Carmen de los Mártires: the romantic Granada

About the tour

Our visit will last between two and three hours:

1. Once we are at the Alhambra Palace hotel's main entrance, we'll access to the Carmen through its own car park while making a brief summary about the history of this unique space in the city.

2. Once we are at the Carmen's area, we'll look at the amazing artificial water cave located at the entrance. There we'll look the names of a few famous Spanish celebrities of the 19th century.

3. When arriving to the main esplanade, I will talk about the missing convent, the meaning of the name of this place and the history of the owners of the building (among them, Don Humberto de Meersmans). Of course, you can take pictures over the tour. Along the way, you'll see photos and engravings about it in the successive periods of its construction.

4. After that, we will go through the Nazarí Courtyard (inspired by those of the Alhambra) with another refreshing artificial cave. There I will offer you a brief speech about the Duke of Infantado.

5. Once we leave behind us the Nazarí courtyard, we will arrive at the English Garden (where the sun doesn't enter on the hottest days of summer due to the amount of its exotic trees). We will also mention the relationship this mansion has with José Zorrilla (the unforgettable creator of Don Juan Tenorio's character) and the destruction that meant the construction of the hotel that never came to be (this case will also be illustrated with photos).

6. From there, we will continue through the Spanish Garden (a similar to the nineteenth-century carmenes of Granada), with a pond very similar to the ditches of the Generalife.

7. Next, we will go up to the French Garden, a reminiscence of those with Versallesque symbology, used by the aristocracy for parties and ceremonies at the beginning of the last century.

8. From there, we will go to the forest-labyrinth zone where I will offer information about the species and other types of vegetation existing in the Carmen;

9. Following a few slight slopes, we will arrive to the highest place of the carmen, from where we'll be seducted by an unforgettable panorama of Granada, hidden a little by the extensive vegetation of the enclosure;

10. When going down, we'll find another artificial cave and we'll reach San Juan de la Cruz's Cedar (famous religious poet also very related to the history of this space).

11. Then, we'll continue through the garden. There, I'll explain the history of the orchards that were there when the convent was and the function they also have today. It is one of the places chosen by couples to make their wedding report.

12. Finally, we will go up to the artificial lake made for the use and pleasure of its owners and the high nobility of Granada (and where it is not uncommon for us to find people painting). There we can also contemplate the species of ducks and peacocks that inhabit it.

Important: please, advise with 24 hours in advance. Thank you.