the area | granada | las alpujarras | lecrin valley | salobreña & motril

Granada was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians when the Catholic monarchs Isobel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon entered the city in 1492. For a period they lived in and restored the Alhambra, now one of the most visited and admired monuments in the world. For a unique perspective on Granada's history, read 'Tales of the Alhambra' by Washington Irving. Worth a look at too is 'South from Granada' by Gerald Brenan. He summarises Granada with these words. 'Its charm lay, of course, in its situation – the immense green plain, the snow covered mountains, the elms and cypresses of the Alhambra hill, the streams of noisy, hurrying water.'

Granada is a beautiful, romantic, individual and distinctive city and an important university location with a quarter of its inhabitants studying or teaching at the university. The Sierra Nevada natural park is south from Granada and forms a stunning backdrop to the city. It is snowcapped for most of the year and offers skiing from November until May. The ski station is called 'Sun and Snow' for good reason and is Europe’s southernmost ski resort, one of the biggest in Spain, with good skiing and facilities. The 1996 Alpine Ski Championships were held here and the resort has 45 downhill runs totaling 65km.

It is hard to summarise such a large and diverse area. Yes, it has a fabulous capital city with many stunning monuments. Yes, it has an impressive ski resort and breathtaking mountain scenery and yes, the whole area is steeped in Roman and Moorish history and bears the scars of many a crusade. Incredibly too, though, Granada has a heart and one that is most keenly felt in the flamenco song but is in evidence in every facet of the city and area. For many, Granada is their favourite city in the world because of its combination of contradictions and perspectives in such a stunning natural environment.