Weekend Trip to Granada, Spain

Granada, Spain

My trip to Granada was incredible, to say the least. I traveled by bus to Granada with a group of over 150 international students that are apart of an organization called ESN. ESN is a group at Universidad de Murcia that stands for "Erasmus Student Network". The program organizes trips and events for us International students to get us more acclimated to Murcia and Spain! ESN has made the transfer from the United States to Spain so easy. It is so great to have an organization like ESN to help us feel comfortable with the study abroad process here in Spain! 

Although ESN organizes many trips, Granada was the first organized trip that ESN has put together this semester- aside from a one day beach trip to Mazzaron. They did an amazing job at choosing a hostel for our group and organizing activities and events for the students! Although there were many activities already planned for us, we still had a lot of free time to explore the city of Granada by ourselves! Granada encompasses ten historic churches & cathedrals and are amongst the most visited places in Granada, so many of us students checked out some of them in our free time.

Before arriving to Granada, we were told that there was a surprise set up for us on Friday night (the night we had arrived). Come to find out, we were able to attend a flamingo performance that incorporated Spanish guitar solos and amazing singers. It was such an amazing experience. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Flamingo dancing is, and has been, very popular in Granada since the 18th century. Flamingo is a highly energetic and intense way of dancing that incorporates hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm, and body movements. It is definitely not something you can just learn overnight!  

 

After the performance, we gathered at a club in the city where we danced the night away. It probably was one of the best and most fun nights of my life. The next two days incorporated tours of Granada and the famous "Alhambra", as pictured above. The Alhambra was first designed as a military zone, but then became the royal residence and court of Granada in the mid-13th century. It was so incredible to see years of history within one mansion. The designs inside and outside of the massive building were so intricate and unique, and the view from the top of the Alhambra was incredibly stunning as well. 

I have been told by many people while traveling abroad in Spain that Granada is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the country, so I am so glad that I am able to cross off this visit on my bucket list. Granada completely lived up to its word.