Curiosities of Granada

In this article, you will discover the most interesting curiosities of Granada,  which will make you enjoy more your next trip to this city.

Granada, a city full of history, which evokes all the essence of the mixture of civilizations, is one of the greatest treasures you can find in Spain. It has a great cultural value, but it is a city full of secrets and legends, a land of elves and enchantment. 

Stories transmitted by word of mouth and from generation to generation today continue to serve as a source of inspiration for artists and travelers. Many of them come from the Arab heritage, but others have other origins that make up the incredible history of its streets and people.

Origin of the name of Granada

There are many theories about the true origin of the city’s name.

The word Granada has a unique historical origin.

Long ago, AD 70, when a Roman emperor named Titus destroyed the temple in Jerusalem for the second time, a large diaspora of Jews throughout the world. A huge group decided to come to live in the Iberian Peninsula, calling it Sepharad.

Sepharad is the biblical term with which the Hebrew sources designate everything related to this peninsula; in Hebrew it means Iberian Península. A territory that would be his new home and promised land.

In Granada, they founded (in Roman times) their particular “Garnatha al-Yahud”: the Granada of the Jews.

When the Muslims arrived in the city continued using the same name, adding the word city, Medina Garnatha.

It was the Christians who, by “Castilianizing” the word, began to call it Granada and to use the fruit of the pomegranate as the symbol of the kingdom.

When Bill Clinton visited Granada

Back in 1997, president Bill Clinton came to visit Granada with his family, and he stated that he had seen one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world from the beautiful views over the Alhambra, Granada, and Sierra Nevada (snow-covered usually from November to May).

In the evenings, you can usually encounter some excellent gipsy flamenco singers here who are certainly worth a tip of a euro or two. 

And on the street below you can also have a spectacular dinner in the historic Albaicin neighborhood: terraces and restaurant with views on the Moorish castle. Mandatory stop when touring the Albaicin. Bill Clinton really enjoyed it, maybe now is your time!

What is a ‘Pionono’ and where to eat it? 

This might be the sweetest curiosity of Granada.

The pionono is a typical sweet that is handmade daily in Santa Fe, a town very close to the city of Granada. It’s a small candy that was born around 1850. 

Its name is due to Pope Pius IX (Pio nono according to Italian pronunciation) of which its creator Ceferino Isla González was a great devotee.

We can be eaten all year round, usually accompanied by a coffee or an infusion. It has a very spongy texture, a very peculiar flavor and the best of all is that all the ingredients used in its preparation are fresh and natural. 

It consists of three parts: a thin sheet of rolled sponge cake, a sugar filling, and a top of cream that’s toasted with a blowtorch. 

Those are made first thing in the morning, and they were immediately served to each of the bakeries of Casa Isla de Santa Fe and Granada city. They usually come as individual cupcakes, cakes, or ice cream flavors.

Ski in the morning, beach in the afternoon! A perfect holiday.

This could be one of the most attractive curiosities of Granada.

There aren’t many places in Europe at least, where people can ski to their heart’s content in the morning, on well-managed slopes, with excellent facilities, and then jump in the car and only hour and be on the beach in their swimming clothes. So Welcome to Sierra Nevada!

Sierra Nevada is a mountainous range in Andalusia, straddling the provinces of Granada and Almeria, and contains the highest land point of continental Spain, with the peak of Mulhacen at 3,478 meters above sea level.

After a fun morning skiing or snowboarding, what better way to relax on the beach?

That sentence doesn’t often get said by anyone much, apart from the lucky ones who know this area and know the benefits of being so close to the gorgeous sunny shores of the Mediterranean, however now you have read this article, you are also in the know.

The quickest way is by car, and you need to head down the mountain range and head towards the main dual carriageway of the A-44 (E-902) going south towards Motril, which eventually meets with the main old coastal road, the N-340.

The Granada Metro (one line only) 

The most different thing between Granada Metro and other cities is that this is a single light rail line. It crosses Granada and covers Albolote, Maracena, and Armilla with underground sections in central Granada and overground sections elsewhere. 

The line opened on 21st September 2017 and serves 26 stations, of which three stations in central Granada are underground.

If you would love to know more about the curiosities that this city offers accompanied by a local, please don’t hesitate to book a visit experience with me.

Is Granada on your wish list?

If you want to know more about this fantastic city, do not forget to download my free Ebook with all you need to know before visiting Granada. Click on the link below.