Granada Highlights
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Port
Motril (Granada), Spain
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
Local Sightseeing,All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$139.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 8 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Travel by coach to Granada -- one of only a handful of cities in Spain that experience all four seasons, thanks to its location among the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Explore the Albaicin Quarter -- the old Arabian quarter that was the residential section of the Moors. A narrow labyrinth of crooked streets is home to cisterns, fountains, plazas, whitewashed houses, villas, and the senescent remnants of the old city gate.
Continue to the Royal Chapel and the Cathedral of Granada. The close relationship between the two gives rise to a curious architectural detail, as the Royal Chapel's Gothic gateway melds into the cathedral's walls. See the tomb of Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand. Their daughter, Joanna the Mad and her husband, Philip the Handsome, are also buried here.
In the sacristy, view Isabella's personal art collection, with works by Rogier Van der Weyden and various Spanish and Italian masters, including Botticelli.
The interior of the cathedral is a richly ornate Renaissance building with a spectacular altar. An outstanding feature is the façade by Alonso Cano -- a Baroque scenography culminating in an ornate bell tower. The cathedral was begun in 1521 in Gothic style and completed in 1714 in Baroque style -- an unusual arrangement that generated a host of technical problems. This total architectural chaos is nonetheless breathtakingly impressive and beautiful.
Notes:
Travel time to Granada is approximately one hour each way. Wear comfortable walking shoes.