The Best Hostels to Book in Granada, Spain

Most private doubles and dorms at this upbeat backpackers’ base feature Alhambra views from small balconies. Bright reds, purples, greens and blues decorate the walls, while there are private rooms with ensuites available for those who don’t fancy sharing. Staff arrange tapas excursions, walking tours of Albaicín and Sacromonte, pub crawls, mojito and sangria nights, and can secure you tickets to the Alhambra and flamenco shows. A daily fee is charged for the continental breakfast.

Live music on the roof terrace, healthy breakfasts and a stylish bar with exposed brick walls are among the perks of a stay at this socially orientated hostel in Granada. It offers bunk-bed accommodation in female-only or mixed dorms, as well as group activities most nights of the week, from tapas and walking tours to family dinners and sangria evenings. There’s also a central patio with a hammock for those lazy summer afternoons. The 16th-century San Jerónimo Monastery is just around the corner.

Unusually for a hostel in the densely packed Medieval quarter of Albaicín, Oripando has a patio with a plunge pool – perfect for cooling off on those sweltering summer days. Accommodation ranges from four- or six-bed dorms to queen-sized rooms and a private apartment, all spread through a typical Albaicín carmen (rustic house) featuring tiled walls and floors, arched doorways and a plant-filled atrium with a fountain. Plaza Larga, one of the neighbourhood’s liveliest squares, is a five-minute walk away.

Broz is the first purpose-built, eco-friendly hostel in Granada, run by two sisters and a brother. It occupies a futuristic building in the city centre, surrounded by shops and bars. Communal spaces comprise a contemporary take on the traditional Andalusian patio; a lounge with flatscreen TV and table football; a roof-terrace; and a hi-tech kitchen. Rooms and private or mixed dorms are hotel standard; all have a crisp white decor, private bathrooms, Albaicín views and Alhambra-inspired art.

This hyperactive hostel goes overboard to ensure you get the most out of Granada, offering everything from Indiana Jones-style hiking adventures in the Sierra Nevada to free Spanish lessons. The dorms and private rooms – some of which are ensuite – occupy a townhouse at the bottom of Albaicín, just above the grungy thoroughfare of Calle Elvira. Don’t miss paella nights, where you can watch the classic Spanish dish being prepared with fresh seafood.

Soak up the understated splendour of an Andalusian townhouse at this well-appointed hostel, which abounds with ornate wooden doors, fireplaces, beamed ceilings and terracotta floors. Sleep in mixed or female-only rooms, chill on the roof terrace, or catch up on emails in the loft, complete with vaulted ceiling and shared computer. It’s ideally placed for shopping in the city centre, eating tapas on lively Plaza de Gracia, or visiting Federico García Lorca’s former home in the park that bears his name. Continental breakfast is included.