Granada · Spain
El Bañuelo
A practical guide to El Bañuelo, the Arab baths on Granada's Carrera del Darro: hours, when it's free, what to look for in each room and how not to confuse it with the modern hammam.
It's worth it, and almost everyone walks past. It's 15 minutes and €5, but go in knowing what to look for, because there's almost no explanation inside.
El Bañuelo is the best-preserved Arab bath in Granada and one of the oldest in al-Andalus. In Arabic it was called Hammam al-Yawza, the Bath of the Walnut Tree. It sits on the Carrera del Darro, half buried in the riverbank, with four rooms under brick vaults pierced by star-shaped skylights. Almost everyone heading for the Paseo de los Tristes walks past the door without going in.
Our experience
We went in at 17:05 on Wednesday, May 20, our first afternoon in Granada, right after tea on Calle Calderería Nueva. The timing had a reason: the bath closes at midday and reopens at 17:00, and the reopening is one of the least crowded moments. We paid the €5 at the door, since the free days are Saturday and Sunday. From there we walked to the Royal Chapel, free on Wednesday afternoons. See our day from Ronda to Granada.
A bit of history
The traditional account says it was built in the 11th century under the Zirid king Badis ibn Habus, paid for by his Jewish vizier Samuel ibn Naghrila. More recent studies, based on the type of brickwork, date it to the 12th century or later. Both dates circulate; what’s certain is that it predates the Nasrids and 1492. Granada once had about twenty-one neighborhood baths. After the Christian conquest almost all were torn down, because they were viewed with suspicion. This one survived because it was turned into a public laundry. After the expulsion of the Moriscos it filled up with homes, and a house was even built over part of it.
In 1912 the owner, Gonzalo Enríquez de Luna, asked for permission to clear the rubble, and that’s how the bath was rediscovered. In 1918 it was declared a National Monument, and in 1927 Leopoldo Torres Balbás, the architect restoring the Alhambra, bought it for 16,541 pesetas with money from Alhambra ticket sales. The first restoration was finished in 1928.
How it worked
It’s the Islamic version of the Roman baths, on a smaller scale: vestibule, cold room, warm room and hot room, in that order. People didn’t bathe by immersion: they moved from cold to hot, were doused with water and given massages by attendants. A furnace behind the hot room sent hot air under the floor and through the walls, and the star skylights let the steam out. Ronda’s Arab baths preserve the plumbing better; El Bañuelo is older and preserves the building.
What to see, in order
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The wooden door
Rebuilt during the 1928 restoration from drawings of Andalusi bathhouse doors.
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The vestibule
Where people changed, with a small basin. It had a wooden dome that has been lost. From here you can see the row of arches through to the hot room.
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The cold room
Rectangular, with a smaller barrel vault and star-shaped skylights.
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The warm room
The largest: a central dome surrounded by vaults, horseshoe arches and ten columns. This is the room in the photos.
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The recycled capitals
Walk slowly past the ten columns. There are Roman, Visigothic, Caliphal Córdoba and Zirid capitals, taken from older ruins. One may be more than 800 years older than the bath.
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The star skylights
Eight-pointed stars and octagons cut into the vaults to let steam out and light in. In sunshine they project stars on the floor that move through the afternoon.
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The hot room
Rectangular, with two side niches for water basins. Behind it was the furnace that heated the air under the floor.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Granada has two things called "Arab baths." El Bañuelo is the historic monument you visit for €5. Hammam Al Andalus is a modern spa where you bathe, for about €37 for 90 minutes. If someone offers you one in place of the other, don't accept the swap.
- There are almost no signs inside. Read up beforehand on what each room was for and the story of the columns, and the visit changes.
- The warm room is about 5 by 7 meters. If someone camps under the dome for a photo, wait a minute for it to clear.
- It sometimes closes for short conservation work. If you pass by the Carrera del Darro earlier, check that it's open.
Do
- Arrive at the 17:00 reopening or at 9:00, when almost nobody is there.
- Notice the temperature as you walk in: the half-buried building is still cooling the air.
- If you're interested in Nasrid houses, the Casa de Zafra is right behind it, with its entrance on Calle Portería de la Concepción (€3, closed Mondays).
Don’t
- Don't accept "photographers" under the dome or freelance "guides" who explain the building and then ask for €5 to €10. They have nothing to do with the Patronato.
- Don't eat at the terraces on the Carrera del Darro between El Bañuelo and the Paseo de los Tristes: picture menus and mediocre paella. If you want the view, have one drink and that's it.
- Don't use flash or a tripod inside.
Frequently asked questions
What are El Bañuelo's hours?
From May 1 to September 14, daily from 9:00 to 14:30 and from 17:00 to 20:30.
How much does El Bañuelo cost?
€5 per person; Saturdays and Sundays are free, capacity permitting. It's not included in the general Alhambra ticket, but it is in the Dobla de Oro.
How much time do you need?
15 to 20 minutes. With the Casa de Zafra next door, about 45 minutes for both.
Is it the same as Hammam Al Andalus?
No. El Bañuelo is an 11th- or 12th-century monument you visit. Hammam Al Andalus is a modern spa with heated pools where you bathe.