Alhambra forest

Circular route through the forest surrounding the Alhambra hill, following the Nasrid water channels that supplied the palaces. A green world hidden minutes from the city center.

At the foot of the Alhambra lies a forest that most visitors completely ignore. It is the woodland surrounding the monument's hill, a green strip of elms, holm oaks, and poplars planted in the 19th century to stabilize the terrain and today a sanctuary for songbirds, foxes, and those seeking silence minutes from the center. This circular route follows the trace of the Acequia Real, the seven-kilometre Nasrid water channel that brought water from the Darro to the Alhambra palaces. The water no longer flows, but the channel is still there, hidden in the undergrowth, and in some stretches you can still see the stone walls that contained it. The route is easy, almost flat, and does not require an Alhambra ticket. It is ideal for an early morning, when the forest is empty and light filters through the tree canopy. In spring, the nightingales' song is deafening. In autumn, the smell of damp earth and fallen leaves creates an almost mystical atmosphere. It is a route for those who think they have seen everything in Granada and discover they have not.