Alhambra Introduction and History
Alhambra Key Sights Alhambra Key Sights (continued) Alhambra Key Sights (concluded) Alhambra The Experience and Getting There |
THE EXPERIENCE
Quite simply, the Alhambra is a place you must see if you want to consider yourself well-traveled. It is both historic and beautiful with its own unique charm. Because the Alhambra is a world famous landmark, many people want to see it. In 2007, over 3 million people did so. In order to keep things manageable, these days the number of visitors is limited to 6,600 a day. Admission is by ticket. Two-thirds of the tickets are sold in advance on-line. The other third are sold on the day and there is often a queue when the ticket office opens at 8 a.m. Entrance to the Nasrid palaces is limited to 300 visitors per half hour. Your ticket will specify what time you can visit the Nasrid palaces. If you buy your ticket well in advance, you can select which of the half hour slots you would like. Otherwise, you have to settle for what is left. The shore excursion that we took handled the tickets. In addition, we were able to take advantage of special entrances and exits that were for organized tours only. This enabled us to bypass several long queues and thus make more of our time at the Alhambra. Having throngs of people about does affect the experience. The gardens and reflecting pools were designed for quiet, solitary contemplation. Even though everyone was surprisingly well-behaved when we were there, with hundreds of people around, you have to use your imagination to get a sense of what it was like for the people who lived in the Alhambra. (continued in the adjacent column) |
Along the same lines, the absence of furniture in the various rooms of the palaces makes it difficult to get a feel for what life was like for the occupants. (There is some furniture in the Alhambra Museum in the Charles V Palace). Of course, many of the original furnishings were lost or destroyed during the long period of neglect. Furthermore, with so many visitors, it would probably be impractical to have even reproductions in the rooms. The site covers a considerable amount of territory. As a result, you have to do a lot of walking. Most of this is over gently sloped pavement. However, there are some steps. There is a modern visitor center at the entrance to the site, which includes public facilities, a gift shop and a cafe. |
GETTING THERE
Granada is about 55 miles away from Malaga as the crow flies. However, because there is a range of mountains between the two cities, the travel distance using ground transportation is approximately 80 miles. Shore excursions to the Alhambra from Malaga usually involve a two hour coach ride going to the Alhambra and a similar time coming back to the cruise port. It is for the most part a pleasant ride along highways (motorways) through the mountains and then past rural towns and villages. |
You can also get to Granada by public transportation. There are hourly buses from the Malaga bus station. Again, the ride takes about two hours. Of course, once you are in Granada, you will have to get a taxi to the Alhambra.
Currently, there is no fast train service between Malaga and Granada, although such a service is planned. Regular train service requires a change of trains and takes longer than going by bus. If there are several people in your party, another option would be to hire a taxi in Malaga. |
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Going ashore - - Visiting The Alhambra - page 5