Route of the Albaicín and Sacromonte

The lower part of the Albaicín, closer to the river, is the most restored area today. The middle and upper parts, once the wealthiest, are known for their cármenes: walled houses with an orchard, the typical residence of Nasrid landowners.

In the upper part stands the Palacio de Dar al-Horra, the residence of Aixa, Boabdil's mother, and the only Nasrid palace that survives outside the Alhambra itself. The neighbourhood also retains a network of cisterns (aljibes) dating from the 11th to the 16th centuries, such as the Aljibe del Rey, the largest Muslim cistern in Granada, with a capacity of 300 cubic metres of water.

Among the religious buildings, the Church of El Salvador stands out, built on the site of the old Great Mosque of the Albaicín, of which the Patio de las Abluciones (Ablutions Courtyard) survives.

The route passes several viewpoints looking out over the Alhambra: the Mirador de San Nicolás, the most famous, with the full monumental complex and Sierra Nevada in the background; the quieter Mirador de Santa Isabel la Real, next to the convent of the same name; and the Mirador de la Lona, near the Placeta de San Miguel Bajo, offering a different, side-on view of the Alhambra.

Sacromonte took shape after the Castilian conquest of 1492: when Jews and Muslims were expelled from the city, Roma settlers were allowed into the upper part of the Albaicín and the slopes of the Cerro de San Miguel, alongside the old Camino del Sacromonte. That's where its defining feature emerged: the cave houses, carved straight out of the rock.

The neighbourhood enjoyed its golden age in the 1960s, with around 1,500 inhabited cave houses. Today many have become holiday rentals, and most of those still active are given over to flamenco shows known as zambras, which act out a Roma wedding in the round, without a stage or tablao.

The Sacromonte Caves Museum brings together 11 historic caves that trace the life of the neighbourhood: the cueva vivienda (dwelling cave), the cueva cuadra (stable cave), the cueva cestería (basket-weaving cave), the cueva cocina (kitchen cave), the cueva cerámica y telar (pottery and weaving cave), the cueva fragua (forge cave), among others.

At the top of the Monte Sacro stands the Abbey of Sacromonte, a Baroque building from the 17th century. Beneath it lie the Santas Cuevas (Holy Caves), traditionally held to be the burial place of San Cecilio, Granada's first bishop and patron saint. The abbey can only be visited with a guide.

The best approach is to walk up to the Albaicín from the Carrera del Darro, via the Cuesta del Chapiz, and come back down through Calle Calderería Nueva, lined with Arab-style shops and teahouses. For Sacromonte, the C34 minibus leaves Plaza Nueva every 15 minutes; you can also walk up in around 25 minutes, with a steep climb at the start.

The streets in both neighbourhoods are cobbled and on a slope, so comfortable footwear is essential; neither is accessible for people with reduced mobility.