to the (Plaza Pradollano) Sierra Nevada bus stop, but the bus was booked two weeks in advance.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the ‘Tourists Go Home’ graffiti that is littered on the walls around the city.
But despite grappling with the obvious negatives of Granada and its crowded streets and overpriced bars and restaurants, there were a few things that I kind of liked about the city.
Albaicin.
While Albaicin was jam-packed with foreign tourists, I often took walks to Plaza Larga, where I was able to find ample space to sit and read and take in the local vibe of the square – the locals selling their produce and the surrounding bars only slightly over-charging anyone who would stop by for a coffee, pastry, or a meal. On the days that I attended, there was an outdoor market, with locals selling their goods and wears. It’s not the most spectacular neighborhood in Spain, but it has something. I was able to sit and read and no one really bothered me.
Albaicin’s Plaza Larga felt like the eye of the Granada hurricane.
Granada poetry.
On many walls in the city, ‘gran_nada’ poetry attracted my eye and I would stop, stare, and meditate on its significance and splendor. This oeuvre particularly caught my eye:
Btw, gran-nada has an interesting Instagram page, where you can read more of its graffiti artwork: https://www.instagram.com/gran_nada/
Food and drink.
The drink and food scene in Granada is overpriced and underwhelming, but you can find morsels of oasis in the city. My favorite haunt was Olympia Cafeteria Pasteleria 21, C. Gran Vía de Colón, 21. I often frequented this family-run cafeteria for excellent coffee and for either a tostada or a warm, cheese and ham slider. It was my culinary comfort. The prices are higher than other Spanish cities, but reasonable. You only need to sit down and a friendly waiter or waitress will come take your order and your order will appear, with a smile, within 5-10 minutes. Btw, in Spain, used serviettes, discarded on the floor, are a good sign. If you are in Granada and wanting good coffee and food, I recommend this establishment.
Where to stay?
I completely lucked out and spent my three weeks in the El Realejo neighborhood at Hostal La Ninfa, Campo del Príncipe s/n, C. Cocheras de San Cecilio, 9. My room (City View) with an ensuite bathroom was under €50 per night. Given the location, the helpfulness and professionalism of the staff, and the quality of the room in this family-run hostal, it was a superb value-for-money option. The WIFI is super-fast and the rooms have a Spanish-Bohemian vibe to them. You are a few blocks from the craziness, and El Realejo is charming. The hostal doesn’t have its own website – something not completely surprising in Granada – but you can, of course, book via Booking.com.
The (German) owner has lived in Granada for 39 years and she is a star.
Conclusion.
Thank God that I specifically came here to work online.
I don’t want to put anyone off from visiting Granada, but my advice is to make it a day trip or an overnighter.
It’s an expensive city that lives on the coat-tails of its past.
In one day, you can see or visit the Alhambra, feel disappointed in one of its many bars and restaurants, jostle with the legions of tourists that pound its cobble streets, view the Sierra Nevada from afar, visit some of the city’s landmarks, and then repack and head to one of the many other Spanish cities where you can get yourself a better deal in terms of drink and food, and nightlife.
Granada is a victim of its own success.
Have a wonderful time in Granada!
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