Free Tour of Granada Historic Centre and the Albaicín

Granada experienced one of Europe’s most dramatic transitions: the capital of the last Nasrid kingdom on the peninsula became a Christian city in just a few decades. That overlap of two civilizations is still visible today in every square, every street and every building in the centre. On this free tour we walk it on foot with a local guide who combines history, anecdotes and legends, from Plaza Nueva to Albaicín Bajo.

We pass by the Madraza, former Nasrid university and today seat of the University of Granada; the Cathedral, built on the site of the main mosque; the Royal Chapel, mausoleum of the Catholic Monarchs; the Alcaicería, rebuilt after the 1843 fire on the old silk souk; and the Corral del Carbón, the best-preserved Nasrid alhóndiga in Spain. Then we head up to Albaicín Bajo, an Andalusi neighbourhood World Heritage Site, with its medieval layout, its cármenes and its little squares. The price is free: you pay at the end what you consider fair.

What you will see

1. Plaza Nueva: starting point and hinge between Nasrid and Christian Granada, at the foot of the Alhambra.
2. Madraza and Corral del Carbón: two Nasrid traces in the centre, one academic and one commercial.
3. Cathedral and Royal Chapel: the change of civilization after 1492 explained in two buildings.
4. Alcaicería: what remains of the silk souk, now an artisan market.
5. Albaicín Bajo: narrow streets, cármenes and little squares of Andalusi origin.
6. History of the Nasrid Kingdom: the transition from Muslim to Christian Granada told on site, with anecdotes and legends from every corner.

Practical information

1. Price: free, at the customer’s discretion at the end.
2. Meeting point: Plaza Nueva, fountain opposite the pharmacy.
3. Duration:2.5 h: to be confirmed.
4. Difficulty: low, through the city centre with some uphill sections.
5. Accessibility: not suitable for baby strollers or wheelchairs.
6. We recommend: water, comfortable shoes and sunscreen.