Granada sits at 693 meters above sea level in Andalusia, perfectly positioned between the Sierra Nevada mountains and fertile plains that have shaped its character for over a thousand years. The contrast is striking – snow-capped peaks visible from ancient Moorish palaces, while subtropical coastline lies just an hour away.

Walking through this city feels like moving between different worlds. The Albaicín quarter climbs steep hillsides with narrow cobbled streets that seem unchanged since medieval times. Down below, the cathedral represents Spain's first Renaissance church, marking the Christian reconquest. But it's the Alhambra that really captures what makes Granada special – this 13th-15th century Nasrid palace complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 for good reason.

The palace sits on that distinctive reddish conglomerate formation locals call "Alhambra stone." These sedimentary deposits, up to 300 meters thick in places, formed when intense Alpine folding created the surrounding mountains. Rivers like the Darro and Genil carved through this landscape, leaving the elevated plateau where Moorish rulers built their masterpiece.

What surprises many visitors is how the Sacromonte caves tell another story entirely. This neighborhood, carved into hillsides, became home to Granada's Roma community and remains the heart of authentic flamenco culture. The contrast with the refined elegance of the Generalife gardens couldn't be greater, yet both feel essentially Granada.

The climate here swings between extremes – winter brings frequent frost while summer temperatures hit 35°C. This continental Mediterranean weather, influenced by the nearby peaks, creates those clear days when the Alhambra's red walls seem to glow against mountain backdrops.

Modern Granada revolves around its university, Spain's fourth largest by enrollment and hugely popular with Erasmus students. This brings energy to streets that might otherwise feel too weighed down by history. The recent high-speed rail connection to Madrid has opened things up even more.

If you want to dig deeper into the layers of history here, a Granada audio guide can help untangle the complex timeline of Iberian, Roman, Moorish, and Christian influences that created this unique place. The Darro river still flows through the city center, though much of it runs underground now, while traditional irrigation channels called "acequias" still water the surrounding farmland using systems the Moors perfected centuries ago.