Acequia Real: A hike through the Alhambra’s natural environment. Tour in English

In this private, exclusive tour, we will see the water supply system of the Alhambra in greater detail. Our visit will take us on a walk through the Generalife’s environmental area, over the imposing space of the Albercones and the Santa Elena Fortress, with impressive views from the Sacromonte and Valparaiso neighborhoods up to the Fuente del Avellano. One part of the tour runs along the banks of the Acequia del Tercio, which has provided the Alhambra and its inhabitants with water for centuries.

You will gain an understanding of how a hydraulic system was built in the thirteenth century to bring water to the Cerro del Sol, and we will talk about all the plant life that the water supply made possible on this hill, including the age-old orchards and the new gardens of the Generalife and all of the traditional olive groves in the Dehesa del Generalife: a tradition that began in Muslim times and continues to this day.

Our hiking tour also runs through the Castle of Santa Elena. This fortification built above the Acequia Real was used to watch over the water supply. We will finish the visit in an idyllic place: the Fuente del Avellano. This place, across from the Sacromonte Abbey, inspired many romantic intellectuals throughout the nineteenth century.

Our guides, professionals with a passion for the history of Granada and the Alhambra, will accompany you on this walking tour through the most beautiful natural corners of Granada.