Our good friend Ruth Collins-Cowburn gives her reasons why she thinks Granada is the best place to live in Spain, both the city and the province. 

Prefer to watch the video? Click above. For the article, carry on reading…

Is Granada the best place to live in Spain? Here are my top eight very quick reasons why I think it is. Watch the video for the whole story. Skatz and I got quite tearful about it.

1. Geography & Climate 

You can ski in the morning and sunbathe in the afternoon.

The region is so varied – there’s something for everyone. The fourth highest mountain in Spain, the lush green Alpujarras, the Costa Tropical where tropical fruit grows in abundance, and little white villages are scattered over the hills and mountains.

2.  Tapas!

Granada is famous for being the only place where you get free food with any drink you order, even water. The further away from Granada you go, the less they follow this rule. It’s so easy to eat very cheaply.

3.  Gastronomy 

The local food is amazing – one part of the province, the Alpujarras, is renowned for its fish. 

4.  Language

The dialect is a little different from the usual ‘Castellan’ Spanish, it’s like the difference between the Queen’s English and Geordie (or New York and Texas!)

5.  People

There are few places where the people are so warm, welcoming, and laid back. 

6.  Granada City

The capital of the province is packed with culture, it’s so accessible, vibrant & diverse. Granada was the only place to welcome the American trend of graffiti and even encouraged it, so you’ll see many examples of great street art.

The city also has royal connections – Henry the Eighth’s wife Katharine of Aragon was from here. 

There’s so much here that’s great value for money too.

7. Transport links

It’s very easy to get around in Granada, there are dual carriageways to Madrid in the north, the coast to the south, down to Málaga further west and across to Jaen, Córdoba and Seville, there’s a fairly large international airport too, and an even bigger one in Málaga. 

8.  Olives!

Outside the city there are trees, trees and more trees as far as the eye can see. The neighbouring province of Jaen is the most famous for the amount of olive oil it produces, and the quality of the product across this whole area is top notch. 

So that’s the argument for Granada, if you have any questions or comments now, put them in the comments below.

Article by Ruth Collins-Cowburn & Skatz