Alhambra Castle and Fortress, Andalucia

Alhambra castle

location		Alhambra fortress, Granada, Andalucia, Spain
gps		3°35'22"W, 37°10'28"N
access		Car, train, plane or bus; quick walk from Granada.
difficulty		Easy to moderate - some stairs and inclines; can be tiring and dehydrating.
time		4 Hrs (Hint: take two days and do the tour one in the morning second in the afternoon)

In the heart of Andalusia, perched high on a plateau above the city of Granada, is a fairy tale castle and fortress called Alhambra.  A Unesco heritage site, it has become Spain’s most popular tourist destination with up to 6000 daily visitors in the summer.

A brief history
Initial constructions of the palace was during the Nasrid dynasty (between 1238 and 1358). Charles V of Spain, in 1526 had sections removed and rebuilt in the renaissance style. In 1812 the towers took heavy damage by the French during the War of independence, and in 1821 an earthquake caused further damage to the structure. Restoration of the complex began in 1828 and continued through the 20th century. The Alcazaba, or citadel, the Moorish portion of the Alhambra, is the oldest part of the complex. Adjacent is the Alhambra palace, and beyond that the Alhambra Alta which was once tenanted by government officials. To the east is the Generalife, constructed in the early 14th century as a summer palace surrounded by pools, fountains and terraced gardens.

Visit in the off season
This part of Spain receives over 300 days of sun every year. Although Grenada is an hour off the coast the daily temperatures are very pleasant 12 months of the year. In the summer is can be uncomfortably hot. Tickets are sold ahead of time and can be sold out a month ahead of time in the summer. They do release a few hundred in the mornings but queues can be long and there is no guaranty you will get tickets.

Tickets
When you purchase a ticket La Alhambra you have an option of 2 sessions. If you buy the 8:30am ticket, you can enter at 8:30am only and have to be out before 2pm. If you buy the 2pm ticket then you enter at 2pm and leave when it closes at 6 or 8pm (depending on season).
(Visit the Alhambra website for more information).

Photography
The photo ops are endless, the detail and beauty is extraordinary. Inside the complex structures it can be quite dark and as with most monuments flashes are not allowed but tripods are. Be prepared to be patient as there are streams of people getting in the way. Outside it can be very bright and with the many pools a circular polarizer can be critical.

park information

what to bring

	sunscreen	The sun here can be intense in every month of the year
	water	lots of walking in the sunshine (water can be purchased through the complex)
	cash	Bring euros if you want to buy lunch or souvenirs from street venders.
	zoom /wide	General purpose zoom lens (e.g. 25-105mm 24-70mm) and a wide angle (e.g. 14mm, 17-35mm, )
	tripod/filters	A tripod for indoor shots and filters as you will be probably be taking some picture in the mid day sun.

directions

By car

The Spanish highway infrastructure is excellent and there are good roads to all Spanish cities. To Granada it takes about 5 hours from Madrid, 11 from Barcelona, and about 90 minutes from Málaga.

The cars are not allowed to enter the Alhambra castle and fortress but there is parking next to the monument @ 2.50 euros per hour. There are also places for buses and caravans.

You can reach the parking by Ronda Sur ring (N-323, A44), go through the Serallo tunnel then left at the roundabout at Avda de Santa Maria de la Alhambra.

Flying

There is a regional airport in Granada, but most flights are to Malaga’s International Airport. From here you can rent a car or go by bus or train. The bus is cheaper and much quicker. The direct buses from Málaga airport to Granada bus station take a little over 2 hours and cost 12 to 14 Euro each way.

From Granada by bus

You can take the red minibus Alhambra Bus C3, which leaves every 10 minutes from Plaza Nueva to the Alhambra. The stop where you need to get off is called ‘Generalife’. Tickets cost is 1.20 euros. Ticket can be purchased directly on the bus.

On foot

Walk down the Cuesta de Gomérez from the Plaza Nueva. You can enter the grounds of the Alhambra castle and fortress through the Cuesta de Gomérez and then through the Gate of Justice.
It is a very pleasant walk that takes about 20 minutes

favourite shots

canon 5d mark III

24mm (EF16-35mm f2.8L II)

F11

1/125 sec

100

tripod

Outside of Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes) were a couple of beautiful wooden and leather chairs. The wall behind them had colourful tiles and intricate carvings and if that wasn’t enough there was partial light and a stunning shadow of a column. The challenge here was space as the walkway was only about 6 feet wide.  I used my tripod and took a shot directly at the wall and them moved the tripod over several feet. Then  took another image further down the wall. I did this several times and stitched the images with Photoshop.

canon 5d mark III

27mm (EF16-35mm f2.8L II)

F14

1/160 sec

100

The interior of the Palace of Charles V gleamed like gold in the afternoon sunlight. Although I took many photos, including panoramas, my favourites were the ones with  the reflections in the liquid smooth floor as a main subject.

canon 5d mark III

16mm (EF16-35mm f2.8L II)

F16

1/10 secs

100

tripod

For good reason this location is one of the most famous and iconic shots of Alhambra castle and fortress. Even in the height of the day the interior was quite dark. I took the shot on a tripod and shot it intentionally 2 stops darker than metered knowing my camera would capture enough information for me to bring back the details when processing. The 16-35mm lens gave be the width needed but the lens distorted the vertical columns and had to be adjusted in post processing.

canon 5d mark III

35mm (EF16-35mm f2.8L II)

F13

1/500th sec

100

In the gardens for the Generalife a saw a photographer standing among the columns adding nice element to the stark white columns and the colourful background.

canon 5d mark III

27mm (EF16-35mm f2.8L II USM)

F11

1/100 sec

100

Outside of the Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes) is another very popular photo spot. The pool provides a stunning reflection of the structure’s intricate details. I used a wide angle lens to be able capture the entire pool and balance it with an almost equal amount of  bright blue sky.