The Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens are located side by side on a hill top overlooking the Darra and Genil rivers in Granada, Spain.

Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, the Generalife was used as a place of rest for the Moorish royalty who had invaded Spain from North Africa and made Granada their Andalucian citadel and grand palace.

It was designed as a rural villa in the vicinity of the Alhambra, with decorative gardens, fruit and vegetable patches, courts and other structures.   A place to get away from the affairs of state and relax in less formal surroundings.  

The buildings here are more utilitarian, unadorned with the decorative excess of the Alhambra, a more intimate and peaceful atmosphere.

Attributed to the architect, its name 'Generalife' means 'Garden of the Architect'.  It has suffered a lot over the centuries, losing much of its original Moorish charm as various Christian rulers let it decay, or just did not appreciate the Arabian style and plastered over carved walls or lay soil over intricate stone paths.  

But the essence of the original remains; one can but wonder at what it might have been like 700 years ago.

The Alhambra today consists of three parts 

1) The Nazrid Palaces - booked by date and time - don't be late or you may not get in 

2) The Alcazaba - the battlements 

3) The Generalife - gardens (one of the world's greatest)

The gardens are magnificent, the combination of Moorish architecture, water features, flower beds, large scale topiary and views across Granada make it a classic garden not to be missed.

Patio de la Acequia:

The Jewel in the Crown is the Patio de la Acequia (Water-Garden Courtyard), which features a long and narrow pool that is framed by rose filled flowerbeds, gently arching fountains, colonnades and pavilions.  It is all very geometric with much resemblance to the Persian bagh gardens. 

At either end are pavillion like structures with porticos of arches that provide the perfect place to observe the mix of science and art on display - science being geometric architecture and horticulture being the plantings.

Jardin de la Sultana:

The other outstanding part of the gardens is the Jardín de la Sultana - again featuring geometric shrub and flower beds, pools and fountains making a compact and utterly delightful miniature garden.

There are many individual areas of the Generalife Gardens, each with their own particular features and delights, but the visitor will often find themselves simply wandering, transported in time and environment to a ‘happy place’ within - some may call this a spiritual experience.  One can muse on the imagined visions of Moorish and Spanish royalty perambulating at ease, or the workers picking fruit and tending fields of vegetables.  

These grounds have seen much over the centuries

And as with most gardens, they were built for two purposes - #1. to relax and #2. to grow food to feed the hundreds of people living and employed within the court.  Some fruit trees remain but most of the extensive orchards were removed over time.  It was all irrigated by aquaducts (Aquecia del Sultan) that brought water through channels, water tanks and water wheels around 6kms away from higher ground so gravity could do the work - much of it remains today.

The Generalife of Granada is an extremely popular tourist destination, booking is essential - so book months in advance to avoid disappointment.