The church wall
Gilded sculpture covering the entire wall from floor to ceiling.
Maksym Abramov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jebulon — CC0 · Jebulon — CC0 · Jebulon — CC0
The Monastery of San Jerónimo was among the first things built in Granada after its fall, begun in the early sixteenth century. It has a large cloister with two tiers of arcades around an orange garden, and a church inside regarded as one of the important works of the Spanish Renaissance. What surprises visitors most is the church: its end wall is covered entirely, floor to ceiling, in painted and gilded sculpture. The visual effect is overwhelming, and entirely unlike the calm of the cloister outside. It is quiet and far less visited than Granada's other monuments, and it suits anyone wanting an hour away from the crowds.
Gilded sculpture covering the entire wall from floor to ceiling.
Two tiers of arcades around an orange garden — one of the calmest places in Granada.
Far fewer visitors than the Alhambra or cathedral — at times you have it to yourself.
Calle Rector López Argüeta 9, 18001 Granada
Basilica of San Juan de DiosThe San Juan de Dios basilica is Granada's chamber of gold: an eighteenth-centur2 minutes walk4.9
Centro Federico García LorcaA modern cultural institution in central Granada, created to hold the archive of5 minutes walk4.2
Puerta de ElviraThe Puerta de Elvira is a massive stone arch that was the main gate of Muslim Gr7 minutes walk4.4
Royal Chapel of GranadaThe Royal Chapel of Granada is a Gothic building in the city centre holding the 7 minutes walk4.5
Centro José GuerreroAn art centre in central Granada devoted to José Guerrero, the Granadan painter 8 minutes walk4.5If Renaissance architecture interests you or you want a quiet hour, yes — the church wall is unforgettable. But if you only have one day in Granada, the Alhambra and the Albaicín come first without question.
Forty-five minutes for the cloister and church. It is not large, but it repays sitting in the cloister for a few minutes before you leave.
In central Granada near the university, about ten minutes' walk from the cathedral. Slightly off the usual tourist route, which is why it stays quiet.