☰Sacromonte

Sacromonte is Granada's most distinctive neighbourhood, built into the hillside caves above the Darro valley by the Roma community that settled here centuries ago. The whitewashed cave dwellings, many still inhabited, are the setting for zambras, the raw and intimate flamenco performances that feel a world apart from the polished tablao shows elsewhere in Andalucia. Cactus-lined paths wind up the hill past prickly pear and agave, offering views across to the Alhambra and the Albaicin. The Abadia del Sacromonte, a 17th-century abbey at the top, houses catacombs and a small museum. Visit in the evening when the cave venues open, the hillside lights up, and the tourist coaches have departed. The Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte explains the cave-dwelling tradition well.