Granada on Foot: the Alhambra, the Albaicín and Sacromonte

The Nasrid Palaces, the ornate heart of the Alhambra, admit visitors only in the specific window printed on the ticket, with no re-entry once it passes. The official booking portal is where to buy — the Access Pavilion ticket office also sells same-day when any are left, and authorised agents hold a share of capacity — and the palace slots for summer and Easter week sell out weeks ahead, mornings first.

Because the Nasrid Palace slot is the bottleneck for the whole day, fix the Alhambra time first and build the Albaicín and Sacromonte legs of the walk around it, rather than the other way round.

Some of Sacromonte’s whitewashed cave-houses are still lived in as homes, while others have become small flamenco venues or museums; either way, the lanes are someone’s street, which is worth remembering with a camera in hand, especially in the evening.