3. The Atmosphere
The city is the meeting point between three distinctive groups. Theres the large Arabic influence (dating from the Nasrid occupation of the city), a huge amount of young foreign students are out every night due to the popular Erasmus program at the university (God forbid they actually study), and of course theres the local Spanish residents as well. The resulting mixture is charming you can bargain hunt in Muslim markets by day, have some tapas for dinner and then go out partying with European students afterwards. The night life in Granada is great, with plenty of lively bars and clubs. One of the clubs,
Camborio, is actually built into a giant cave in the side of the mountain, with a terrace looking out over the Alhambra palace.
Overall, Granada is quite an alternative city, especially if you head into the Sacromonte neighbourhood, built on a hill over some Roman catacombs.
Gitanos (gypsies) live there, playing guitar for the curious tourists who venture into the caves. The area is famous for its flamenco shows and has an incredibly peaceful atmosphere, but then its hard to find a more relaxed city in general than Granada (and thats before mentioning the Turkish baths). The Spanish have a tendency to be laid-back at the best of times, the local Hookah lounges dont help and when you consider the fact that most of the population are students its amazing anything gets done at all. Thats not to say the city doesnt function well it does but rather that most of the people there are amongst the most
tranquilos youll ever meet. You can walk into a bar and easily start up a conversation with anybody there, and thats part of Granadas unique charm.