Gardens of Generalife

Gardens in Granada

Paseo De Los Nogales, Generalife
CC BY-SA 3.0 / José Luiz

The Huertas del Generalife or the Vegetable Gardens of the Generalife are part of the Generalife in the Alhambra Complex, in Granada, Spain. In the eastern part of the Alhambra there was an orchard, owned by the Nasrid monarch, called Yannat-al-arif or Garden of the Alarife, where a beautifully decorated pavilion was built with polychrome plasterwork and by numerous fountains and gardens. The Generalife was surrounded by orchards and fruit trees for the consumption of the court, and, in addition, the pastures for livestock were cared for there.

These gardens are terraced structures built on the slopes of the Sol hill on a southern orientation, were supported by rampart walls and supplied with an abundant source of water from the main water channel.

The Four Orchards of the Huertas del Generalife

There are four orchards which were known in the Christian era with the names of Colorada, Grande, de la Haberdashery and Fuente Peña,  where abundant fruit and vegetables were grown that supplied the inhabitants of the Alhambra being one of the most productive villages of the time.

The Decline of the Huertas del Generalife

The fertility of the almunia declined with the departure of the Moors, drying gardens, orange and olive trees, since the Christians did not know how to manage the irrigation channel that irrigated them. Later, the Warden of the Generalife gave the gardens on lease to settlers, which has preserved the medieval function with its crops and fruit trees, being the same image of medieval almunia from the 13th to 15th centuries.


The Gardens of Generalife appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Granada!

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Visiting Gardens of Generalife

Hours:

For opening times of the Huertas del Generalife in Generalife see Alhambra Opening Times.


Price:

The Huertas del Generalife is part of the Generalife of the Alhambra Complex and access it you need to purchase Alhambra Tickets or a Alhambra Guided Tour.

Duration: 20 minutes

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