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El Sacromonte

        El Sacromonte is world famous for its gypsy caves. Since the 19th century, visitors from the north have made the pilgrimage to see the zambras gitanas, passionate performances of song and dance. Most of the gypsies were moved to low-income housing projects in the outskirts of Granada some 40 years ago, after a torrential rainfall washed out many of the caves.  Since then, the Sacromonte has become the center for flamenco cabarets catering to the tourist crownd, and most of its caves have been  taken over and rehabilitated by foreigners and artists.

       The most charming walk in the Sacromonte follows a cobbled path called Vereda de Enmedio, with its magnificent views of the Alhambra and the Albaicin, in the shadow of Granada's 14th century wall.

    But for the granadinos, El Sacromonte is best known for the Abbey which stands on the summit of the arid mountain, and which gave its name to the place - the Holy Mount. You can read the astonishing story of how the fake relics of a saint were "miraculously" found on the hill in the 16th century by clicking here.

    After you have read about the Moorish counterfeiters who involuntarily brought about the creation of the shrine of San Cecilio, you may want to walk all the way up to the Abbey to visit the caves which are the raison d'être of this uniquely granadino place.

 

 

 

 

San Cecilio - patron saint of Granada, and once thought to be of Moorish stock.

 

 

Even if this convoluted tale does not enchant you, the views on the way up will!

 

 

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