Why should I go?

One reason — the Alhambra. The greatest surviving piece of Moorish architecture, and one of the most romantic and spectacular sights anywhere, it’s a vast complex of palaces, fortresses and gardens, with fountains, pools and arcaded courtyards, perched above the city against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada. And if you prefer bar-hopping to culture — you philistine — you’ll find that Granada’s nightlife is jumping. What’s more, you get a free tapa with every beer.

What do I do?

Book a timed entrance to avoid the Alhambra’s queues (www.alhambratickets.com), and take the minibus rather than suffer the uphill slog. Now, drift through halls, courtyards and gardens, contemplating the Moors’ idea of paradise and risking neck strain from peering at the eye-poppingly detailed carved ceilings and pillars. The multi-colonnaded Patio de los Leones was originally the heart of the harem, and you can look out over the city from the Torre de las Damas, reflected poetically in its own pool. The Generalife gardens, with their fountains and streams, are hypnotically relaxing after the decorative excess, so get a morning ticket and don’t rush.

Climb up through the Albaicin, the neighbouring 11th-century Moorish quarter (or just get the bus). If your legs can take it, continue up to Mirador San Nicholas, the hippie-filled plaza facing the Alhambra across the gorge. Just follow the guitar music and aromatic cigarette smoke: you won’t get a finer view.

The Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, who expelled the last Moors from Granada in 1492, are buried in the baroque Royal Chapel, next to the cathedral.

Tucked away in a tiny alley nearby is the Zoco, the Arab market. Al Sur de Granada (00 34-958 270245, www.alsurdegranada.net) has olive oil, wine and handicrafts from the Alpujarras — your Christmas shopping sorted.

Where do I stay?

The Albaicin is riddled with converted palace-hotels. Try the 16th-century Casa del Capitel Nazari (958 215260, www.hotelcasacapitel.com; doubles from £55, B&B) — its patio has original Nasrid columns and a mosaic floor. Alternatively, the popular but hard-to-find Casa del Aljarife (958 222425, www.casadelaljarife.com) has doubles from £68, B&B.

If you want a swish designer experience, Palacio de los Patos (958 536516, www.hospes.es; doubles from £148, B&B) combines a quirkily decorated 19th-century palace with a modern annexe in which the yellow- and black-themed rooms have voyeuristic glass-walled bathrooms; there’s also a spa. Or try the Alhambra Palace (958 221468, www.h-alhambrapalace.es; doubles from £127, B&B), an imposing neo-Moorish building on a hill opposite the Alhambra, with plush, good-sized rooms.

Where do I eat?

Get in with the locals at the traditional Bodegas Castañeda (958 215464), near Plaza Nueva — you’ll probably have to stand and shout to make yourself heard. A good bet for a tapas crawl is Calle Navas, a street lined with bars, kicking off with the seafood at Los Diamantes (958 227070).

Carmen de San Miguel (958 226723) has a great setting and contemporary Andalusian dishes, including pork baked in honey and cinnamon sauce.

How do I get there?

Ryanair flies to Granada from Stansted and Liverpool (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com). Monarch flies from Gatwick (0870 040 5040, www.flymonarch.com).

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