The highest mountains in Spain and the most southern ski resorts in Europe are found in the '''Sierra Nevada'''.
'''Las Alpujarras''' are traditional Moorish villages scattered throughout the mountains South of Granada city. Well worth visiting for the scenery and slow, laid back way of life. Exploring the Alpujarra [http://www.walkalpujarra.com].
Granada province is also host to some lovely coast (Salobrena, Almunecar are only 40 minutes from Granada city, or East of there are some great beaches, from coves and hideaway nudist beaches to resorts and fishing villages like La Rabita, Castel del Ferro and Torre Nueva.
The Poniente Granadino region is the western part of the Province of Granada. The region is rich in areas of archaeological interest and is encircled by the Sierra of Cordoba to the north, the Axarquia of Malaga to the South and to the west, the Valleys of Archidona and Antequera.
Trekking (on horseback) in the Sierra Nevada is offered by various operators (mainly based in the Alpujarra)
Granada town is very pleasant to stroll in. The cathedral is enormous. Behind it is the Capilla Real, holding the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella; the Corral de Carbon is a Moorish building nearby; the Albaicin is the old Moorish quarter, with lots of twisty little lanes, and a lookout point across the valley to the Alhambra. The Albaicin is currently (2007) a very fashionable place to live. At the bottom, near the Plaza Nueva, are lots of Moroccan / touristy shops. Getting the bus to the top of the hill and wandering down works quite well
Federico Garcia Lorca is associated with Granada. A park and a museum are dedicated to him.
As in most of the rest of Spain, Easter Week (semana santa) is the biggest fiesta.
You may want to participate in a botellon in Granada. This is basically a street drinking party, mainly populated by students from the University. Dates are variable. The City Council seems inclined to limit them.
The coast to the west of Motril is given over to tourists, with Salobrena and Almunecar as the main resorts. The coast to the east of Motril is given over to plastic greenhouses (invernaderos) which extend all the way to Almeria.
Inland lies the Alpujarra, a valley running about 50km east-west along the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada. It contains about 80 settled places, most of them tiny villages, usually containing a jumble of white-painted houses around a plaza. The Alpujarra was the last place from which the Moors were expelled by the Christians. Little visible trace of them remains. Occasionally it is obvious that the church is a converted mosque (e.g. in Jubar) The most popular visitor destinations in the Alpujarra are the 'white villages' of Pampaneira, Bubion, and Capiliera, possibly with an extension to Trevelez, where the high, dry air lends itself to the curing of ham. Fans of Gerald Brennan's book 'South From Granada' may want to go further again to Yegen.
At the spring equinox, Orgiva hosts the Dragon Festival, which is a week long bash of travellers, competing sound trucks, live music / theatre and insomnia.
To see the Sierra Nevada, most of the operators offering walking and riding tours are in the Alpujarra.
Granada province (and town) is one of the few places in Spain where you will habitually and automatically receive a free, freshly cooked and generous helping of tapas (food) with your beer or wine. This may be anything from a small homemade burger on bread, to cheese in oil and garlic, tortilla, prawns or calamari or other fish or seafood, or the ubiquitous carne con tomate (meat in sauce). Rather than go out for a meal you are well advised to go on a pub crawl as you will have more variety for less (no!) cost.