Granada’s Incredible Palace – The Alhambra in 16 Photos

There were many highlights on my week long tour of Southern Spain with luxury tour provider Abercrombie & Kent, but one that quickly rose to a place of prominence for me personally was the day spent exploring the massive and undeniably beautiful Alhambra in Grenada. Originally built as a fortress on the remains of Roman ruins in the 9th century, it wasn’t until the 13th century when the Moorish emir of Granada renovated and rebuilt the palace that it took on the incredible appearance it enjoys today. While it’s been changed and added to many times over the centuries, the Alhambra remains one of the best preserved Islamic palaces from when the Moors controlled this region of Spain. I thought I knew what to expect but, of course, nothing really prepared me for the experience itself. Everything was so much grander than I had anticipated and the subtle beauty of Moorish design is hard to resist. Rather than share paragraphs of facts and figures you’ll likely forget (I’m realistic), I thought instead I’d share what the experience of visiting the Alhambra in Granada is like through the way it’s best explained – visually.