Location: Albaicín
Top Things to do in Albaicín
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Things to do in Granada, Andalucia: The Best Churches & Cathedrals
The Alhambra citadel of Granada is one of the most famous buildings in Spain: a Moorish fortress with grand archways and delicate ornamental mosaics. Step backwards in time as you wind through the ascending cobblestone streets of Albayzin. You’ll be rewarded with beautiful views from the Mirador San Nicolas. Granada’s nightlife is vibrant and varied, thanks in part to its student population. Hit the bars of Calle Elvira or, for a quieter outing, the traditional tea rooms of La Calle de Las Teterias.
Restaurants in Granada
1. Iglesia de San Ildefonso
2. Iglesia de los Hospitalicos o Corpus Christi
3. Iglesia de San Gregorio Betico
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 35 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This little church and convent is one of the sights you see if you are walking up to the lookout point, Mirador San Nicolas. To get there, we walked from Plaza Nueva, along Calle Elvira, turning right at Calle Caldereria Nueva and continuing uphill for a couple of minutes until we came to the teeny, weeny plaza where the church is located. It really is a very pretty little white church, in a tiny stone cobbled plaza. It’s picture postcard perfect. What was most beautiful though, was that when we looked inside, there were several nuns, heads bowed in prayer. We did not go in any further as we did not want to intrude but it was an unexpectedly moving sight. The church that stands here today was mostly built in the 1500s but it goes back even further than that. During Muslim rule, it was a prison and dungeon where Christians were held and tortured. After the Christian monarchs took back Granada, San Gregorio’s was built on the same site to honour two Catholic Franciscan monks who died here in 1397. They had been arrested for preaching outside the Alhambra mosque, tied to horses’ tails, dragged along the streets and thrown into the dungeon here. The church has had a lot of ups and days over its 500 years or so of history. In the 19th century, the government forced the church to sell much of its land and property and for a brief period, the church was sold off and turned it into a brothel. Hard to imagine when you look at its beautifully serene, white façade today. Later, during the Spanish Civil War, it was also burnt and was badly damaged. Today it is fully restored and functions as a church and cloistered convent. To continue to the lookout, take the stepped road on the left hand side of the church and continue uphill. From San Gregorio’s, the lookout is about another 10 minutes further on.
4. Iglesia de San Miguel Bajo
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By Rousers - London, United Kingdom
What a lovely little church. The plain exterior belies the exquisite interior. As an added bonus, for only €2, you can climb the 62 or so - rather large and steep - steps to the top of the tower, where you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views across the city including the Alhambra.
5. Iglesia de San Nicolas
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By stevendN819JD
Although the main church was close for renovations, we visited the bell tower for the wonderful views for Granada and the Alhambra. Special mention to the guide/attendant who provided a very interesting and enthusiastic history of Andalusia and Granada (City of Pomegranates)
