You'll see Granada's finest medieval Moorish mansions, or cármenes, in this attractive hillside district. The spacious whitewashed buildings all have one special feature: a central, walled courtyard filled with fountains and flowers. There are great views from Mirador de San Nicolás over to the Alhambra complex on the opposite hill and the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance. This district was populated by an influx of Moors from the town of Baeza in 1227 and historians maintain that Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in relative harmony here for many years.
Stand on the other side of Carrera del Darro and admire the fine Plateresque façade before entering this beautiful Renaissance palace. It was built around 1539 for Hernando de Zafra, a soldier and nobleman who assisted the Catholic Monarchs in conquering the city. You'll see his coat-of-arms carved above the front door. Inside, after walking up the main staircase, you'll come into a central patio with galleries above you.
Granada is a haven of history, with the Alhambra and the palaces, and the Puerta de Elvira or the Arch of Elvira, all epitomes of Baroque architecture. Puerta de Elvira, built in sandstone and in 11th Century, still stands strong. The extraordinary semi-circular arch, with its battlement top, is a monument of national importance, and a beautiful regalia of the Muslim era in Spain.
This district is a maze of little streets, famous for its gypsy cave-houses with their whitewashed façades, decorated with colorful flowers. There are many bars here that offer both authentic and "touristy" flamenco shows. If you are lucky, you might get to see La Zambra, a gypsy cave party where the performers dance all night in a style believed to date from the time of the Moorish occupation. Carry on up Camino del Sacromonte, off Cuesta del Chapiz, and you'll come to the 17th-century Abadía del Sacromonte, an abbey and museum, founded by Archbishop Pedro de Castro.
This mountain chain offers great skiing in winter and abundant wildlife in spring and summer. Home to Spain's one of the largest ski areas, this mountain range is visited by tourists in large numbers. It has all the facilities you need for a week's holiday or a simple day trip. Natural Park status of this mountain range means the wildlife is protected. Come up in late spring and summer and you'll see a rich variety of wild flowers and butterflies along with bird life and wild mountain goats. There's a high-altitude fitness-training center here equipped with fantastic facilities. In summer, trekkers and mountaineers from across the globe try to conquer Mulhacén, highest peak in mainland Spain.