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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Andalusian cooking is renowned for fresh seafood, olives and olive oil, sun-ripened vegetables, garlic and paprika.

Cooking is simple, letting fresh, delicious ingredients speak for themselves. Much of the preparation in the kitchen is minimal – fish is usually lightly dredged in flour and golden fried in olive oil.

Cold soups star in summer, hearty stews in the winter and melt-in-your-mouth cured ham (jamon serrano) year-round. Many of the desserts, many involving almonds, go back to Arab times.

Sangria, as elsewhere in Spain, is a popular drink, as is sherry.

What to try

Try Andalusia’s famous cold soups: gazpacho, but also ajo blanco, made with garlic, almonds, and bread, and thick creamy tomato salmorejo.

Seafood classics include mixed fish fry (pescado or pescaita frito), bluefin tuna (atun Rojo), and gambas pil pil (garlic and paprika prawns).

Other specialities include carrillada (braised pork or beef cheeks), rabo de toro (bull tail stew) and pringa (slow-cooked beef or pork and sausage).

Also see our round-up of traditional Spanish foods you must try in Spain.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -

Getting there & doing it

The food markets of Andalusia are often surrounded by tapas bars and traditional restaurants, patronized by the locals. For eating and drinking recommendations, check out the town-by-town restaurant listings at Andalucia.com.

When to do it

Spaniards traditionally eat later than most Europeans, and in the hot summer months, the Andalusians often dine as late as 11pm or midnight when it’s cool enough to sit out on the terraces. Restaurants, however, open much earlier, and there are always tapas to keep hunger at bay. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, eaten between 1pm and 3pm. In the summer following it with a siesta is strongly recommended.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Granada Tapas Walking Tour

Granada Tapas Walking Tour

Granada

Scout out Granada’s top tapas bars while learning about the city’s history on a 2.5-hour evening walking tour! Taking place around the Albai...

€44 | Rating 4 / 5 [21 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Small Group Food Tour in Granada

Small Group Food Tour in Granada

Granada

On our 3.5 hour Taste of Granada Tour, you’ll have the opportunity to discover Granada’s traditional products, dishes and hidden treasures. ...

€70 | Rating 4.86 / 5 [165 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Granada Flamenco & Tapas Tour

Granada Flamenco & Tapas Tour

Granada

We start the tour with delicious local tapas and tastings in the historic centre of Granada. Your Food Sherpa will lead you to some typical ...

€94 | Rating 4.5 / 5 [8 ratings]

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Old Granada Market & Food Tasting Tour

Old Granada Market & Food Tasting Tour

Granada

Discover the flavors of Granada and the local life on an off-the-beaten-path market tour in the old town of Granada. You can see how locals ...

€149 | Rating 5 / 5 [11 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Eurostars Washington Irving

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

A peaceful, contemporary five-star hotel with a rooftop pool and views, just a few minutes down from the Alhambra.

Official star rating:

Parador de Granada

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Granada’s parador, occupying a late 15th-century monastery, combines charm, history, service and enchanting views with an incomparable location, right on the grounds of the Alhambra.

Official star rating:

La Almunia del Valle

Sierra de Nevada, Andalusia, Spain

A delightful rustic-chic boutique hotel in the Sierra Nevada, perfect for hiking or skiing – and only ten minutes from Granada.

Official star rating:

Hotel Casa Morisca

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Overlooking the Alhambra, Granada’s most evocative boutique hotel occupies a superbly restored 15th-century mansion, full of romance and charm.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Andalusia

Andalusia, Spain

A big dazzling region, packed with fascinating cities, beautiful landscapes and beaches, colourful fiestas and oodles of sunshine.

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Granada

Andalusia, Spain

Crowned by the dreamlike Alhambra, this vibrant Spanish-Arab culture capital combines fascinating sights and lively nightlife with the Sierra Nevada on the doorstep.

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Overview >

Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Flamenco in Granada

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco, which still pulses through its blood; Book in for a show at one of Granada’s excellent theatres.

Best for ages: 5+ | £15 | 90 minutes

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The Alhambra

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Spain’s most visited attraction is the stuff of dreams, filled with intricate mosaics and carvings, magical gardens and breathtaking views.

Best for ages: 13+ | £12

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Royal Chapel of Granada

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

This jewel of intricate, lace-like Isabelline Gothic architecture, built just after the end of the Reconquista between 1505-17, holds the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, their daughter Joanna ‘the Mad’ and her husband Philip – parents of emperor Charles V.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Hammam at Hammam Al Andalus

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Stunningly-restored 13th-century Arab baths, using pure water from the Sierra Nevada in a range of Moroccan-style aromatherapy massages. Numbers are limited to make sure you book online before you go.

Best for ages: 5+ | £30 | 1-3 hours

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Hammam at Aljibe de San Miguel

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Atmospheric, Arab-style baths by Granada cathedral, with a hammam, aromatherapy treatments and exceptional massages including al-hakam, a full-body coating of warm chocolate, pepper and cinnamon.

Best for ages: 10+ | £22 | 1-3 hours

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Caviar de Riofrio

Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Not many people know Europe’s oldest and largest sturgeon farm is at Riofrio in the province of Granada. Tours and tastings are offered, accompanied by a glass of cava or vodka.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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