Granada is a fantastic city but you will have to become a mini explorer to get the most from it. In a uniquely opposite trend to most Spanish cities, during the summer the city actually empties and becomes a ghost town, this is because students return home to their families and locals head to the beaches to enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Take advantage of this opposite trend in the peak season and visit Granada with a hire car. Here is a guide to the very best places to visit during your time in Granada:

When Granada is mentioned we instantly think of the emblematic Alhambra Palace, it’s the most visited structure in Granada and it should certainly be top on your list of places to see during your stay.

Over the years the Alhambra has played the role of city, castle fortress, palace and ostentatious home to the kings of the Nasrid dynasty. The tour of the palace is best taken at dusk so that you can enjoy the fabulous views but also appreciate the palace when it is lit up and looking at it’s best. The vantage of the palace also shows off Granada city stunningly lit at night. Wandering through the rooms and gardens you will be able to see some of the best examples of Muslim art in Europe.

People and faces occur rarely in Muslim art as prophets are never depicted in pictures. Intricate patterns and recurring shapes cover walls, ceilings and floors and will leave you in auer after a visit.

Visit the Albaicin and the Sacromonte neighborhoods if you want to sample Granada’s most bright and traditional areas. These districts hold the true enchantment of Granada, a short drive in your hire car will take you into a world of white wash walls, and labyrinths of narrow cobbled streets perfumed with jasmine and bougainvilleas.

The areas have been listed as a World Heritage sites; they will transport you to a ‘Spain’ we all imagine when somebody mentions the country. In an oddly stereotypical way the Spain of yester year with Gypsies, Flamenco, Zambra and everything else we picture exists here in Granada today. The Sacromonte town is famous for its caves, the later generations of gypsies who settled here when the Catholic king’s conquered the city still live in these caves. The biggest monument here is the abbey which houses details on the first Christians to locate in the area and records of the first Bishop, San Cecilio.

If you are visiting this region during the winter months a trip in your hire car to the Sierra Nevada Mountains makes a fabulos excursion. In the Puerto de la Ragua you’ll find a fantastic place, this is the outer reaches of Granada. The snow covered peaks are famous for cross country skiing and husky pulled sledges. There is over 80 kilometers of ski-able piste connected by a system of really modern chair lifts and tele-cabines. This area of the Sierra Nevada is unique; the region is usually bathed in beautiful sunshine all year but at a height of over 3000 meters you can be surrounded by crisp white snow more akin to the conditions you would expect in the French Alps. The resort is also covered by snow cannons which give the advantage of guaranteed snow even if conditions are not perfect.

Spain gets 320 days of sunshine per year! With temperatures in the mid thirties one of the best ways to relax and spend a day in the cool breeze is to head to the coast. There are scores of small inlets and secluded beaches begging to be visited and explored.

As well as coastline towns and culture the Tropical coast as it has become known (because of the tropical fruits which can be cultivated in this unusually warm climate) has a number of different activities to keep you entertained, Golf, paragliding, trekking in the villages, horse riding or Scuba diving in the rich depths of the Cerro Gordo are all possible here. Visit the Marina del Este to have a go at loads of nautical sports and pastimes.

The easiest and best way to book a hire car in Granada is through a comparison website, this way you will get the best price and the best vehicle available at the time. Granada has to so much to see, it is the perfect place to hire a car.