the secret corner of the Albaicín with the best views of the snowy sunrise of the Sierra Nevada

Well, the time has come to double down: in Granada there is the possibility of seeing the Alhambra from above, in all its splendor. And of course also the snow which is nearby, and incidentally, the city which acts as a pretty carpet. All of this can be summarized in a single image. What happens is that, because the places where this circumstance occurs are (a little) far from the tourist circuits, they are not as busy. Which, Well seen, that’s another advantage.

It is not a question of revealing all the places where this image can be contemplated and, of course, also immortalized in photos, but one of them is the San Miguel Alto viewpoint. So called for two reasons: because it is very high, 850 meters above sea level, and because there is also a Plaza de San Miguel in the Albaicín district, which is called San Miguel Bajo.

It represents the boundary between the districts of Albaicín and Sacromonte and crowns a hill from which stand out a hundred caves dug into the rock, some centuries old. Getting to the top by winding through these caves is a magnificent experience, although requires a little effort because the slope is steep.

An alternative is take the bus that takes you to Haza Grandewhich is very close, but it prevents us from having a more precise idea of ​​the history from this point of view, which began in the Nasrid era, the most splendor of Muslim rule. This part of the wall was crowned by the Torre del Aceituno, which was lost like many other things when the Christians arrived.

The hermitage of San Miguel was built there in the 17th century. It was later, in 1629, during a harsh and very stormy winter, that the region was almost depopulated and the hill at its feet was called Devil’s Hill, because they thought it was cursed. Shortly after, defying this curse, caves began to be dug there.

The hermitage was located above, which in reality is not very attractive from an architectural point of view. Furthermore, it was destroyed during the Napoleonic invasion and rebuilt without any other intention of beautifying it. Currently is closed to the public and its focus is on the platform or landing just at its entrance. There the visitor can sit with his feet dangling and from there wait for the events.

Pleasant at any time of the day, it takes on an even more special appeal when dusk arrives. Despite what I said Bill Clintonthis one is much more complete than the one seen from San Nicolás and can be enjoyed as long as other more underrated but certainly spectacular points, such as the Carril de la Lona. In San Miguel Alto, the sunsets seem eternal. And yet, when the sun finally sets, he’s angry because something magical is over.

For the same reasons, it is more than advisable to approach the viewpoint before daybreak. The sunrise from there is simply unforgettable. and this has the added advantage that at that time the traveler will not encounter the crowds that are likely to be there in the late afternoon. Enjoying the first rays of sunshine over the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada is priceless. It seems like a cliché, but anyone who’s been there knows it’s pure reality.

It’s not only possible see the crown of the Alhambrasomething impossible, for obvious reasons, in other lower points of Granada. We also see the Albaicín perfectly, we see, looking to the left, the Sacromonte, below are the cathedral and other monuments and, in the background, the Vega, dotted with small towns that have gradually joined the capital. If anyone who has experienced Granada and still has doubts about its extraordinary beauty, going up to the San Miguel Alto viewpoint will help dispel them.