Sacromonte
Hundreds of Romani once lived on the “Holy Mountain” on the outskirts of Granada above the Albaicín. The mountain was named for the Christians martyred here and for its long-ago role as a pilgrimage site. Many of the caves were heavily damaged by rain in 1962, forcing most occupants to seek shelter elsewhere. Nearly all the remaining Romani are in one way or another involved with tourism. (Some don’t even live here—they commute from modern apartments in the city.)
You can walk uphill, but you might want to save time by taking a bus or taxi, and you should definitely use a bus or taxi after dark. To see inside the caves and learn something of gitano culture, visit the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte, Barranco de los Negros (tel. 95-821-51-20; admission 5€; daily 10am–6pm, until 8pm in summer), which displays several cave homes, and others set up as studios for traditional weaving, pottery, and metalwork. In the evenings, some become performance venues for the flamenco style known as the zambra. It’s a 30-minute walk up the hill to Sacromonte from the city center; to save time take a bus (C34) or taxi. During the day, a bike tour is a good way to get off the beaten path.
Hundreds of Romani once lived on the “Holy Mountain” on the outskirts of Granada above the Albaicín. The mountain was named for the Christians martyred here and for its long-ago role as a pilgrimage site. Many of the caves were heavily damaged by rain in 1962, forcing most occupants to seek shelter elsewhere. Nearly all the remaining Romani are in one way or another involved with tourism. (Some don’t even live here—they commute from modern apartments in the city.)
You can walk uphill, but you might want to save time by taking a bus or taxi, and you should definitely use a bus or taxi after dark. To see inside the caves and learn something of gitano culture, visit the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte, Barranco de los Negros (tel. 95-821-51-20; admission 5€; daily 10am–6pm, until 8pm in summer), which displays several cave homes, and others set up as studios for traditional weaving, pottery, and metalwork. In the evenings, some become performance venues for the flamenco style known as the zambra. It’s a 30-minute walk up the hill to Sacromonte from the city center; to save time take a bus (C34) or taxi. During the day, a bike tour is a good way to get off the beaten path.
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