The Alhambra is a palace and fortress in Granda, Spain that holds much historical significance for this region. During the moorish empire, it was a fortress for the empire. Then it was conquered during the Christian crusades, and used as a palace.

It is now one of Spain’s tourist attractions, as visitors can tour the gardens, summer house, and fortress all in one visit. Just a few things this fortress boasts: containing well-preserved Islamic architecture, named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is the inspiration for many artists.

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I can see why. This fortress is listed in many Must-See travel books. It is so well regarded that honestly I was worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. But now that I’ve visited (twice) I can tell you it met my expectations and then some! So amazing, even pictures (and I took SO many) can’t do this place justice.

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I got to visit this world known spot my very first week in Spain! The whole class went to tour the gardens, summer home, and fortress. We had to wear little ear pieces on the tour so that the tour-guide didn’t have to scream to us the whole time. Side note: our tour guide way sassy and kept telling us how he was leaving to the snow to ditch the Spanish summer heat (goes back to my note about friendliness in Granada).

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But overall the 2 hour tour was enjoyable and engaging. I learned a lot about the history and culture of that time period. And also why this spot is so important to the culture of Granada. Corrina and I actually went back a second time to the Alhambra, actually on our very last day in Spain. We both loved this spot so much that we decided it is our favorite spot in Granada.

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We toured the Garden and the summer palace again, but didnt go into the fortress as it was a very hot and crowded day. But we got to wander on our own pace this second time back and take in the awe inspiring beauty all around. Plus we got to patiently wait for the crowds to leave to get that perfect picture.
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Pro-Tip: Go to the Church of San Nicolás and the plaza just outside it for a great spot to take pictures of the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background. This is where I took the feature image at the very top of this post! It’s a wonderful lookout spot.