International Student Accommodation in Granada
City Guide
The City
Granada is the capital of the province of Granada, situated in the eastern part of the region of Andalusia (southern Spain). The city is built on a land characterized with geographical and scenic diversity as it combines the coastal area with its warm climate, the extensive fertile plain of the Vega, and the mountainous range of the Sierra Nevada, where the biggest peak on the peninsula of Spain – Mulhacen (3,481 meters) is situated. Granada’s wealth and development over the years is largely due to its growth as a popular tourist and student destination.
The city of Granada has been shaped by the hills, where the old districts of the Albaicín and Alhambra were founded, characterized by their narrow streets and marvelous landscapes. The new part of the city is situated on the plain, crisscrossed by the large roads of Gran Via de Colón and Calle de los Reyes Católicos.
The Alhambra is one of the most brilliant monuments of universal architecture, considered by some to be one of the 10 wonders of the world. It represents a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th century, while Granada was still under the rule of the Arabs. One such is the palace of Generalife with its outstanding fountains and gardens. The castle was home to many of the Arabic Sultans who ruled the whole province, which is why for centuries it received the most modern decoration and architecture. The Alhambra stands at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and overlooks the city and the plain of Granada. Nowadays, it receives approximately 8000 visitors per day and is Spain’s most visited monument.
The Albaicín is the old Moorish quarter located on the opposite the Alhambra. It is characterized by the fascinating labyrinth of narrow, cobble stoned streets and whitewashed houses. At the highest point of the hill is located the Plaza de San Nicolas (also known as the Mirador de San Nicolas), famous for its magnificent view of the Alhambra castle. There are many squares with places to eat a good tortilla or paella and enjoy the many attractive views of the city or the Alhambra.
The Sacromonte hill, which overlooks the city from the North, is famous for its cave dwellings, once the home of the Granada’s large gypsy community. The area brings alive the typical idea of a Spaniard – a dark haired gypsy woman dancing flamenco with a red rose in her mouth. The Sacromonte is one of the places that gave rise to the connection between Spain and Flamenco as it was where the gypsies settled about 600 years ago and where the flamenco dance was created through the mixture of Arabic influence and the gypsy lifestyle and temperament.
Bull fighting is an art throughout Spain that receives much attention for its controversy. Granada is one of the Andalucían cities famous for its bull fights at the Plaza de Toros (Avenida del Doctor Olóriz, 25). The events normally have 6 rounds of bulls. One of the most famous bull fighters is from Granada and goes by the name El Fandi. The sport certainly isn’t for everyone but you should check it out if you want to dive in the Andalucían culture. The bull fighting season normally starts around May.
Transport
Granada’s traffic is extremely busy and so, given that it is a relatively small city, the best way is to walk everywhere. The city centre is very compact and pedestrian friendly. The only public transport is by bus, which cost 1 Euro for a single journey (or you can buy a bus card which gives you a discount). To travel outside the city, the best coach company is called Alsina Graells.
Granada also has its own airport, mainly used for internal flights but low cost airlines increasingly offer cheap flights to the UK and other destinations. The airport is located about 16 km from the city and the easiest way to get there is by the day buses that circulate between the airport and the city centre. These buses, operated by Autocares Gonzales, are following the arrival of every plane. Check this website for more information: Andalucia.com
The University
The city of Granada has 270,000 inhabitants and 60,000 of these are university students. Every year about 1,600 European students attend the university as part of the Erasmus program, making it the program’s most popular destination.
The many different buildings belonging to the University are spread throughout the centre of Granada. There is also one main campus in Cartuja, situated only a few bus stops on bus 8 or C from the city centre.
If you are taking a language course, the Centro de Lenguas Modernas (CLM) can be found in the Realejos, on Calle Molinos. The school is about 10 minutes walk away from Plaza Isabel la Católica. It is attended mostly by students from the US who only do Spanish language for one semester.
The University Erasmus Society organizes lots of events and day trips throughout the year. By joining the society you will inevitably make many friends and enjoy your social life while in Spain.
Food and Drink
Granada has lots of lively bars and restaurants serving a range of typical Spanish tapas and great dishes. The cuisine reveals definite Arab influences in the use of certain spices, and especially with regards to desserts (such as baklava). Good restaurants for traditional Spanish cuisine can be found around Plaza Nueva and Plaza de Bib-Rambla (especially for seafood).
There are several very good Italian restaurants. The best one if you are looking for a good meal out is called Pizzería Il Gondoliere (very close to Plaza de Gracia). The best pizza you can have in Granada is from the take-away restaurant called Hola Pizza on Calle San Juan de Dios. It is owned by three brothers from Naples who are professionals in making pizza and use only exquisite Italian products to prepare the pizzas.
In Granada these come free with every drink. The tapas can vary from just a few nuts or a small dish of olives to a mini meal. One of the greatest pleasures of being in Granada is to go out with friends for tapas. The best tapas restaurants are around Plaza Nueva and Calle Elvira (just off Gran Via de Colón).
A flavor of North Africa can be found along Calle Calderería Nueva (just off Calle Elvira) and its surrounds in "Little Morocco" where you will find health-food stores as well as numerous tearooms and eating places. The Moroccan teashops are also very popular among students who often enjoy smoking “nargile” and drinking hot Arabic tea.
Food and drinks in Granada are generally cheap. In most restaurants, you will have to be patient as the service can be very slow. If you go to tapas restaurants, there usually isn’t table service and you will have to order at the bar. Service is normally included in the bill.
Out on the Town
As with any Spanish city, Granada has a vibrant nightlife usually involving consuming large quantities of copas (spirits mixed with a long drink) and staying up till the early hours. It is known to be a student city, which is why it is much quieter during the holidays than during the academic year.
There are two main zones full of bars: Calle Pedro Alarcón and the area around Plaza Nueva and Calle Elvira. Granada is full of chupiterias – small bars serving very cheap and a large variety of shots. Possibly the best known ones are on Calle Elvira. The most popular clubs among students are: Granada10 (just off Gran Via), Camborio (up in Sacromonte), and Vogue. Other student areas which are extremely lively are Calle San Juan de Dios (and its continuations c/ Gran Capitán and Plaza Gran Capitán) and Carril del Picón.
For flamenco, one of the most touristy and heavily promoted shows is Los Jardines Neptuno (Calle Arabial, near the Parque García Lorca in the south of the city). There is a lot of Jazz and Flamenco at the Eshavira in the Calle Elvira. They don’t charge an entrance fee but they increase the price of drinks when there is music playing.
The Erasmus society organizes cheap socials weekly. These are very well advertised by posters and flyers all around the University and the city centre. You will normally have to pay about 5€-7€ to get in a club but that always includes a free drink which costs about the same.
Day Tripper
Granada is located next to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, only about 40 minutes away on the bus from the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort (3,400 meters above the sea level). It is also about 50km away from the coast. Being in this position means that it is possible to go skiing and sunbathing on the beach in the same day.
There are many beautiful places to visit near Granada which are ideal for day trips. The nearest big city is Cordoba (about 100 miles), which worth seeing for its cultural background and monuments, such as the world-famous Moorish mosque.
Sevilla, the biggest and most beloved city in the region of Andalucía, is situated about 150 miles west from Granada. Many popular tourist destinations such as the beaches of Motril and Nerja, the city of Malaga, Marbella, etc. are only a couple of hours away from Granada.
The region around the city of Granada is brilliant if you are looking to dive in the traditional Spanish atmosphere. The Alpujarra, a series of mountain ridges and valleys in the lee of the Sierra Nevada, is one of the most remote regions of Spain. It is only about two hours drive from the city but feels like a different world. It is also a good opportunity to buy handmade rugs and fresh ham and chorizo.
The best way to travel in Andalucía is either by bus (see http://www2.alsa.es/portal/index.asp) or by car (it only costs 20 Euros to rent a car, see http://www.amigoautos.com/).
Accommodation
The easiest way to find accommodation in Granada is to pick up and call a few numbers from the advertised spare rooms or flats posted all around the bus stops or phone boots in the city. Spanish students in Granada are often looking for flat mates for the academic year. Rents are very low; you can normally find a room for about €150-200 including bills.
Otherwise, you can seek help from the University Services Office located on Calle Doctor Severo Ochoa. University accommodation is not preferable as halls managers tend to be very strict with noise and night hour curfews. Furthermore, the best way to improve your Spanish is by living with Spanish speaking students who tend to rent flats rather than live in halls.
The Climate
The climate is generally mild; there are lots of blue skies and sun throughout the year, with occasional rain but hardly ever snow. Even though Granada is situated next to the Sierra Nevada, winters are short - it only gets cold during the night and temperatures rarely fall below zero. During July and August it can be very hot, up to 40C but unlike the other southern cities, it is not an uncomfortable heat because of low humidity.
The boring stuff
To view information about Bank Accounts & Money transfers, Internet & Telephone and Health, visit our Spanish homepage.
Guide written by Mihaela Nalbanska, exchange student Granada, 2006/2007.
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