Inside The Alhambra

Granada, Spain.

By Claire

People with families, who also have the photography bug, have to make compromises. It means that on some trips they come too and you have to be cunning to ensure you feed your addiction.

It wasn't hard to sell the idea of a trip to Granada to my husband, the history and sheer beauty of the Alhambra was enough. The promise of a short drive and a week in a villa with pool on the coast of Spain enticed my son. Mission accomplished.

I was fortunate enough to return here a second time but in spring instead of summer.

Why Go?

The Alhambra (in Arabic "the red fortress") is a palace and fortress complex  built by the Moorish monarchs of Granada in Southern Spain. It occupies a fine vantage point on the southeastern border of the city of Granada. It is justifiably one of Spain's major tourist attractions. It exudes history, has hidden corners and magnificent artifacts.

The main way to get a sense of the scale of this place is to wander into Granada and look back. The best photographs I've seen have been taken at dusk when it is floodlit. I unfortunately did not have this opportunity as this is dining time for the family and they hid my camera! If someone has a good shot of this I will happily add a link here.

My aim was to capture images from inside the complex. The walls of the Alhambra are full of calligraphic decoration, cursive and kufic writings.

The gardens and fountains are an oasis that would be worth a visit alone.

The entire site covers an area of about 142,000 m². It is huge.

Its most westerly feature is the dazzling alcazaba whilst the rest of the plateau comprises a number of palaces, enclosed by a wall with thirteen towers. The views from here are stunning, especially looking towards the Sierra Nevada (good skiing here).

Granada is a city well worth a visit too. This shot was taken from the Alhambra, it is a compact city with several "districts" that have their own personality.

In addition there are several fine cathedrals.

Highlights of my trip:

Bliss is a day of photography with the family with no one complaining about my "clicking" . They were totally engrossed. During the spring trip it was the light just before the site closed, it turned a rosy red and the buildings glowed.

Lowlights:

Tripods are NOT allowed. This creates challenges inside the palaces. Due to the fantastic sunshine we had on both occasions the contrast range makes exposure difficult. The dawn start with the family - but I'll tell you how to avoid this.

When to Go:

Avoid summer if you can. Whilst the first trip with family was great to get a sense of the history, one of the reasons I returned was to see it in less harsh light. Intense sun bleaches colour from a scene and the long views towards the mountains were full of haze. The temperature during the summer is also a challenge, though the inside areas were designed with this in mind and are a pleasant escape. In spring it was sunny but cool, the quality of the light much better. As some of the pictures show, with a little patience you can have a view free of people.

Access:

There are a limited number of tickets on sale every day and only 30% of these can be acquired at the ticket offices without a prior booking. The massive influx of people during the high season means that it is important to book ahead and this can be done on the Internet. During my first visit we didn't know this and queued from dawn in order to ensure we got in. When I returned in spring I booked in advance but it was considerably quieter and was probably unnecessary. You are given "time slots" for admission to cut down on queuing time and to control the flow of people. It works well.

Parts of  this may make it sound awful, but this is a massive site. During my spring visit it felt empty, once inside.

If you are exploring Granada you don't need a car, if you get foot weary taxis are cheap. There is a huge car park for the Alhambra that is easy to find and you can park overnight, which is what we did having found a hotel within walking distance.

How to Get There:

We flew to Malaga and hired a car as we were travelling onwards. The drive was an easy few hours. As I said above a car is not needed if you just want to explore Granada and there are excellent train and bus links to the city.

Where to Stay:

Take your pick from hundreds of hotels that can be found online. Aim for one within the historic quarter. We found a very reasonably priced hotel that was a 10-minute walk from the entrance to the Alhambra. We just parked the car in the Alhambra car park, walked a bit and found it. There are also some hostels along the same street that looked fun (and cheap when all you want is a bed for the night). This site will help you find something that is close to the action.  They advertise tours, this may be a good idea, one day learning and one day photographing.

Advice for travellers:

Spain is very relaxed. Granada is a city but feels more like a town, if you've been to Barcelona expect something entirely different, this feels safe and within two days you really know your way around. Try and find time to wander.

Visiting the Alhambra isn't really a day excursion. If you can, plan for two.

Equipment for this trip:

Wide angle for the vistas from the walls and some indoor shots.

A moderate zoom such as the Canon 28-105 for details of buildings.

Tripods not allowed so a fast lens is useful indoors.

A grad for the long shots.

Ice cream for the kids.

Research:

Important on any trip, in this case you could just turn up but you'd struggle to understand what you are looking at. You can hire a recorded tour but they drive me mad, I have enough equipment to carry. Use the Internet, a good guidebook or go a day in advance on a tour.

When The Light is good:

Good light here means overcast unless you are there early or late but opening hours restrict you. However, I believe that they do an evening garden opening that may be worth exploring. In February the good light arrives as you have to make your way out - linger.

Blue skies - then seek long views over Granada

When the Light is Bad:

Bad light is when the sun is at its zenith (and several hours each side). Head inside the palaces.

And for the rest of the family:

In the evening go and watch a "zambra", a form of flamenco that is danced in caves of the Sacromonte, the gypsy district, (where some people still live). We visited one and I wish I had my camera with me. Sit in the many plazas and watch the world go by. Find small cafes well away from the tourist areas - the food is better and cheaper. In the evening buy them good paella and make your excuses (sunburn maybe?) and go find the shot from the town up to the citadel

Will I Go Again?

If I'm nearby, yes. I've only scratched the surface. I want that night shot. I do however have my eye on Ronda, another location worth some time in this region that I I've visited briefly in bad light and it has great potential. I already know how I'll convince my husband to join me - the restaurants are first class.

If you've only ever been to Spain in the summer, try a week in February and head inland. It is like a different country.

UK travellers. PTR recommendations for insurance:

Travel insurance and camera insurance.

PTR rating as a photographic location:

As a photographic location  during the summer due to the challenges of lighting and crowds.

In spring  if you also have a love of history, enjoy gardens and fountains and like looking for interesting details within buildings.