10 Things to Do in Granada in January

With the arrival of winter, Granada does not lose its magic, on the contrary. In this wonderful city, full of history and traditions, you will have a lot of fun options that will amaze you. Whether you are a lover of history, gastronomy, arts or sports, visiting Granada in January you will be able to experience all of this and much more.

In addition, being low season, tourism decreases considerably and you will be able to enjoy the city comfortably. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is the ideal time to do so, as the heat in the high season months can be suffocating. Here are the top 10 best things to do in Granada in January.

When we talk about Granada, the first thing that comes to mind is the wonderful set of monuments, palaces, walls and gardens that make up the Alhambra. It was the residence of kings and sultans since the thirteenth century and dazzles all who visit it.

January is the ideal month to visit the Alhambra because it is huge and you have to walk a lot, so in summer it can be a bit oppressive because of the heat. A great advantage is that there is no predetermined entrance time, you can enter at any time and without shifts, except in the Nasrid Palaces that do have shifts.

I recommend that you book your tickets to the Alhambra in advance because there is usually a lot of demand. You can buy the most complete ticket for around 15 euros. There are also other options for ticket prices and visits. You can also choose to book a guided tour of the Alhambra and the Nasrid Palaces in Granada and not miss any detail thanks to the accompaniment of a professional guide.

This neighborhood breathes history. It is the Arab quarter of Granada and despite its centuries of history, it still preserves its typical cobblestone streets and medieval traces. There are several cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy the gastronomy of Granada. You can also enjoy incredible views of the Alhambra. In addition, in the Albaicin you can buy gifts for your family and friends, as there are many shops selling typical ceramics of Granada.

During the month of January, the Albaicin is more pleasant to walk around thanks to the weather. Being a medieval neighborhood, most of the tour must be done walking and in summer with the high temperatures the walk is a bit suffocating. In winter, however, you can explore the whole area and also find interesting discounts in the craft stores.

You have different ways to tour the Albaicin: on foot, by segway or by bicycle.

• Walking tour of the Albaicín and Sacromonte, from $16
• Bicycle tour of the Albaicín and Sacromonte, from $37.
• Segway tour of the Albaicín and Sacromonte, from $55.

It has been more than 600 years since the gypsies began to arrive in Spain and settled in the current Sacromonte neighborhood. The mixture between the Arab culture and the gypsy customs gave birth to the ex libris music of Granada, the Flamenco.

In Sacromonte you can see many traditional flamenco shows in one of the many restaurants, cafes and bars that offer along with their gastronomic proposal, shows of excellent level, as for example:

• Flamenco show at Tablao La Alborea in Granada, from $24
• Flamenco show atTablao Casa Ana in Granada, from $23.
• Flamencoshow in the Zoraya Gardens in Granada, from $29.
• Flamenco showin a cave-restaurant in Granada, from $31.

The great advantage of visiting Sacromonte in January is that you can enter the different places with flamenco shows without having to make reservations in advance and you can even enter the places that in high season are always busy.

If you are passionate about literature, following in the footsteps of Federico García Lorca through the city of Granada is a must-do activity. You can visit the most emblematic places related to the writer.

There is a lot to do and, therefore, I recommend you to book a Federico Garcia Lorca tour. Besides, January is an ideal time for it, because the city is quieter than at other times of the year.

I especially recommend you to visit the Huerta de San Vicente, where Lorca wrote many of his most important works and lived his last days of freedom before his arrest and subsequent murder.

Granada in January offers its visitors the chance to visit the Sierra Nevada, a place that will take your breath away for its unparalleled beauty. In Sierra Nevada in addition to delight you with its beautiful scenery you can practice different winter sports such as

The ski resort of Sierra Nevada is among the best in Europe, has excellent infrastructure and services. In addition to skiing you can also practice other sports such as ice skating, snowboarding and sledding or snowshoeing in Sierra Nevada.

There are sports activities for all tastes. Of course, I recommend that you book the excursion to Sierra Nevada as soon as possible because it is the busiest time of the year to visit.

Granada breathes history and being Spain one of the most Catholic countries in the world, religion is an important part of the culture of Granada.

If you are a fan of religious tourism, you should not miss to book a guided tour of the Cathedral of Granada and the Royal Chapel. The month of January is optimal for these visits because there will not be the huge crowds of tourists that there are in other months and you can appreciate the religious art in all its splendor with time and without having to wait to enter.

January 2 commemorates the day of the Taking of Granada. The city dresses up to remember the day when the Catholic Monarchs regained control of the city of Granada in 1492.

The celebrations begin with a tribute to the Catholic Monarchs at their tombs, then there is a mass and later the streets of the city are walked through with various parades that end at the Town Hall. If you happen to be visiting the Alhambra on January 2, you will be able to hear the ringing of the bell to commemorate this historic event.

If you travel with children to Granada in January there is an activity you can not miss, or your little ones will never forgive you. Every January 6th, the Three Kings Day Parade takes place. This parade is the oldest one that takes place in Spain, it is repeated every year since 1917.

During this day, there is a parade of about twenty floats with decorations alluding to the time, in a route that varies every year but usually has more than 8 kilometers to avoid crowds of people. It is a spectacle of music, fun and color that lasts until nightfall and in which more than a ton of candy is distributed among those who attend the show.

On January 17 is celebrated in Granada the day of San Antón. This saint, protector of animals is very venerated in Granada and is traditionally linked to the pig. The pot of San Antón is a dish made with pork, especially on January 17, but can be found on the menu of several restaurants throughout the month.

It is a pot meal, similar to a stew, with many calories, ideal to face the cold of the mountains, was created centuries ago by the peasants at the time of slaughtering pigs and harvesting olives to withstand the low temperatures.

Believe it or not, you can enjoy the beach in Granada in January. In the so-called Costa Tropical of Granada there are temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius even in the middle of winter, so it is possible to enjoy a few hours on the beach in the middle of January.

On the Costa Tropical of Granada there are many beaches with sand and clean water that invite you to relax even in winter. You can tell your friends and family that on the same day you skied in the Sierra Nevada and also bathed on a beach!

As you can see, Granada in January offers activities for all tastes, sports, history, gastronomy, poetry, music, traditions and lots of fun. There are many advantages if you decide to travel to Granada in January.

On the one hand, you will have the possibility to make the trip of your dreams with a much lower price. Airline tickets are much cheaper at this time of year and hotels also have low season rates, because travel prices are greatly reduced in the winter months, especially in January. Many of the attractions also have promotional prices in low season.

In addition, there are things you can only do in Granada in January and not in other months of the year, such as enjoying some of the city's traditional festivals like the Día de la Toma or the events for New Year's Day and Three Kings Day. Winter sports are also at their best in January, when the Sierra Nevada dresses up to welcome snow lovers.

Unlike other European cities, even within Spain itself, the Nasrid city has a very friendly climate in winter to enjoy all the activities and places of interest in Granada. During the month of January you can find many sunny days with clear skies to sign up for the best excursions and guided tours in Granada.

Being a dry climate, the cold is not felt as much as in other regions so you can make many walks and outdoor activities, since the rains are not very frequent. During the night, temperatures do drop quite a bit, so it is advisable to always wear a coat. There can also be frost during the night hours.

In Granada during the summer there are days when temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius, making it very difficult to do outdoor activities. Take advantage and visit Granada in January if you want to get to know this wonderful city in total comfort, without rushing, without crowds and with a pleasant climate.