The Alhambra, Granada
Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada. (Give him alms, woman, because there is nothing worse in life than to be blind in Granada).
Francisco Alcaron de Icaza
The scent of honeysuckle hangs in the air. I can smell it on my hair as I brush it out before bed. Outside, a full moon rises above the Sierra Nevada mountains, and from our hotel window, we stare up at the Alhambra, its ruddy walls turned silver in the moonlight.
We’ve been walking in its shadow for two days, losing sight of it only to duck into a restaurant or stumble through the crowded markets of the Alcaiceria. From its perch at the top of the city, the Alhambra has held a mystical quality for us from the moment we stepped into the city. It watched as we discovered the rest of Granada, its rusty red walls looming close and then far, beckoning us in to explore.
We arrived at the Alhambra well before it opened, on an early June morning just as the dawn cracked across the sky. Sweat already beaded our foreheads from our steep ascent to the top of the hill where the Alhambra sits. We entered the Alhambra from under the stone archway of la Puerta Judicaria.
The bustle of the city faded away, and we were completely alone within its walls. Really, truly, and completely alone—save for the cats. I pointed out an orange tabby prowling on top of one of the tower walls, while Matt snapped a photo of a black and gray cat lounging in the shade of an orange tree. It wasn’t long before our presence had attracted a herd of furry felines, and we had to dance our way to the gatehouse, being careful not to tred on any little paws.
The Alhambra is a palace complex dating from the ninth century. Situated at the top of a steep plateau and surrounded by walls and ramparts the color of the earth, the Alhambra is a stunning visual of Moorish military strength. At the base of the plateau runs the river Darro, and the parks surrounding the Alhambra are filled with roses, orange groves, dense English elms, and myrtle trees. The combination of topography, nature, and architecture make the fortress truly impenetrable.
As I mentioned, the Alhambra is a complex, a city-within-a-city. It houses the Alcazaba (a military barracks and citadel), the palaces of the Nasrid kings and later the Christian kings, and the Generalife gardens.
The sun hadn’t yet risen above the Alhambra when we convinced the gatekeeper to let us enter the Alcazaba. Built before the Muslims arrived in Granada, the Alcazaba is the oldest part of the Alhambra.
We entered the Alcazaba through one of its massive towers and entered the barracks area. It was amazing to see the remains of walls and towers that once served to provide shelter and store military weapons.
More mesmerizing than this was the view. We climbed onto the wall of one of the ramparts and because we were completely alone, I let myself pretend I was Daenerys Targaryen admiring her city. We strutted up and down the dusty rampart probably ten times, shouting commands from the battlements and watching the sun rise over the Albaycin below.
From there, we continued to explore the secrets of the Alcazaba—finding an old bathhouse and a tiny white-washed staircase with stunning peephole views of the fortress below. We climbed one of the towers and emerged at the highest point of the Alcazaba to admire the view of the Mirador de San Nicolas across the valley. We exited through a garden so lush and blooming that it took us by surprise, surrounded as we were by the bone-dry heat of a Spanish summer morning.
It was still only 9am, so we raced to the other end of the Alhambra complex to try to beat other tourists to the Generalife gardens. But first—we popped into the Hotel America, which was the only place open for breakfast within the complex itself. The inconspicuous but darling hotel/restaurant peeked out from under a swathe of foliage, and a friendly waitress ushered us into the courtyard, where the dining area was prettily arranged beneath a canopy of trees.
With birds singing overhead, we enjoyed toast, marmalade, and eggs before setting off to the Generalife nearby.
This was a place of unspeakable beauty. Situated at the top of the Cerro del Sol (Hill of the Sun), the Generalife, which means “garden of the architect,” or “garden of paradise,” was originally designed as a leisure palace for the kings of Granada. What we saw was nothing short of peaceful, serene, and lush—a true oasis.
The entirety of the gardens is connected by an irrigation ditch (la esclaera de agua) that travels from pool to pool and down staircases in place of a bannister.
Exploring the Generalife was like exploring a series of secret gardens. Myrtle, oleander, honeysuckle, jasmine, and olive trees framed the pools and ponds and flowers spilled onto the walkways.
We spent most of our time dwelling in the patios: the Patio de la Acequia contained a gallery of arches with sweeping city views, while the Patio de los Cipreses provided a cool enclosure of shade trees and fountains.
After reluctantly parting with the gardens, it took us all of 5 seconds to decide that we wanted to eat lunch at Hotel America, which was both convenient and enjoyable. Without batting an eye at our sudden reappearance, the staff treated us to a delicious lunch and ruby-red sangria.
El Partal 
After lunch, we visited El Partal, which is a palace within the complex that encompasses a large central pool surrounded by an arched portico and a tower, Las Damas.
Our final stop was the Nasrid Palaces. I cannot overstate the importance, beauty, or intricacy of these places. The Nasrid Palaces are incredibly special. They showcase the harmony, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and magnificence of Moorish design and architecture.
We wandered from room to room, astonished by the colorful tile work and the delicate plasterwork that gave the walls a lacy appearance. Our visit came to an apex at the Palacio de los Leones, or the Palace of the Lions. This is perhaps the most famous place in the Alhambra.
The lions, which encircle a fountain at the center of an open courtyard within the palace, are intended to represent paradise.
The surrounding spaces comprised the private chambers of the royal families, with a central patio surrounded by arched galleries and elaborately-carved columns laced with Islamic inscriptions.
The effect is spiritual. You know you’re surrounded by the ghosts of kings and the spirit of the divine.
The Alhambra is all-encompassing. The scent of honeysuckle seeps into your lungs, the sound of water rings in your ears, the heat of the sun warms your skin, the redness of the walls saturates your vision. You leave with the sense that you’ve been blessed by sacred earth, and that it is somehow part of you now.
