Alhambra – Why you need a tour guide

Alhambra is absolutely monstrous but there are other reasons why you’ll need a tour guide – or at least an audio guide. Join me on a tour around this Islamic masterpiece and discover why I barely remember my previous visit…

Here’s what The Ultimate Travelist said:

“The palace complex of Granada’s Alhambra is one of the most extraordinary structures on the planet, perhaps the most refined example of Islamic art anywhere in the world, and the most enduring symbol of 800 years of enlightened Moorish rule in medieval Spain. From afar, Alhambra’s fortress towers dominate the Granada skyline, the sheer red walls rising from woods of cypress and elm, set against a backdrop of the Sierra Nevada’s snow-capped peaks. Inside is a network of lavishly decorated palaces and irrigated gardens, which are the source of scores of legends and fantasies.

It’s the combination of intricate detail and epic scale that gives Alhambra its breathtaking appeal. The perfectly proportioned Generalife gardens vividly evoke the Moorish vision of heaven, while the creations at Alhambra’s heart are beautiful beyond belief. The many rooms of the Palacious Nazaries, the central palace or complex, are the pinnacle of Alhambra’s design, a harmonious synthesis of space, light, shade, water and greenery that sought to conjure up an earthly paradise for the rulers who dwelt here. Expanses of tile, muqarnas (honeycomb) vaulting and stucco work adorn the walls, while the Patio de los Leones is a masterpiece of Islamic geometric design. Put simply, this is Spain’s most beautiful monument.”

Get your copy of Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travelist here.