Granada is a city of two halves with Castilian and Moorish cultures.

Alhambra

The Alhambra is one of the few medieval Muslim palaces to reach the 21st century virtually intact and it’s imagnificent.

With more than 1,000 years of culture, the Alhambra is the primary reason most people visit Granada. You’ll need plenty of time to explore and late spring is perfect – not too hot, but many of the flowering plants will already be on display including some 300 year old wisteria vines which are gorgeous.

The Citadel

The citadel is a wonderful collection of cloisters, courtyards and fountains. To see the Citadel, there are three ticket choices: daytime visits with under-12s free; admission is split into morning and afternoon sessions); evening visits  and garden-only visits Fees range from about  7 – 15 Euros. Also consider the option of a day and an evening visit, spread over two consecutive days. The number of rooms, squares, and walkways is extraordinary – and the moorish decorations are intricate and delicate; much of the stonework is like lace, decorating the window surrounds. Its advisable to book ahead online at www.alhambra-patronato.es. to secure your entrance ticket.

Albaicin District

Get your walking boots on and conquer the 11th-century Albaicin district. Its steep, cobbled alleyways and baz­aars are delightful; cottages drip with wisteria, tiny squares punctuate the climbs and prove helpful when you need a breather. Surprise vistas jump out t every turn. Along the narow Calle Caldereria Nueva, you can visit  Moroccan handicraft workshops, see the taracea marquetry. Its easy to get drawn into another impulse-buy, but don’t forget to try one of the hole-in-the-wall cafes for mint tea and a pionono pastry (ideally at Confiteria Isla, Carrera de la Virgen 27).

Make your way to Mirador de San Nicolas for the best sunset in town — and find yourself a flamenco show in the gypsy quarter, Sacromonte, where dancing troupes can be found in one of the traditional cave dwellings. The best caves are at La Canastera (Camino del Sacro­monte 89), La Rocio (Camino del Sacromonte 70) and Los Tarantos (Camino del Sacromonte 9).

Getting to Granada

The best airport for Gran­ada is Malaga (84 miles away), which is served by flights from more than 20 UK airports, plus Dublin, Cork and Shannon. Airlines flying there include Flybe, Easy­Jet and Monarch. To fly into Granada airport, you’ll have to make a plane change on the way. The best connections are with British Airways/Iberia, via Madrid.

Thinking about a luxury break in Spain? Find out how staying in a luxury hotel in Spanish cities can be affordable.

Don’t just think of a Spain as a cheap package holiday destination – beyond the well know holiday spots are magical cities such as Granada and Seville.

The Costa del Sol was developed in the late 1960′s to attract millions of holiday makers to the sunshine coast (Costa del Sol). Huge hotel complexes and resorts quickly appeared. The beaches and resorts have attracted visitors from all of Europe and now people are beginning to explore further afield.

Visitors are now exploring Spanish cities sightseeing, enjoying the lifestyle and culture that Spain has to offer.

Malaga and costa del sol are a splendid destinations. If you can get a reasonable deal on your air fare and find cheap car hire, Spain can be enjoyed even more by being able to afford to stay in luxury up market hotels.

Flights to Malaga are readily available from almost all regional UK airprts and due to the saturation of airlines, cheap flights are common. At the airport car rental companies are falling over themselves to offer deals and usually you can negotiate a better price than the advertised tarrifs – most likely getting a better class of car for the same price as economy hire cars.

With the combination of arriving in Malaga and the freedom of a car you easily visit two amazing cities in Andalucia – Seville and Granada – both boasting amazing buildings and architecture. Road links are excellent and more and more boutique hotels and spa resorts are being developed to welcome you.

Luxury hotels in Spain

Luxury hotels in Spain are often fantastic value. Spain is a country that realises the importance of provided exceptinal valuefor money and giving tourists a veryhig standard of accomodation.

Seville Hotels

By far and away the Alfonso xiii – attracting wealthy visitors – the site has information in arabic – http://www.hotel-alfonsoxiii.com/arabic2.htm but worth trying to grab a bargain night if you have already found a smart but inexpensive hotelsuch as Confortel Puerta de Triana

Granada Hotels

Abades Nevada Palace – has a state-of-the-art design, innovative facilities and details that help to make it unique in Granada. The Abades Nevada Palacehotel is a couple of miles out of the city centre and offers double rooms at bargain prices which more than covers taxi fares.