The origin of Granada is lost in time. In the testimony of a number of coins minted
by the 'Turdulos' tribe in the V Century BC. The Romans arrived 500 years afterwards
and founded the Ilíberis municipality. The legend says that Saint Cecilio set up
his Episcopal see in the year 62 AD and Mohamed Ben Alhamar established the 'Nazarí'
Kingdom of Granada in 1238.
During the following two and a half centuries, the city reached a high economic,
cultural and artistic level, culminating with the gradual construction of the marvellous
Alhambra, one of the most admired and visited monuments in the world.
The Catholic Monarchs, Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragón entered Granada capital
on 2nd January 1492, three months before signing the agreements that allowed the
voyage of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America.
Granada is the fortunate centre of a province that encloses an individual and multifaceted
richness of tourism: the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort 32 kilometres away, the warmer
climate, the beaches and the fruits of the Costa Tropical, the valleys and the villages
of the hidden Alpujarra, the classic beauty of Guadix and the emotional impact of
the Marquesado villages, the wartime and romantic reminders of the final frontier
of ‘Al Andalus’ in the villages of the West of Granada and the surprising reminder
brought up to date of the troglodyte lifestyle in the cave-houses of the villages
that appear like oases of water and greenery in the immense plain.
The province of Granada offers enormous contrasts in climate due to the many different
and immediate geographical features which make up the region.
The continental climate is demonstrated by the average temperatures, the annual average
being 14.8º -6º in January and over 25º in August.
Long summers and winters contrasts with the short Autumn and Spring.
Shortage of rainfall (474 litres per year), which mainly falls between the months
of October-May and is practically non-existent during Summer
For lovers of nature and rural tourism, the province is home to five natural parks
and a national park. Peace and quiet which can be soaked up in the little villages
in the Alpujarras, an almost un-spoilt area, entice visitors to remain there forever.
Inland areas, like the Marquesado and the Altiplano, show an incredible contrast
between almost moonlike desert landscapes and the leafy vegetation of the surrounding
hills. Granada Poniente, in the west of the province, has an enormous Islamic heritage.
Granada holds an unimaginable quantity and variety of tourist attractions in an area
of just 13,000 square kilometres: the Alhambra, the most visited monument in Spain
and one of the most beautiful in the entire world; one of Europe’s best ski resorts
is in the Sierra Nevada; and, just an hour and a half away by car, we swap the snow
for the beaches of the Tropical Coast, which enjoy enviable temperatures all year
round.
It is this diversity of climates, scenery, produce and resources which allow us to
declare the province of Granada a tourism micro-continent. There are so many possibilities
at any time of year: culture and historical monuments, rural and activity tourism,
snow and sport, bucket and spade holidays, conferences and incentives and leisure
activities.
