Granada lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain range on the Spanish mainland, and the snowy ridge is visible from many streets, which is a surprise in a city that is baking hot in August. The Mulhacén, at 3,479 metres, is the highest peak of the Iberian Peninsula, and the summits stay white well into spring. Between the mountains and the plain, the city spreads across three hills, with the red towers of the Alhambra on one side, facing the whitewashed lanes of the Albaicín on another. The two hills look at each other across the river Darro.
The Alhambra, the palace and fortress of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim rulers in Spain, is the great monument, with patios, fountains, carved plaster and tilework that feel as delicate as a poem. The city fell to the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, an event that ended almost eight centuries of Muslim rule in Iberia, and their tomb lies in the Royal Chapel near the cathedral. Tickets for the Alhambra sell out in advance, so book ahead if you wish to go inside. In the evening, the Albaicín's viewpoints, particularly the one at San Nicolás, offer a fine look at the Alhambra glowing in the dusk, with the mountains behind it.
The riding from Granada is a joy. The road south and east climbs into the Sierra Nevada, then into the Alpujarras, a region of deep valleys and white villages on the southern slopes, with hairpin bends, steep gradients and sweeping views. The surface is generally good on the main roads, though narrow and sometimes rough on the minor ones. Traffic in the city is dense, and one-way systems and bus lanes can be confusing. Be careful of cold mornings in winter, with ice on the higher stretches, and the heat of mid-summer afternoons, when the best plan is a long lunch.
Granada has fuel everywhere, and the tradition of free tapas with every drink makes dinner a simple matter: order a beer and the kitchen sends out a small plate. Armilla and Huétor Vega, on the edge of the city, have supermarkets and petrol stations. The best times of day are early morning, with a fresh, clear light, and the evening, when the city comes alive. The air smells of orange blossom in spring and woodsmoke from the hills in winter. You start here with a full tank, a good breakfast and a long climb ahead.