Where to Stay in Granada (The Best Areas + Map)

Our Recommended Areas, Mapped

So that you can visualize the areas we’re talking about and how they fit into the city’s geography, we put together an interactive map. 

To see a larger version, hit the button in the top right of the widget and it will take you to a separate page. 

In the neighborhood descriptions below, we’ll talk about the layout and orientation of the neighborhoods, and hopefully this map will help you understand what we’re talking about. 

The Darro River Valley: Our #1 Recommendation

We may be biased because this is the area we stayed on our first trip to Granada, the one that had us head over heels in love with the city, but after staying elsewhere on subsequent trips, we’re sold. 

The part of Granada that you’ll be exploring is, essentially, two hills and the valley between them, where the Darro River runs right through the middle of Granada. 

Carrera del Darro runs right alongside the river, and if we were you, we’d stay within a block or two on either side of that street. 

Specifically, we like the area east of Plaza Nueva, a little deeper into the valley, which gets you out of the hustle and bustle of the more modern part of the city and puts you in a nice romantic pocket. 

The biggest reason we like this area is because of the fact that you’re close to the main attractions in Granada, which we see as the Albaicín and the Alhambra, but you avoid having to climb up and down a big hill every time you want to go anywhere. 

It’s a similar idea to staying in the center near the cathedral, but we think this slice of the city is significantly more charming and romantic than the center. 

Keep in mind that Carrera del Darro is one of the busiest streets in the city because it connects the center to the Albaicín and Sacromonte, so it’s not necessarily going to be dead quiet, but we think that’s fine. 

Pros and Cons of Staying in the Darro River Valley

Here are the pros and cons of staying in the valley as we see them. 

Pros of Staying in along the Darro River

• It’s charming. You get a lot of the charm of an older part of town that you find up the hill, though there is a decidedly more modern twist along Carrera del Darro (especially when there’s a line of taxis trying to navigate the hundreds of pedestrians). 
  
  
• Walkable to everything. As we mentioned already, the big pro we see is that you don’t have to go up and down a hill every time you want to go out and do something, which is what you have to do if you stay in the Albaicín. 

Cons of Staying along the Darro River

• Not many places to stay. It’s a relatively small slice of the city in one of the older parts of Granada, so there just aren’t that many places to stay. This also tends to mean it’s a little more expensive than staying in Centro. 
  
  
• Not many places to eat and drink. Generally speaking, to go out to eat and drink, you’ll have to walk a little bit either up the hill or over to the center near the Cathedral. 

Our Recommended Places to Stay in the Darro River Valley

On our first trip to Granada years ago, we stayed at Limehome Calle Santa Ana, an aparthotel on the south side of the river in a nice little pocket. 

We thought it was fantastic at that time, but after reading through a bunch of reviews, it seems like they’ve been doing a lot of construction and it hasn’t been maintained well, so it’s no longer a super pleasant place to stay. 

Here are some other options in the area that jumped out to us. 

Casa del Capitel Nazarí ($$): A hotel inside a 16th Century palace? We’re in. Basic, compact hotel rooms here, some with a little more space than others. Nice location right off of the main strip. 

BiBo Suites Oro del Darro ($$): Serviced apartments further east along Carrera del Darro. A nice range of apartments, from studio to two bedroom. Some rooms have views of the Alhambra. 

Palacio de Santa Inés ($$$): Beautiful hotel half a block up an alley from the main stretch, which is a great location. Small rooms, which makes sense when you consider it’s a 16th Century building that has been lovingly restored.  

Hotel Casa Morisca ($$$): Arguably the best location here because it’s over on the border of Sacromonte on the eastern end of Carrera del Darro. It’s in a beautiful historic building on a quiet street, and a bunch of their rooms have Alhambra views. 

Centro (near the Cathedral): The Most Convenient Area

As soon as you walk through the center of Granada (which we’re calling “Centro”), you’ll notice that it’s a pretty standard grid with a few slight twists and turns that give some streets a wonky bend. 

For clarity’s sake, we’re talking about the area near the cathedral, southwest of Gran Vía, the main street in Granada, down to Camino de Ronda on the southwestern end. 

This part of the city sits just below the two hills, and is sort of an extension of the Darro River valley. The river flows along the eastern border of the neighborhood and separates the main part of the center from more hip and happening Realejo. 

The further southwest you go, the quieter and cheaper it gets, but it also means a longer walk to the main attractions. 

Candidly, this isn’t really our favorite part of the city because it’s more commercial and busy than other parts, but after discussing it, we do think it’s the most utilitarian place to stay (especially for a relatively short stay). 

And, crucially, there are so many accommodation options across all styles and budgets that it’s also one of the cheaper areas to stay, which is another plus. 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Centro

Here are the pros and cons of staying in the center of Granada as we see them. 

Pros of Staying in the Center

• Tons of hotel options. As it’s the most modern part of the city, you’re going to find a nice blend of accommodations across types (hotels, aparthotels, and serviced apartments) and budgets. Tons of choices, and that also tends to mean slightly more affordable. 
  
  
• Walkable to everything (including the train station). You’ll be able to walk everywhere, whereas if you stay in the other two neighborhoods, it’s a long walk from the train station. 
  
  
• Good places to eat and drink. This area is dense and well on the beaten path for visitors, which means there are tons of places to eat and drink. In fact, most of the restaurants we ate at in Granada were here (remember, Matt has Celiac Disease so our dining might look different than yours). 
  
  
• Nice green spaces. We love a good plaza with greenery, a fountain, and outdoor dining, and the center of Granada has a few of them. We like Plaza de la Trinidad and Plaza de Bib-Rambla, both of which are just southwest of the cathedral. 

Cons of Staying in the Center 

• It’s less “sexy.” You’re trading the narrow cobblestone streets winding through the older parts of the city for a modern, gridded neighborhood. You’re not getting jaw-dropping views of the Alhambra around every corner here. 
  
  
• It’s always busy. The center of Granada is busy at almost all times, between tourists milling around and locals going about their days, there are always going to be a bunch of people around. 

Our Recommended Places to Stay in Centro

For what it’s worth, we stayed at Numa Vega on our latest trip and liked it. 

It’s right along Gran Vía, which is not our favorite part of the city, but the apartments themselves were nice, and we walked everywhere (including to and from the train station). 

Here are a few other options that came up in our research that looked nice to us. 

Casa de Federico Boutique ($): Great value! Nice central location near the Cathedral and extremely affordable rooms here given the location. Nothing fancy, and the rooms are very compact, but you’ll be walkable to everything if you stay here. 

TOC Hostel Granada ($): We’ve stayed at TOC Hostels in Spain before, and they’re like a cross between a hostel, with dorms available and lots of common area space, and a boutique hotel, with nice design and private rooms that are basically hotel rooms. They have a full kitchen for guests, along with some nice common areas. 

Room Mate Leo ($$): This is a nice hotel run by a big European hotel brand, so it’s going to be reliable. It’s a great location a little further south (away from the hustle and bustle), and has a  rooftop pool with excellent views over Granada. Some rooms have private terraces. 

U-Sense Granada Catedral ($$): Right in the middle of all the action, this aparthotel is a block away from our favorite square in Centro (Plaza de la Trinidad). Modern one and two bedroom apartments. 

The Albaicín: The Most Charming Area in Granada

Over the course of your time in Granada, you’re going to find yourself in the Albaicín at least once (ideally more than once, we think). 

This is the oldest part of the city, established centuries before the Alhambra was built, and it was built on this hill in the middle of nowhere for defensive purposes. 

We have slightly mixed feelings on recommending that you stay in the Albaicín because we heard firsthand on this excellent walking tour with Fede (a local) how the neighborhood is being hollowed out, with businesses that are 100 years old and cater to residents being replaced with businesses that cater to tourists (or apartments).  

If you’ve been to Lisbon, it reminds us a lot of Alfama in that sense. A neighborhood that, due to demand for tourism, has become an odd mix of families that have been there for a long time (many of whom have been pushed out due to rising prices) and a huge number of tourists. 

However, it’s also pretty undeniable that any list of neighborhoods in Granada should include the Albaicín because it’s the most romantic part of the city, and it features incredible views of the Alhambra around every corner. 

We decided to include it, but to recommend that you avoid vacation rentals and stick with bigger, more established accommodation options that are a little less likely to be contributing to the hollowing out of the Albaicín. 

With that preamble out of the way, let’s talk about what makes this a nice place to stay. 

First of all, there is no neighborhood in the city (the country?) that is more charming and romantic than the Albaicín, which is all narrow streets, beautiful flowers, and views of the Alhambra. 

Many of the streets are so narrow that cars can’t use them, so it’s also very pedestrian-friendly. 

The downside, of course, is that you’re staying on a hill. We lived in San Francisco on top of one of the city’s notorious hills for a decade, so we’re generally fine with trekking up and down hills. 

However, we can see that being a big downside if you’re not used to that or have mobility restrictions. 

We DEFINITELY wouldn’t stay here if you have a rental car because we saw multiple cars get stuck trying to navigate the narrow streets. 

Pros and Cons of Staying in the Albaicín

Here are the pros and cons of staying in the Albaicín as we see them. 

Pros of Staying in the Albaicín

• The charm factor is high. Narrow streets, fewer cars, and beautiful gardens and flowers mean that it’s a very pleasant place to stroll. 
  
  
• Nice views of the Alhambra. It truly feels like there’s a beautiful view waiting for you around every corner looking out across the valley towards the Alhambra. 
  
  
• It’s quieter in the morning and at night. Once the sun goes down, the hordes of people who come up to Mirador de San Nicolás for sunset head down the hill, and the neighborhood becomes the best version of itself. Staying here means it’s easier to experience those quieter hours.  

Cons of Staying in the Albaicín 

• You’re on top of a hill. Which means you’re either going up the hill or down the hill whenever you want to go anywhere. 
  
  
• It’s tough to reach via car (or taxi). Like we mentioned, many of the streets that run through the neighborhood are too narrow for most cars, so taking a taxi can be tricky, and you may have to walk. 
  
  
• It’s far from the train station. It’s clear across the city from the train station, and as we already mentioned, navigating in a car (including a taxi) can be tricky.  
  
  
• Not many places to stay. There aren’t many places to stay in the Albaicín, which is part of what makes it so charming, but that means that you don’t have many options. And, as you might imagine, the options you do have are going to be on the pricier side of the spectrum as accommodations in Granada go. 

Our Recommended Places to Stay in the Albaicín

Here are a couple of places to stay in the Albaicín that caught our eye as we were searching. 

Mirador del Zenete ($$): A typical Carmen in the Albaicín that has been renovated and turned into a small group of suites with a beautiful garden, rooftop terrace, and a pool. Only three rooms here, so book ASAP!

Smart Suites Albaicín ($$): Located about halfway up the hill to the main parts of the neighborhood (five minutes from Plaza Nueva), this aparthotel has a nice range of apartments, from one to three bedrooms. Modern on the inside, historic on the outside.

---