Torre de la Vela

Granada


Of the towers in the Alcazaba section of the Alhambra, the most celebrated is this, the so-called Torre de la Vela (Watchtower) where the cross and banners of the Reconquista were raised in January 1492. More recently, the tower's bell chimes were used to regulate the irrigation system used on Granada's fertile plain, the Vega.

Climb to the top terrace for splendid views.

Admission is included in the Alhambra ticket.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Granada attractions

1. Alcazaba

0.04 MILES

Occupying the western tip of the Alhambra are the martial ramparts and towers of the Alcazaba, the site's original 13th-century citadel. The Torre de la…

2. Baños Árabes El Bañuelo

0.1 MILES

Sitting by the Río Darro, this well-preserved Moorish bathhouse dates to the 11th or 12th century. Light beams into its vaulted brick rooms through…

3. Puerta de la Justicia

0.12 MILES

If you already have your Alhambra ticket, you can climb the Cuesta Empedrada path and pass through the horseshoe-arch door of the austere Puerta de la…

4. Museo Arqueológico

0.12 MILES

Relaunched in 2018 after an eight-year restoration, Granada's archaeology museum is spread across the 16th-century Casa de Castril, with its elaborate…

5. Museo de la Alhambra

0.13 MILES

Inside the Palacio de Carlos V in the Alhambra, the Museo de la Alhambra has an absorbing collection of Islamic artefacts, including the wood-carved door…

6. Museo de Bellas Artes

0.13 MILES

In the Alhambra, on the first floor of Palacio de Carlos V, this small fine arts museum merits a visit for its collection of 15th- to 20th-century…

7. Mexuar

0.13 MILES

This 14th-century hall forms the entrance to the Palacios Nazaríes in the Alhambra. Originally, the council of ministers would have met here and the…

8. Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta

0.14 MILES

On the Realejo hill, the Carmen Blanco houses the Rodríguez-Acosta foundation in a building created in 1914 by the Granada-born modernist artist José…