Hot stone room in the Arab baths in Granada

Arab baths in Granada

Granada

A bath with history


As the heir to the culture of Al-Andalus and the thousand-year-old tradition of the hammam, Granada is the ideal Spanish city to take the plunge and try an Arab bath. These baths are spaces where you can relax in water of different temperatures, soothed by the gentle background music, the murmur of the water and the scents of other eras, watching how the light filters through the mosaic ceiling and the candles flicker… These traditional baths are complemented by massage rooms and tea rooms. You can find several Arab baths in the city. Enjoy a place where time seems to stand still.

Hamman Al Ándalus, Granada

Let's go to the foot of the spectacular Alhambra. This is a unique setting, and the Arab bath here is also unique - it was the first to be opened in Spain, five centuries after the Catholic Monarchs decided to close them down.After a day exploring the gardens and palaces of the Alhambra, it's time to relax in the warm, hot and cold waters. There is also a steam room and a room for massages such as the traditional kessa: as you lie on a hot stone bed, a thick layer of natural soap is applied to your body with a cotton fibre glove. After floating in the water or sipping a mint tea, it’s easy to imagine yourself in bygone times, when the baths were social centres as well as places to relax.

Arab baths of Granada, Hammam Al-Andalús

Arab baths, Palacio de Comares

Although they are in the Hotel Maciá Real de la Alhambra, the name is not a coincidence. These baths are a replica of the ones in the Alhambra. Like a journey back in time, they offer circuits like the “Árabe”, the “Real de la Alhambra” and the “Califa”, including Turkish baths, cryotherapy, and tea tastings.

Al-Haram Hammam

Located in the old town, it has more than 500 years of history. In the 14th century, it was used to supply water to the area, which is why it is believed to perhaps have been one of the 23 Arab baths in Granada at the time of greatest Nasrid splendour.

Elvira Baths

Here you will find a spa decorated in the style of an Arab bath, and you can enjoy a hydro massage tub or Turkish bath, as well as massages and other treatments.

A woman relaxing in the Arab baths

El Bañuelo

The final suggestion doesn’t involve bathing, but it is a time-travelling treat. As well as the luxurious baths of Baños Reales and the Comares de la Alhambra, Granada has historic Arab baths to visit. These are the 11th century baths of El Bañuelo, perhaps the oldest and best-preserved in Spain. They are among the few that escaped the destruction of the Catholic Monarchs, and their brick vaults with star-shaped openings are a wonderful sight.

Bañuelo, Granada

Other Arab baths near Granada

If you’re planning to visit other villages near Granada, you can find Arab baths there too, some in the characteristic caves of the region, such as El Ventorro in Alhama in Granada or Hammam-Kabir in Guadix.

Sensations in the Arab baths of Granada
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