Overview

The best bits of the Alhambra were: 1- The spectacular views of Granada and the surrounding area. You can see all of the historic buildings and the mountainous landscape in every direction from this high point. 2- Nasrid Palace. The beautiful mosaic and carved tiles, mouldings, and ceilings were the highlight for me. Ive never seen so much detail and variety. 3- The tranquility of the Generalife garden with their trees, herbs and wildflowers. 4- I also had a good ham and cheese sandwich and a Colacao (like hot chocolate) at the cafe on Plaza de los Aljibes de la Alambra. The worst bits were: 1- Driving over the cobble stones and dirt ground on the mobility scooter. It was a rough ride in lots of places. 2- The crowds later in the day made moving around while keeping sufficient distance for Covid difficult and stressful. The earlier you get there the better for both temperature and crowds. They were controlling the flow of people through the Nasrid Palace so it wasn’t stressful in there. 3- The frustrating lack of access where there could be ramps or covered cobbles.

Transport & Parking

We took a taxi from the rank at Plaza Nueva in the centre of Granada. It cost €5,50. Avoid ride share apps because the taxis can cost closer to €20 as they can’t use the network of taxi and bus only roads. The driver helped get the scooter into the boot. We’ve taken the bus number C32 on a previous visit. They are accessible with a ramp and they have a wheelchair area. It costs about €1,50 per trip. Both drop you off at the entrance to the Alhambra. The Bus and taxi drop off zone is cobbled on a slope with some smooth pathways a few metres away. There’s lots of parking with disabled bays, although it’s expensive and on a slope. There are smooth routes to the entrance.

Access

The main barrier to accessibility here is the cobble stones and dirt ground that are found at various locations around the Alhambra. These are hazardous if you are unsteady on your feet or you use a wheeled mobility aid. The larger the cobble stones the rougher the ride. Seating was very limited too. The route shown on the Alhambra map that you can get from the entrance or online is really the only route you can take if you can’t climb stairs. But none of it is possible if you can’t walk or wheel over cobble stones and uneven ground. I annotated a map and attached it as a photo and then described the route I took below in the order I took it. To Nasrid Palace - At the beginning of the path is a section of large cobble stones (c. 50m) and benches. We followed the route through the Medina gardens which were beautiful and offered more views of the wider area. The gardens themselves had some steps to access them off the main path. Onwards past the church is a downhill section, which brought me to some canons. The views from here were also spectacular. However there was no dropped curb up onto the cobbled path from which to take in the views. So I had to go towards the Puerta de Justicia to get the ramp up on to it. Beyond that were the toilets, which were surrounded by more large cobble stones. From the cobbles there was a dirt path to the ticket checkpoint for Nasrid Palace. In Nasrid Palace - This was the highlight of the visit for me. I asked a steward where I needed to go and she told me that we could jump to the front of the queue at our allotted time (entrance to this is pre-bookable only). From there we were escorted down a ramp, which I can only describe as like being on a horse. The anti-slip strips were big and I was bouncing up and down. We were taken into the Palace through a separate entrance with ramps. Once inside I was able to move through the one way system nicely on the scooter. Some of the side rooms were only accessible by flights of five or so steps so I got up and walked around one of them. There was still a lot to see without going in those rooms. We were guided by friendly staff through a separate accessible route. All in all I was impressed by how much I could access given the age and delicate nature of the building. I nearly drove into a water feature that was recessed into the floor. I can see why they dont allow pushchairs. Im sure I missed out on seeing some other areas of the Palace but I was satisfied on the day. To the Generalife gardens - note that there is no step-free access to the Palace along the garden route shown on the map. There is a flat dirt avenue with more spectacular views. From there the route passes across the amphitheater to the toilets and then up a steep ramp to the garden level. Once at the entrance to the gardens, cobble stones begin. However, the stones are small, tightly packed and mostly even so I was able to scoot over them without much vibration. In the garden there are many benches to sit on and admire the trees, herbs and wildflowers, and the water features. At the end of the garden there are flights of steps to the Palace but no ramps. I really enjoyed this area. To the Generalife Palace - the first part of the wide dirt road up to the Palace is steep and long, and leads to a narrow long flat section of large cobble stones. It was a rough. I don’t recall there being any seating along the way. Once at the Palace, I found a member of staff to let me in through a separate entrance. Once inside the door, the access stops there. I could still see the amazing architecture and water features from here. There are a few small individual steps from that point around the ground floor and I was able to walk around a little to look at the views out of the arches. We saw the Nasrid Palace and Alcazaba below which was quite spectacular. The space is tight with lots of people so it would be a challenge in a wheelchair, if you were able to overcome the steps. To get to other levels there are also lots of steps. I think if my time had been limited I would have thought the effort to get there wasn’t worth it. I didn’t record anything about aids for hearing or seeing. The maps and signposts were not all that helpful because the route is different for disabled people. You can pay extra for an audio guide.

Toilets

There were three toilets that I passed by and I only visited the one near Nasrid Palace. It was small. Enough room for my scooter but barely enough for a second person. It had a grab rail. It was clean and tidy. No help cord or button. See photos. You might need to find someone for the key. A bunch of keys were already in the door when I arrived. There was no area for changing of any kind.

Staff

The staff were helpful, friendly and welcoming, particularly the staff in Nasrid Palace. I didn’t get any looks of panic from anyone, which is rare. There was a language barrier at the Generalife Palace. I wasn’t sure what the assistant was asking of me. He just wanted us to check in with our passports because we had by -passed the main entrance. There were plenty of English speakers around so if you get stuck I’d recommend asking for someone who speaks English.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Masks were required everywhere, although some were pulling them down while away from others, and to take their selfies. All staff were wearing them too. There were hand sanitiser stations around. Everything seemed clean. The queues for anything were socially distanced and numbers limited for getting in. It’s not completely risk free because of being indoors with people. And it was getting more crowded when we decided to leave around 1pm. We arrived about 10am so I would recommend getting there early. I would recommend visiting Alhambra if you are sure footed or on a mobility scooter and can withstand the rough ground. For wheelchair users it would be really tough going in places. Improvements -The provision of more information on the maps for people with disabilities. More ramps up steps and across the cobbles. An accessible drop off area, without the cobbles. Fuller access information on their website.