Granada has a large Gitano, or gypsy, population many of whom still live in caves in the hillside on the eastern edge of town. It isn’t quite as Flintstone as you might imagine because the caves mostly have a house type frontage with rooms quarried out of the rock behind, as per the photo above. The Gitanos have a strong flamenco tradition and have produced some world-class performers in guitar and dance. Capitalising on their reputation, some of the caves have been converted into flamenco clubs but tourists are warned to beware of being fleeced for a second-rate performance at inflated prices.
There also appear to be a number of alternative lifestyle folks around so we were not surprised to see someone taking their pig for a walk. The pig was clearly keen for some petting and rolled over for a passer-by to scratch its’ head.
This attractive cobbled walk along the river leads out of town towards the Gypsies’ caves with the old Moorish quarter on the hill to the left and the steep crag of the Alhambra on the right. The Moorish quarter doesn’t contain many original arab-style buildings but is a maze of narrow alleys, and as it climbs up presents great views of the city, the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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