Granada historical regions - Places of interest in Granada - Granada Villages

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Granada Information: HISTORICAL REGIONS AND CITIES

As we have seen, this is a land of contrasts, but in all of its different regions, from the shady and fertile areas like the Valley of Lecrin to the dry areas such as El Temple and the Lands of Alhama, there is never a lack of interesting cities, surprising landscapes and incentives to visit them. The north and north-east form one region, Los Montes, which is dominated by the olive tree, and was once inhabited by the ancient dolmen of the Peña de los Gitanos (Crag of the Gypsies) near Montefrio.

Montefrio itself is an unusual town as it sits precariously on a cliff and is dominated by its Arabic castle and Gothic-Renaissance parish church. The church of the Encarnacion is surprising for its very pure Neo-classical sryle and its original round dome.

It is a town, like so many in the province of Granada, of vantage points. Not too far away is Illora, whose dwellings are overshadowed by the huge church of the Encarnacion which was designed by Diego de Siloe. This is another attractive town with a wealth of monuments situated on the edge of the Parapanda Mountain Range.

High plateaus define the north-east area of Granada. Vast open spaces, like in Baza and Huescar, are good examples. These are regions of striking personaliry, such as the Guadix Valley where the clay, along with the rugged countryside, has helped the proliferation of troglodyte caves which are still valued for their thermic qualities, cool in summer and warm in winter. Guadix, on the other hand, is a ciry of great monumental wealth.

The Renaissance cathedral which also has Gothic and Baroque elements, the latter including the tayade, exemplifies this. Second to the cathedral is the Renaissance episcopal palace which is closely followed by the akazaba and numerous remains of the long Arabic presence in this area.

Between the Guadix Valley and the Sierra Nevada there is El Marquesado, another characteristic region which possesses one of the most beautiful castles in Andalusia, the Castle of Lacalahorra, and many picturesque villages. And there still remain various regions and cities to be seen such as the Vegas del GeniI which include Loja, a town with many monuments (castle, churches, fountains) and not too far away the splendidly situated spa town of Alhama de Granada.