Sacromonte

This is the gitano, or Gypsy quarter of Granada, and the home of flamenco in this province. There are a number of famous flamenco Tablaos here (places where flamenco is performed). The area is also famous for its cave dwellings. Many of these are Tardis-like in that they appear from the outside to be tiny – until you enter them and discover that they have numerous rooms, penetrating deep within the hillside. Cave dwellings are much in demand because they maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the year – they stay cool in the summer, and warm in the winter – and because they effectively block out external sounds, such as the noise of traffic, overhead aeroplanes and so on.
While many of the caves have now been taken over by foreigners – mostly by artists, writers, musicians and other creative types drawn to the bohemian character of the area – some are still owned by Gypsy families who have lived here for generations. As with nearby Albaicín, property prices in Sacromonte have risen substantially in recent years.
The most popular walk in the Sacromonte follows a cobbled path called Vereda de Enmedio, which affords magnificent views of the Alhambra and the Albaicin, in the shadow of Granada’s 14th century city wall.