The Paseo de los Tristes continues the Carrera del Darro. It is one of the most romantic places in Granada, from which you can enjoy magnificent views of the Alhambra. Through it we can reach the Cordova Palace, current seat of the Provincial Historical Archive, and the Casas del Chapiz, where the School of Arab Studies has been installed. A little further away, on El Sacromonte, we find La Abadía where in 1595, at the beginning of its construction, the famous Plumbeous Books were found, in which the false chronicle of the introduction of Catholicism in Granada by Saint Cecilio is narrated.
Holy Caves in El Sacromonte
The complex, from the 17th to the 18th century, is made up of the Holy Caves, the Abbey, the College of San Dionisio Areopagita and the Seminary. The most interesting part of the complex is precisely the Holy Caves which, dug into the rock and closed in the form of cells, form a labyrinth and end up in the chapel of Santiago, where, according to tradition, the apostle Santiago gave his first mass in Spain. In two of the rooms there are two stones that, according to tradition, covered the relics. One is black and the other white, and it is said that whoever kisses the first one gets married at the end of the year and whoever does it with the second one, being married, finds the end of his marriage. You can also visit the Abbey Museum, where its artistic treasures are kept.
Things to see in every corner
In front of El Bañuelo you can see the remains of the Compuertas Bridge. This bridge linked El Albaicin with La Alhambra. A little further up is the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena or Zafra (1520-1540). It was founded by Hernando de Zafra, secretary to the Catholic Monarchs. We highlight its main altarpiece (18th century), as well as the images and paintings in the presbytery.
On the other side of Zafra Street is the Casa de Castril, home to the interesting Archaeological Museum. Very close by is the Church of San Juan de los Reyes. In Gothic style, it was completed around 1520 and catalogued in 1883 as a National Monument. Of the mosque, on which it was built, only the minaret remains, to which a body of bells was added.
San Salvador Church
The nearby San Nicolás Viewpoint is essential. It is a wide esplanade that offers unbeatable views of El Albaicín, La Alhambra and Sierra Nevada. From here we can approach the Church of San Salvador. Its courtyard of the mosque on which it was built is preserved. It has a rectangular floor plan with perimeter galleries; opened by brick horseshoe arches on square pillars of the same material. This temple was one of the two that enjoyed the right of asylum in Granada; in its courtyard were hung the sambenitos of the Moors condemned by the Inquisition.

San Salvador Church in El Albaicín
The exit route passes through Panaderos Street, to the Plaza Larga and the Arco de las Pesas, adjacent to the ancient walls of the ninth century; passing in front of the Palace of Dar al-Horra (15th century), to the Monastery of Santa Isabel la Real (1501). Its single-nave church, with a Gothic stone façade and Mudejar tower, preserves beautiful Mudejar armour.
We recommend those who wish to learn more about flamenco to visit a tablao or peña. There they can enjoy authentic live shows.