Watching the sunset from the St Nicholas Bell tower & Granada by dawn – Alluring Andalusia, Part 8

This post is the continuation of a series documenting our travels to Andalusia in Southern Spain in the European Autumn of 2025. We were now in Granada where we had seen the Grand Cathedral on our first half day ( The Grand Cathedral of Granada ( After some more good times in Cordoba) – Alluring Andalusia, Part 6 ) and spent most of our second morning and afternoon visiting the Alhambra complex above the city ( A morning at the Alhambra in Granada – Alluring Andalusia, Part 7 ).

After our Alhambra visit and a great lunch after that we went back to our Hotel Anacapri for a late afternoon siesta. All that walking inside the Alhambra had made the siesta all the more necessary and we woke up refreshed. We had needed the rest because our evening plans included going back up the hill to Albaicin, the old Arab neighbourhood of Granada which had surprisingly become our favourite neighbourhood there. The agenda for the evening was to watch yet another beautiful Andalusian sunset from up in the Albaicin.

We had seen the crowds the previous day at the Mirador of St Nicholas ( Viewpoint) and decided to use our previously bought combo ticket for the religious sites of Granada and watch the sunset from the Bell Tower of St Nicholas Church. I was sceptical about how crowded it would be and if we would have to jostle for space, but at least it would have much less crowds than the Mirador below.

We set of for the Church well before sunset and started our climb up to Albaicin stopping every now and then to take photos of its cobblestoned stairs, whitewashed houses and peaceful setting.

Cobblestoned steps and Arabic looking houses up in the Albaicin

A tiny square surrounded by typical whitewashed houses

The cat lovers in us found this simply painted door very cute

We reached the St Nicholas Church and went straight to the bell tower and started our climb up to the top. The sun was starting to go down and the sky was started to turn into a riot of colours and we didn’t want to miss a minute of it. We clicked a photo of the Alhambra from a window half way up the bell tower and the crowds were starting to build up at the viewpoint and we seemed to be the only people going up the tower.

The Alhambra from half way up the St Nicholas bell tower – Crowd starts to build up at the viewpoint below

We reached the top of the tower and we certainly had picked a great evening to be there by sheer luck. The skies had some beautiful clouds and the sun going down lit them up like a painting changing colour every few minutes in front of our eyes. It was absolutely mesmerising!

We had some people coming up the tower but no one stayed as long as we did. We clicked away to glory and got our photos clicked by fellow tourists ( We clicked photos for them first obviously!). The magnificent Alhambra and the spectacular skies overhead made it a photographers dream and I enjoyed taking these photos just as much as being at the Alhambra itself.

Granada and the Granada Cathedral in the centre from the St Nicholas Tower

The Alhambra from the Bell tower of St Nicholas Church

A selfie with the Alhambra at the bell tower

The Albaicin from the St Nicholas Tower

Crowds gather to see the sunset at the viewpoint below while we enjoy our high perch

The better half enjoys her photography from the bell tower

The bells at the bell tower of St Nicholas Church

I will just post a lot of photos of the live colourful paintings we experienced rather than try to describe them.

Photos of Granada and the Alhambra from the St Nicholas Bell tower with colourful skies above

Selfies and photos clicked by fellow tourists on a beautiful evening in St Nicholas Tower

It was starting get dark and it was almost time for the tower and the church to close. We hadn’t even entered the Church itself yet and I wanted to see the church too before it closed. So we took our last photos of the lit up Alhambra and said goodbye to the Bell tower which had provided us with an evening to remember.

One last photo of the lit up Alhambra from the St Nicholas Bell tower

The Alhambra glows above the city looking absolutely magical

We went down to the Church which has recently reopened after extensive restoration work after it was damaged in a fire set after the Spanish Civil War. It has needed several restoration efforts since then and the current church has some beautiful pastel coloured murals by Ukrainian artists. It was very different from the Churches of old and I was glad that I got the chance to visit the Church and photograph the beautiful murals before it closed for the day.

The restored St Nicholas Church in Albaicin, Granada

Modern Pastel coloured religious murals in the St Nicholas Church

We then did our usual routine of keeping our cameras away and sitting in the pews for a few minutes before walking back outside into the crowded square in front.

Happy us after our visit to St Nicholas Church

I stopped at the square for a few minutes taking photos of the Church exterior and the Bell tower and the Cross outside with colourful skies behind it. We still had some time before our dinner reservation at the same restaurant Aixa but we didn’t want to spend it on that crowded square. So we walked a few lanes away from the crowds to a smaller but beautifully cobblestoned square also named after the saint which was almost completely empty.

The cross outside St Nicholas with beautiful skies behind at dusk

The bell tower that had provide us with some priceless memories

The Alhambra from the viewpoint – The bell tower view is obviously better!

The recently restored St Nicholas Church in Granada

Walking away from the crowds at the St Nicholas view point – beautiful lanes of the Albaicin

The better half poses on a narrow lane in the Albaicin neighbourhood

The beautiful Plaza de San Nicolás

Enjoying the quiet square in Albaicin before its time for dinner

Soon it was time for our dinner reservation at the Bar & Restaurant Aixa & Pizzeria Al- Horno. We had booked a later table that evening because Spaniards have their dinner late and the Pizzeria didn’t start taking orders till 8 pm. We settled down and ordered our regular drinks and got the complimentary tapas of baked potatoes with sour cream and olives with it.

The better half’s iced tea with complimentary tapas in Restaurante Aixa

We enjoyed our drinks and tapas at leisure. Usually due our profession we have a habit of gulping down meals quickly but we were in the land of slow dining where people spend hours in a restaurant. We then ordered a Pizza Vegetariana for the better half and I ordered the dish of the day which was literally called Grandmother’s Stew. As soon as the pizza orders started I saw the pace of the staff pick up. They ran a delivery service too and it apparently gets smashed with orders as soon as it’s open. So I expected the pizza to be good and it certainly was. My mystery grandmother’s stew turned out to be a delicious Spanish cousin of the Goulash filled with meat and veggies and very filling!

A huge bowl of Grandma’s Stew at the Restaurante Aixa

Pizza Vegetariana from the Restaurante Al – Horno – Excellent!

Enjoying our 2nd dinner at the restaurante Aixa & Al Horno Pizzeria

After our delicious and leisurely dinner and said goodbye to the staff who had been surprised. we had returned. Well, we tend to stick to a restaurant when we enjoy it and we would certainly back for dinner on our third and last night in Granada. We then went back down to our hotel stopping to take photos of the lit up Albaicin steps & lanes. We went right off to sleep as we wanted to do our early morning walk around Granada which we hadn’t done yet.

Quaint lanes of Albaicin lit up at night

A dimly lit square in Albaicin – The Alhambra peeks out behind the houses

The Cobblestoned steps of the Albaicin

The Alhambra all lit up rises up from behind the dimly lit streets of Albaicin

Patterned Cobblestoned square with shops all around

Narrow lanes as we get back down to city level

We woke up very early the next morning and went on our usual pre dawn walk in the Old Town of Granada. We first crossed the street and went towards the Royal Chapel and the Cathedral. This lane is crowded all through the day but was obviously deserted that early in the morning.

The lane leading towards the Royal Chapel and the Granada Cathedral

The elaborate balcony of the Palacio de la Madraza opposite the cathedral

The patterned cobblestone square in front of the Royal Chapel

The symbol of Granada – The Pomegranate made by patterned cobblestone in front of Royal Chapel

The carved front door to the Royal Chapel only opened for special occasions

The Royal Chapel where the tombs of 2 kings and queens are has a “No Photography” policy in its grand interiors. We would visit the interiors later that morning. It is an opulent Church besides a Church fit for burial of royalty which is precisely what it was used for. Sadly this is the last you will read about it in my series but it is a must visit place if you are ever in Granada.

We then moved to the small square in front of the Granada Cathedral. The lighting on the Cathedral facade was pretty disappointing ( That may be due to ongoing exterior restoration) but I had to take photos of the same nonetheless. We had carried our minitripod and this was the best place to put it to use and so we did.

The facade of the Granada Cathedral lit up

Putting the ultra wide lens to full use taking photos of the huge cathedral & the tiny square

The better half poses on the deserted Cathedral square in Granada

Using the minitripod to take photos of us with the Granada Cathedral

Selfies with the Cathedral Square and Facade in Granada

We then moved from the Cathedral to the next square which held the Monument to the Aguador. These men were people who carried water from fountains to the people all over the city with help of mules, a profession that was essential from 11th century to the middle of the 20th century. This modern statue immortalises that profession and made for a good photograph.

The Monument to the Aguador in Granada

The restaurant filled Plaza de la Romania where the monument is located

We then went down the beautifully lit up Calle San Jeronimo that led to the monastery of the same name that we would be visiting later in the day. This street to me was very reminiscent of Ragusa Ibla with the street leading down to the Cathedral. While nowhere as grand and kind of grimy with graffiti on the store shutters, it was atmospheric all the same. I couldn’t stop taking photos!

The beautifully lit Calle San Jeronimo in Granada

Selfies with the very photogenic Calle San Jeronimo

We then reached the Plaza de la Universidad which held the statue of King Carlos V. We took photos with the king obviously and the Parish of Sts Justus and Pastor which is where Granada teaches it’s priests for it’s numerous churches.

The statue of King Carlos V on Plaza de la Universidiad

The Parish of St Justus and Pastor

We moved further down the street where it widened and led to a crossing just across which was the Royal Monastery of San Jeronimo. We passed the university hall and a Church with a huge & grand facade which we found out was called Shrine of our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

The entrance to the University hall of Granada

The huge facade of the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour

We reached the gate of the Royal Monastery of San Jeronimo and decided to end our walk here. We had to retrace our steps back to the hotel for breakfast and had a full day of sightseeing planned. By now the the lights had switched off so we returned back the same way taking photos, this time without the lights.

With the Gate of the Royal Monastery of San Jeronimo

The Shrine of Our Lady in Granada from across the road

The University of Granada

The lights are now off on the Calle San Jeronimo

The Notarial College gets a grand facade too!

Every building has a notable facade on the Calle San Jeronimo

We reach the Cathedral again

Can’t stop taking photos on the morning walk in Granada

The pomegranate mosaic floor is everywhere in Granada !

We finally reached the street leading back to the Royal Chapel where had started this morning walk and where we would be ending it. It had been a great morning walk around the Old town of Granada. We would be exploring more of the town and visit a few of it’s numerous churches including the Royal Chapel later that day.

Ending the morning walk back where we had started it

Our Granada exploring would have to wait an hour as our tummies were calling for replenishments. We went back to our hotel Anacapri where a delicious breakfast awaited.

Sanitation workers wash the streets around the Granada Cathedral

Whether the other sites of Granada would live upto the high bar set by the Alhambra and the Cathedral is topic for another post. Some other time, some other day!

Till then,

Adios!