Why Granada Makes Sense for Digital Nomads
11 pm: The lights shine brightly on the monolithic Alhambra. On the cobbled streets below, barefoot hippies brush shoulders with well-heeled locals. Conversation thrums, and music and marijuana smoke fill the air. Granada is one of the world’s wonderful places and if you can work from wherever you want, you should go there for a while to sit and watch it all.
“Give him an offering, my lady, for there is not greater tragedy than that of the blind man in Granada.”
Most tourists blow through for only a few hours to ogle the splendid architecture and history of the Alhambra, then board their air-conditioned coach to head off to another buffet lunch in another town before following their yellow umbrella brandishing guide, into the next attraction. But there is so much more to this Andalusian gem, and if you read on, you’ll learn just enough to get yourself in trouble.
It’s Cheap.
There are a handful of factors that those of us fortunate enough to work from where we chose consider when determining our next location. Some things change from person to person (proximity to waves, snow, nightlife, culture, pretty girls, pretty boys), but there is one factor that doesn’t change. Cost. And this is a factor that Granada outstrips almost all comers in. Here is some insight into what my existence cost in Granada.
- Rent: 550 Euros a month lands an epic three bedroom apartment with a terrace right where you want to be in the center of town.
- Booze: 1–3 Euros a beer/wine depending on your level of sophistication. I dare say if you venture to the student bars, of which there are hundreds, you may find it even cheaper. Granada is one of the last bastions of free tapas in Spain. Tapas is synonymous across Spain, but more often than not, you’ll pay for it. In Granada, the couple of Euros you blew on a beer is going to get you fed as well. It’s not uncommon to go out in Granada and come home full and merry with change from a 20 Euro note.
- Food: I addressed this one above, but beyond tapas, there are numerous options for great food on the cheap. Most places will do a Menu del dia at lunchtime (the largest meal for the Spaniards) for around 8–15 Euros this normally includes three courses and wine/beer (naturally). Quality varies a lot so ask around.
- Everything else: It’s all cheap, gym memberships, grocery shopping all that day to day stuff is cheap in Granada, seriously cheap.
It’s a Ryan Air No-go Zone.
Bad news for Granada’s hoteliers, but great news for you, me and the residents of Granada. Back in 2010, a stouche broke out between the city of Granada and the UK’s fourth most hated brand, Ryanair. The story goes that Ryanair wanted a 300,000 Euro payment from the city to keep flights (and tourist dollars) flowing in. Councilors from Granada told them where to stick it and the flights stopped shortly thereafter.
The good news here is that Derek from Middlesborough and his 30 mates are now planning to have their stag do in Malaga and this means you won’t be listening to Derek (now dressed in a French maid’s outfit) complain that it’s hard to find a ‘decent pub’ in Granada.
Don’t worry there is still plenty of trouble to get yourself into in Granada.
It’s Hot but you can also Ski
There are no two ways about it Granada is hot. In fact, I advise you avoid August if at all possible. It’s 40+ degrees most days and the majority of Granadinos have migrated, wisely, 40 minutes down the road to the beach for the summer. So there is very little happening in town.
Now, this doesn’t sound true but on these 40 C summer days, you can still see snow dusting the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas a mere 40 minute drive away.
As Gerald Brenan, who wrote the very wonderful South From Granada, which you should read, stated, snow remains year-round on the Sierra Nevadas.
Despite the insane summer heat, in the winter, it snows and you can ski and snowboard and eat migas. And it will be sunny (it’s dubbed the sunniest skiing in Europe). Some people go for the whole ski and swim at the beach in the same day trip, but I never found the energy after a day on the slopes to drag myself the hour or so down the road to the beach.
It’s true that the Sierra Nevadas are not the French Alps, but it’s cheap, the runs are long, it’s sunny a lot of the time and its forty minutes from your house. When I was still freelancing, I used to watch the forecast and plan my work week around the upcoming snow dumps; it was a glorious existence.
There is a CoWorking Space.
In fact, I believe there is more than one.
I went to Errant, which was just down the street from my house. The guys that run the place are legends and it’s a great place to work from. It’s a mixed crowd of Spaniards and foreigners. I think when I joined I was the only non-Spaniard in there, but over my time there more and more giris joined.
I’d go in there for the morning session 9am-3pm which was punctuated with extended morning greeting, coffees, and other welcome distractions, then have lunch, wine, and a siesta. It felt like a very Andalusian existence. If required, I worked from home for a few hours in the evening. My bill from Errant at the end of each month was 60 Euros which is ridiculous value.
The primary language spoken at Errant is Spanish, which is great if you’re trying to improve yours, but there are enough English speakers in there that you won’t have any trouble getting by if you don’t speak the native tongue.
It is very different to where you’re from.
I am making assumptions here, but I’m guessing if you’re reading this, you’re not Spanish. If that assumption is correct, then you are in for a real treat in Granada. Spain is different from everywhere else in the world and Granada is different from everywhere in Spain.
This is the part of the ‘expat living in Spain’ blog writing, that normally falls into the sort of parlance describing how the people seem happier here than at home and that families and the community seem closer together and that the tomatoes taste better and all that bullshit. Well… Sadly for you, you cynical bugger, all that bullshit it true.
Beyond the incredible Alhambra (which my wife thinks is superior to the Taj Mahal) and countless other ancient Moorish attractions, Granada dazzles from a nightlife and music standpoint. Pick your poison when it comes to music. From flamenco in the caves of Sacramonte, to rock, jazz or reggae depending on the night at Booga Club, to whatever random sounds the hippies are banging out in Plaza Nueva (it’s normally good, but not always) there is something for everyone from an auditory point of view.
The cool side of town.
While much of Spain has moved on and modernised, Granada holds true on a lot of the more stereotypical Spanish/Andalusian traditions you’ve likely heard of. Siesta is strictly followed. Dinner tends to happen post 9:30 pm. Sunday is for dressing up in your best kit, going to church and then strutting about town (there are hordes of 5 year old kids who’ll be better dressed than you’ve ever been). I love all that stuff, but it won’t exactly scratch your hipster itch. But fear not, Granada does deliver in this area (to a point).
Let me make this clear, Granada is not a hipster paradise, if you’re looking to wow a crowd with some beat poetry over your morning bone broth, Berlin might be more your speed. But there is cool stuff in Granada.
Cool enough for The Clash’s Joe Strummer to call the city home for some years. Granada and its number one son Federico García Lorca both find their way on to the Clash’s seminal ‘London’s Calling’ record. Strummer was so loved by the people of Granada that following a Facebook petition, a small plaza was named in his honor. You can check it out here.
It’s not my cup of tea, but if you fancy floating through the streets of Granada and building an insatiable appetite for churros con chocolate, you’ll be glad to know the city has a very liberal attitude towards marijuana. It’s not legal (disclaimer) but the city, particularly the Albacin and Sacramonte areas, are cloaked in that most particular of odors from early in the morning until very late at night.
Spain’s less famous, less secretive answer to Banksy is El Niño de Las Pinturas and Granada is his home town! His and other artists works litter the streets and they are good. The image of Joe Strummer above is his work and you’ll find many more scattered across the city including along Calle Molinos which is the main street in his home suburb of Realejo. The lonely planet provides a pretty decent run down here for those of you interested in checking out more.
Coffee
Co-working spaces are important for remote workers, but so is coffee. Broadly speaking, I would say that Spanish coffee is crap. It’s cheap, but it’s crap. I never used to put sugar in my coffee but that changed in Spain. There are exceptions though. DULCIMENA Coffee & Go is great if you’re in the Realejo part of town and if you’re more central, then D’etí Coffee and Cake is your go-to.
That’s it, there are thousands more reasons to work from Granada, but you’ll need to go there and sort that out for yourself.
If you go, send my love. I miss it terribly.
