ShoreTrips says...

Those who are fortunate enough to visit Granada often consider it the highlight of their time in Spain. Between Alhambra Palace and an eclectic group of locals, you will soon learn why there isn't another city like this in the world.

Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Granada was the stronghold of the last great Moorish Kingdom in Spain. Although the entire historic city is filled with cultural treasures, its main attraction is the Alhambra Palace, a Moorish citadel that overlooks the city. At the time it was built, this mighty fortress and luxury residence was one of the most lavish palaces that Spain had ever known.

The Alhambra and the Generalife of Granada are exceptional representations of testimony to Muslim Spain of the 16th century. Together they are an amazing example of royal Arab residences of the medieval period and have not been destroyed nor changed by the alterations of radical restorations.

Even after the Christian conquest, the urban fabric, architecture and main charateristics - form, materials, colours - were not changed during its adaptation to Christian way of life.

Dating back to the 14th century, this palace of sultans stands as one of the best examples of Islamic art in all the world. Led by an official guide, you will wander through the courtyards and elegant halls, and past many fountains and ponds set amongst dazzling gardens. A short distance to the east of the Alhambra, the enchantment is extended to the gardens of the Generalife, the rural residence of the Emirs. The relationship between the architectural and the natural has been reversed here, where gardens and water predominate over the pavilions, summerhouses and living quarters. The massive boxwood trees, rose, carnation and gillyflower bushes, shrubs ranging from willow to cypress, comprise an absolute masterpiece of the art of horticulture by restoring the Koranic image of paradise to the believers.

No other monument gives such a vivid picture of what it was like to live in the heyday of Moorish culture in Spain.