Granada Cathedral & Royal Chapel – Guided Walking Tour
1. The Renaissance Cathedral
Built on the site of Granada’s former Great Mosque, the Cathedral stands as one of Spain’s finest examples of Renaissance architecture. Designed by Diego de Siloé, its vast interior blends light, height and gold. The white columns and circular dome create a sense of ascension — a deliberate contrast to the Nasrid geometry of the Alhambra.
The chapels display paintings by Alonso Cano and other Andalusian masters, combining grandeur with intimacy. Guides explain how every column, choir stall and altar symbolised the triumph of faith and art after the Reconquista.
2. The Royal Chapel – Resting Place of the Catholic Monarchs
Next to the Cathedral lies the Royal Chapel, where Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II rest. Their alabaster tombs by Domenico Fancelli mark the end of Al-Andalus and the beginning of modern Spain. The contrast between the chapel’s Gothic structure and the Renaissance cathedral beside it mirrors Granada’s historic duality.
Inside, visitors encounter carved effigies, Flemish tapestries and personal relics, including Isabella’s crown and Ferdinand’s sword — intimate symbols of rulers who reshaped an empire and changed global history.
3. A Walk Through Time
The tour weaves through surrounding streets like Calle Oficios and Plaza de las Pasiegas, where local life continues amid centuries-old façades. Street musicians and café terraces echo softly against the cathedral walls. Guides share stories that blend art history, urban legend and the quiet spirituality of this sacred district.
To walk this route is to experience Granada’s transformation — from the Nasrid kingdom’s final sigh to the dawn of Spain’s Golden Age, all within a few hundred metres.