Tell me about Granada, please

I believe that One night in Grenada is enough,we enjoyed the Alhambra visit,we were there four hours and also did the Cathedral which is very good,we also day tripped from Grenada so we were there four nights.I thought that Seville was more of what I believe is traditional Spain.Don't miss Montserrat,beautiful setting with views.
Mike

I would do two nights. We spent three nights but we move very slow. Spent nearly a full day in the the Alhambra - 8 -2, may be 3. A great cathedral with the bones of Isabella and Ferdinand, the chest that held the jewels given to Columbus. Spend an afternoon in the back alleys across from the Alhambra. Enjoyed the flow of the city.

Granada is my favorite place in Spain, but it gets mixed reviews on this forum. Almost everyone agrees that the Alhambra is amazing and more than worth most of a day and therefore a night in town. Not everyone is as captivated by the rest of the town as I am. It is definitely highly touristed, but I don't find it as "overrun" as, say, Toledo or Ramblas area of Barcelona. There is a unique feel to the place that I can't quite describe.

The town, other than the Albayzin, is quite nice and the Cathedral/Royal Chapel is certainly worth a visit, but the Albayzin is the highlight outside of the Alhambra. Certainly see San Nicholas, but don't stick to just that section (THAT is highly touristy, but so beautiful as to be worth it) - wander, find the other little plazas and narrow lanes that are more off the beaten path. It's a place to be, not a place to do (outside of the Alhambra, of course).

If it were MY trip, I would do the second night in Granada but I think I am in the minority. If you don't feel drawn to it (watch the Rick Steves episode and the Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown episode), you can get away with the one night.

What Mike said is true - GrAnada is not traditional Spain. Traditional Andalucia is Sevilla. Granada is something else altogether, and I love whatever that is. It's Old Moorish, a touch Moroccan, Andalucia, General Spanish, Mountainy, Touristy, Hippie/Bohemian, Roma, all sorts of things mixed up in an appealing mess.

dtcary -

I spent 3 nights in Granada two years ago. That was enough for me, but I must admit there was more there to see that I passed on. One day was devoted to the Alhambra - I was there about 5 or 6 hours. I took a walking tour (Cicerone) one morning and later that day visited the cathedral and the Royal Chapel. I also spent a morning wandering the Albayzin. That afternoon I occupied myself at café tables in Plaza Nueva, just people watching. I enjoyed Granada a great deal!

With the amount of time you have, I think one night in Granada is enough.

The only reason I would consider your staying a second night in Granada would be to give you a full day at the Alhambra. It does cover a big area. Since you are with a group tour, presumably you will see all the "good bits" most efficiently. Seville, Cordoba and Barcelona all have more to offer than you'll discover on a second night in Granada. I'd look for a walking tour of the Albaicin that would include the sunset view at San Nicolas. The Moroccan market is next to the Cathedral, maybe you can fit that in after the Alhambra and before going to the airport.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'm leaning toward staying one night.

I guess one of the considerations is the airport. For those who have been, is this airport one where you need to arrive 3 hours before a flight to ensure you get through security, etc? Or would 90 minutes suffice? From the website, this sounds like a smaller airport. The flight would be around 7pm.

The Granada airport? Tiny. There are maybe 15 flights a day. I would think 90 minutes would suffice, but just like any airport there could be backups. If you carry on and can print boarding passes ahead of time you should be fine. I have only used it for early AM flights and we got there 2 hours early, which was before the desk even opened and our flight was the only one for a couple hours. A ton of time, but there is probably more traffic later.