Plaza Nueva is the main square at the foot of the Albaicín and the de facto hub of Granada's old city. The Río Darro flows beneath it (channelled underground here) and emerges just beyond to run along the Carrera del Darro. The square is lined with cafes and the Royal Chancery building — a fine 16th-century palace that now houses the regional courthouse.
From Plaza Nueva, the main routes of the old city radiate out: the Carrera del Darro east toward the Alhambra and El Bañuelo, Cuesta de Gomérez south toward the Alhambra gate, and Calle Elvira north toward the Albaicín. It is an unavoidable junction and a natural place to pause, orient, and decide where the afternoon goes.