History, architecture, beautiful gardens and craftsmanship beyond compare, the Alhambra has it all! Its also an immense fortress made up of many buildings including palaces, which made it high on my list of must see places. Located in Granada, Andalusia the Alhambra is one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We spent the better part of a day and evening exploring and still we weren’t able to see everything.
Though the original fortress was built in 889, it wasn’t until the mid-13th century that the current buildings and walls were renovated and built by moorish kings in the Mudéjar style. Although I did my best to try and capture it in pictures the intricacy and beauty of the carvings on the walls and ceilings inside the Nasrid Palaces must be seen to be believed.
Planning Your Visit
Due to extreme popularity and its delicate nature the number of visitors to the Alhambra is very limited. In fact they only allow 6,600 visitors in timed increments per day, so purchase your tickets as soon as you know you’re going. I can’t stress this enough especially if your visit will take place during the summer months.
Our visit took place in late September and there was only one day and time on the reservation calendar with availability. Lucky for us it was the one day we would be in town!
*YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PURCHASE TICKETS THE DAY OF YOUR VISIT*
Okay, now that we’ve established that you’ll be planning ahead…
Tickets are purchased through the Ticketmaster website. There are many options to choose from for both day and night. We choose Alhambra General which includes all the highlights as well as the gardens and Alhambra at Night. The ticket buying process could be a bit smoother, but trust me its worth the hassle. For additional information on the ticket buying process check out this great post by WanderTooth!
Photo Frenzy!
A magical place, famous the world over, it’s no surprise that the Alhambra has been featured in literature, music, astronomy, and even video games! I definitely fell under its spell and hoping to capture some of what I was feeling I spent the day taking endless photos. I did my best to pick and choose but in the end it was tough to decide and I’ve probably included too many. I hope you enjoy them!
Now That’s What I Call A Picture Window
The Generalife Gardens
Campers at the Alhambra Granada, Spain
The Nasrid Palaces – Day & Night
SAMSUNG CSC
Charles V Palace
Granada
Most of our time in Granada was spent visiting the Alhambra, but the little we did see we liked very much! Our reservation wasn’t until 2 pm which gave us time to walk around town and have a leisurely lunch. We enjoyed our lunch so much we went back to the same restaurant for dinner!
