In January 2022, I was in Granada. Where most will say you have seen this in a few days and maybe 2 days is enough, I took my time. Tranquilo! That’s the advantage of working remotely. I don’t have a rushed schedule due to limited vacation days, but take my time to discover a new place. Granada is high up and so it is a lot colder here than, say, Malaga or Seville. During the day is about 15 degrees. Fortunately, the sun often shines making it still very nice during the day, but at night it was close to freezing. Because of this I was less likely to eat on a terrace and went to the pub for tapas. Not really a punishment either haha.
Favorite place
It is officially a city, but feels like a village. If you take a stroll through the city you will find that these are mostly small streets and alleys. Especially in the Arab quarter Albaicín it is very narrow. But very cozy! In Granada you will find many Arabic influences, water pipes, Tagines and Arabic spices in abundance. A somewhat good condition is nice here, because the nicest places are on a hill. Good for the glutes. Personally, I always find it a waste to take a cab or bus, because by walking you already see so many nice things.
There is one thing Granada is known for: Alhambra. A world-famous ancient fortress.
Beforehand, someone said to me “it is the most beautiful place I have ever seen”. Critical as I am, I thought “I wonder, because I have seen a lot of beauty in the world”. But it was magical! Both the Alcazaba, Generalife and Palacios Nazaríes and the gardens and paths around them were impressive. You really get quiet for a moment. Do buy your ticket in advance so you can avoid long lines.
Another thing you should really do as a remote worker (you want to do this!) is go to viewpoint Mirador de San Nicolás.
There you’ll enjoy stunning views of the Alhambra. Try to avoid weekends though, when it is mega crowded with tourists. Sunset is totally beautiful here, but I went for example on Tuesday at 5 p.m., when it was fine and I could actually enjoy the view instead of struggling through a horde of tourists for the cutest snapshot. But here’s the thing, not only is that viewpoint beautiful, but just below it are a number of restaurants. And those are the real gems. As I sat there you work, overlooking Alhambra, I genuinely felt so intensely happy. And privileged. That freedom in your workplace can make for such a blissful feeling almost made me emotional. Small sidenote though is that they don’t do wifi there, as many places in Granada don’t, so get a good hotspot or do work at that time that can be done offline, like writing texts.
Where I stayed
A well-known hostel chain in Spain is TOC Hostel. It looks like a fancy hotel and doesn’t feel like a hostel at all. Sure, you share a room, but even that room and the bathroom is fancy! An awful lot of remote workers and digital nomads stay there. Precisely because it’s a great place to work. If you’ve ever stayed in hostels you’re probably familiar with the shared free meals. Often you can join us one evening a week for pasta, paella or other fairly basic meals. But holy moly, that was different here. At check-in, the lady asked if I wanted the free dinner on Saturday night, which I was up for. That turned out to be a 3-course dinner in the attached restaurant, wine included. Together with an Argentinian, Duister and English we enjoyed this (free!) luxury immensely. No spon, but I think this is top!
The bucket list
Granada is also known for flamenco. The traditional Spanish dance, full of fire and passion. In the Sacromonte district, known as the gypsy district, you will regularly find dancers on the streets. People come at night to this place in the hills of Granada for music and dancing. There is something magical about the place. It is authentic and wonderful to walk through the small streets and catch a glimpse of real Spanish life there.
If you want to enjoy cheap tapas then Granda is the place to be. This often makes us Dutch very happy. They have the fantastic concept that you get a free tapas dish with your wine. So for €10 you are tipsy and your belly is filled, great right! The best pub here is really Bodegas Castañeda. Super cozy and the beers, wines and tapas are delicious! Be on time, otherwise it is full. Normally in Spain you eat around 9 pm, here you can already eat around 7 pm.
Ciao
Granada you can go by car, bus or train, but I chose Blablacar. Less known in the Netherlands, but widely used abroad. I came from Malaga, which is 1.5 hours by car. Then I went to Seville. Then I had a super fast driver and was there in just over 2 hours. I always pay attention to who I book a ride with. I only choose drivers with reviews and preferably only rides with other passengers as well. That makes me feel just a little bit safer as a woman. You simply create a free account and pay securely through the app with your credit card. Super cheap and nice way to travel if you ask me. Whether I will come back here again I do not know. I think I’ve seen everything and got a taste of the atmosphere. But if you have not been there yet it is definitely worth it! You can also combine it with skiing by the way, as it is near ski resort Sierra Nevada. Also read the blog why you really want to go on a workation to Seville.
