Sacromonte, Granada

The neighbourhood seems to have taken shape after the Castilian conquest of 1492. With the arrival of the conquerors, the city went through a purge that ended up expelling Jews, Muslims and, of course, gypsies. The latter were pushed into the valley area, outside the city.

The origin of the Sacromonte goes back to the early 16th century, when the Jewish and Muslim population left Granada after the expulsion decree signed by the Catholic Monarchs. To cope with this demographic drain, gypsies arriving from all over Europe were allowed to settle in the upper Albaicín.

It was there that they began to create what later became their hallmark: the cave houses. From the 18th century, the gypsies settled on the slopes of the Cerro de San Miguel and along the Camino del Sacromonte, the old Muslim road to Guadix. Little by little they made the land their own and developed a new type of dwelling: the cave.

The Sacromonte had its golden age in the 1960s, when thousands of families lived in the neighbourhood in 1,500 cave houses. The cave houses of the Sacromonte are grouped around ravines, forming streets.

The neighbourhood has many points of interest, notably the Sacromonte Caves Museum and the abbey. From the Sacromonte you can contemplate from a unique perspective the Alhambra complex, the white Albaicín and the green Valparaíso Valley, through which the river Darro flows.

There are caves of several types, but very few are still lived in by the gypsy families of the neighbourhood. The upper parts of the Sacromonte held the humblest caves, where the entrance served as kitchen and dining room and there were only one or two bedrooms.

Today many caves have become tourist accommodation, and the few traditional ones left are businesses of some kind. Most of the caves are devoted to the flamenco shows called zambras.

Chorrojumo was a gypsy from the Sacromonte who became famous thanks to the portrait painted of him by the great Mariano Fortuny, one of the most outstanding Spanish painters of the 19th century. His real name was Mariano Fernández Santiago and he was a blacksmith by trade.

Because of his fame and the interest he aroused among artists, he decided to walk around the Alhambra in the costume he wore for the portraits and earn a living as a guide, telling tourists stories and legends.

The Sacromonte Caves Museum is one of those places well worth visiting. At the top of the hill, it has 11 historic caves that explain life in the neighbourhood from its beginnings to the present day.

This interesting museum is both an interpretation centre for the neighbourhood's wonderful natural surroundings and an ethnographic museum where you will discover the true history of its people. There are 11 different caves you can enter, each illustrating a different aspect of the life of their inhabitants.

There is the dwelling cave, the stable cave, the basketry cave, the kitchen cave, the pottery cave, the loom and the forge cave, among others. All are decorated with the typical utensils and furniture of the time. In them you can experience what it was like to live inside the earth.

On our guided tour of the Albaicín and Sacromonte we also visit a historic cave, where we explain how gypsy families lived and how these homes dug into the rock were built, offering you an authentic experience of Sacromonte culture.

The zambras reflect the rich cultural mix forged in the Sacromonte over the centuries. They carry echoes of Muslim festivities that the gypsies absorbed and then made their own.

These caves are spacious, white and decorated with gleaming copper pots. They are close to the road and easy to reach. The most popular flamenco caves in the Sacromonte are the Cueva de María la Canastera and the Cueva de La Rocío.

The show has a very particular content, staging a gypsy wedding, and a special way of performing it, with no tablao or stage: in a circle and very close to the audience.

The Sacromonte has a lovely cultural calendar all year round. The most striking festival is the San Cecilio pilgrimage (held on the first Sunday of February), but the neighbourhood also celebrates its street party on the first weekend of September.

In addition, the neighbourhood is home (in the abbey) to the Brotherhood of the Gypsies, one of the landmark processions of Granada's Holy Week.

The Sacromonte Abbey is a Baroque building built in the 17th century. It has 1st-century catacombs where, according to tradition, the burials of Saint Cecilius and other followers were found; this saint is considered the first bishop and patron of Granada.

This monumental complex made up of different buildings began to be built in the early 17th century. The Sacromonte Abbey is a key place for understanding the history of religious Granada. Here, in the Holy Caves, are the relics of Granada's patron saint, Saint Cecilius.

You can get to the Sacromonte on a small bus (minibus), number C34. The stop to catch it is Plaza Nueva. The bus runs every 15 minutes, and it takes about 10 minutes to reach the Sacromonte.

You can also walk; it takes about 25 minutes from Plaza Nueva. The first part of the way is uphill. The best option is to go up by bus (lines 31, 32 and 35) and walk down along the Carrera del Darro, enjoying a spectacular panorama of the Alhambra.

Always stay on the main street where the C34 bus runs; you can get off and on whenever you like.

Be careful if you are invited into a private cave to see it. Once inside they will want to charge you whatever they like and you will find yourself in an awkward situation. Do not enter any cave that is not an official venue with its prices and name clearly displayed.

Enjoy the way up from Granada and stop to take in the surroundings and have a drink in one of its picturesque bars. El Camborio, the Venta el Gallo and Los Faroles are some of the most emblematic places in the neighbourhood.

Tickets are usually booked in advance through their website or by phone. Some shows can be too commercial, aimed especially at foreign tourists. Even so, it is essential to come one night to this legendary place and see a gypsy zambra in a Sacromonte cave.

The Sacromonte Abbey cannot be visited without a guide. The guided visit costs 5 euros.

Discover the secrets of Granada's most authentic gypsy neighbourhood with our official guides, who know the stories, legends and traditions that have made the Sacromonte the cradle of flamenco. We take you through the historic caves and tell you the true story of this unique neighbourhood.