Granada is the capital city of the province with the same name, located in south-eastern Spain between the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Andalusian hinterland. The city is located at the foot of Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain range of the Iberian peninsula. With more than a thousand years of recorded history, Granada enjoys one of Spain's most important cultural and architectural patrimonies. Besides the Alhambra, the world renowned palaces and fortresses of the Nasrid dynasty, and the historical Moorish quarter Albaicin, both designated as Patrimony of Humanity by the UNESCO, Granada boasts a Renaissance cathedral dating from the 16th century and many other architectural monuments of the first magnitude.
Granada has excellent accesses via train, plane and automobile. The airport is just 15 kilometers from Granada, close to the historic town of Santa Fe. Cars can be rented at the airport, and there is also a frequent bus service to the city. The train station is in the city center, making it particularly convenient. The A-92 dual carriageway takes motorists to Seville in two-and-a-half hours, to Malaga in an hour and a half, making Granada an excellent base for touring in Andalusia. The city's new four-lane "circunvalación" ring road greatly facilitates motor traffic in and around Granada, elegantly resolving access to both the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada ski station. The new bus station on the city's northern edge provides bus service with the four corners of the Spanish geography.
Granada is situated at the foot of Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain range of the Iberian Peninsula. Besides providing a dramatic backdrop for the city, Sierra Nevada is home to southernmost Europe's ski station, and the scene of important international ski championships in recent years. The ski area is less than an hour drive from the city, via one of Europe's finest ski access roads.
The Mediterranean beach is also within easy striking distance of Granada, less than an hour by car, with resort and residential towns like Motril, Almuñecar, Salobreña and many more. The traditional summering spot for local families, the Granada coast, with it's sub-tropical climate, and agriculture dedicated to exotic fruits, is increasingly attracting foreign visitors and residents.
Fonts: Guias Granada
