Today, Granada still offers much to see, including the Moors' grand palace and the surrounding villages. To tempt you to linger, the city is offering an intriguing new program that provides a free day trip to the countryside to anyone with a two-night reservation. When you tour the Alhambra, you'll be reminded that while Europe slumbered through the Dark Ages, Moorish magnificence blossomed. Water, so rare and precious in most of the Islamic world, was the purest symbol of life to the Moors. The Alhambra's Moorish sights also include the ruined Alcazaba fort and the Generalife gardens.
English information is sparse within the Alhambra.
In downtown Granada, duck in the Royal Chapel. The powerful queen funded Columbus' daring scheme to find a shortcut to the East. Go on a photo and sound safari in the mesh of shopping lanes around the Royal Chapel. Fiercely ignore the obnoxious women giving tourists sprigs of rosemary for good luck. By accepting the sprig you start a relationship.