Solo travel · Granada · Spain
Solo travel in Granada
How to enjoy Granada at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Granada is excellent for solo travellers: free tapas make eating alone at the bar sociable and inexpensive, the student population keeps it lively, and hostels in the centre and Albaicín are plentiful. Many solo travellers base themselves in Realejo.
Key facts
- Base
- Realejo
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- Spanish
Solo travel tips
- Eat at the bar on a free-tapas crawl; it is the easiest way to meet people.
- Book your Alhambra ticket as soon as your dates are fixed; spring and autumn time slots go first.
- Join a flamenco show with transport from the centre if you would rather not walk back from Sacromonte alone at night.
- Stay near Plaza Nueva or Realejo for walkable access to everything.
- Keep valuables secure at the Mirador de San Nicolás at sunset, where crowds attract pickpockets.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget and solo travellers
Realejo
Realejo spreads south of Plaza Nueva below the Alhambra, with the leafy Campo del Príncipe square, traditional tapas bars and large murals by the local street artist known as El Niño de las Pinturas. It is less touristy than the Albaicín, flatter at its lower end and a steep walk up to the Alhambra.
- Good
- Good tapas bars with locals; Walking distance to the Alhambra and centre; Good-value apartments
- Watch out
- Hilly upper streets; Fewer hotels than the centre
- Nearby
- Campo del Príncipe, Carmen de los Mártires, Alhambra, Plaza Nueva
Great on your own
Palace · Alhambra hill
Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces
Enter the Nasrid Palaces at your exact time slot; see the Alcazaba before and the Generalife after, and allow at least three hours in total.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Viewpoint · Albaicín
Mirador de San Nicolás
For fewer crowds, try the Mirador de San Cristóbal higher up or the Mirador de la Vereda de Enmedio in Sacromonte.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
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Neighbourhood · Albaicín
Albaicín
Walk up from Plaza Nueva via Calle Calderería Nueva and come down along the Carrera del Darro so the steepest part is uphill in the cooler morning.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Architecture
Palace · Alhambra hill
Palace of Charles V
Stand in the centre of the circular courtyard and speak; the acoustics are remarkable.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
Neighbourhood · Sacromonte
Sacromonte and the Caves Museum
Walk up the Camino del Sacromonte from the Paseo de los Tristes and continue to the museum; it is hot and exposed at midday in summer.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Centro
Granada Cathedral
Visit with an audio guide and then walk next door to the Royal Chapel, which has a separate ticket.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Meeting people
- Free-tapas crawl — Order a drink in one bar, eat the tapa that comes with it, then move on; three or four bars make dinner. Calle Navas, Realejo and Pedro Antonio de Alarcón are the classic routes.
- Tea in Calderería Nueva — Spend an afternoon in one of the tea rooms of the lower Albaicín with mint tea and pastries, a welcome break from the heat or the cold.
- Calle Elvira and Plaza Nueva — Bars, tea rooms and late spots at the foot of the Albaicín, busy with students and travellers.
- Pedro Antonio de Alarcón — The student bar street with cheap drinks, generous tapas and bars open late.
Sensible precautions
Pickpocketing occurs at the Mirador de San Nicolás, Plaza Nueva and on crowded buses, so keep bags closed. Some sellers near the cathedral press sprigs of rosemary on visitors and then ask for money; a firm 'no, gracias' is enough. In summer, avoid strenuous walks in the afternoon heat.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- 4G and 5G coverage is good across the city; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and eSIMs work well for other visitors.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Granada good for solo travellers?
Granada is excellent for solo travellers: free tapas make eating alone at the bar sociable and inexpensive, the student population keeps it lively, and hostels in the centre and Albaicín are plentiful.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Granada?
Realejo: Former Jewish quarter of tapas bars and murals below the Alhambra hill.