Granada with Kids

Granada is a wonderful city for a family trip: it has a fairy-tale palace, real caves, a big science museum and snowy mountains less than an hour away. Lots of families stay at the house, and for children sleeping in a cave is already half the adventure. Here are the plans that work best and a few tips to make the trip go smoothly.

The Science Park

The Parque de las Ciencias (Science Park) is one of the most visited science museums in Spain and the star attraction with children, especially when it’s very hot or raining. It has hands-on rooms on physics, the human body, perception and the environment, a planetarium, a butterfly house and outdoor birds of prey displays.

Inside is the Biodomo, a space with living ecosystems from different parts of the world: animals, plants and aquariums you walk through like a little journey. Allow at least half a day. It’s south of the centre, and from the house you can get there by bus or taxi. Opening times, prices and family discounts are on its official website.

The Alhambra as an adventure

The Alhambra can bore children if it’s presented as an art visit, but it thrills them if you tell it as a castle. A few ideas:

• Start with the Alcazaba, the military part, with walls and towers. From the top of the Torre de la Vela you can see the whole city, and spotting the house across the valley makes a good challenge.
• Look for lions, fountains and hiding places in the Nasrid Palaces, and tell them the legends of the Nasrid kings before you go in.
• Leave the Generalife until last, with its gardens and water channels where they can run about a bit.

Tickets are issued in each visitor’s name, children included, and the conditions for children are set by the Alhambra Trust: check its website and buy well ahead. You’ll find all the details in our guide to Alhambra tickets.

The Sacromonte Caves Museum

At the top of the neighbourhood, a short walk from the house, the Sacromonte Caves Museum (Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte) recreates how people lived in the caves: the kitchen, the stables, the crafts. It’s short, largely outdoors and has views of the Alhambra, so it works well with children. More ideas for the area are in our Sacromonte guide.

Parks and strolls

• Federico García Lorca Park. A large, flat park with playgrounds and shade, around the Huerta de San Vicente, the poet’s summer house.
• Paseo de los Tristes. At the foot of the Sacromonte, beside the river Darro with the Alhambra above. It’s a flat, lovely walk, perfect for ending the afternoon.
• Ice cream. In summer, stopping for an ice cream in the centre is almost compulsory. Ice-cream parlours stay open late and are part of the evening stroll.

Sierra Nevada in winter

If you’re travelling between December and April, Sierra Nevada is less than an hour away by car or bus. As well as skiing, there are areas for playing in the snow, sledging and activities for little ones. We cover it all in our Sierra Nevada guide.

Practical tips

• A baby carrier beats a pushchair. The Albayzín and the Sacromonte are cobbled and steep, and there are about 30 steps up to the house. A pushchair is fine in the centre and the parks, but not in the neighbourhood.
• There’s a cot at the house. If you need it, let us know when you book.
• Rest during the hottest hours. In summer, Granada gets very hot in the afternoon. Do your sightseeing in the morning, head back to the cave, which stays cool, and go out again when the sun goes down, as locals do.
• Water, a cap and sun cream all year round: the Granada sun is strong even in spring.
• Take the C34 bus, which stops 40 metres from the house and saves you the climbs. See how it works in our guide to Granada city buses.