Convento de San Francisco is perched within the World Heritage-listed Alhambra complex. It has gone through various transformations over the years but still retains its original character. Firstly, it was a former medieval Nasrid palace, but after the Spanish conquest of Granada, it was transformed into a Franciscan convent.
Francisco Prieto-Moreno Pardo turned the convent into a world-class hotel. He conducted archaeological excavations and discovered Arab baths that belonged to the Mughals. This former convent is the place where Fernando and Isabel were laid to rest while their tombs were being built in Capilla Real. By the early twentieth century, it had fallen into ruins, and Leopoldo Torres Balbás restored it.
Since 1945 it has served as a state-owned Parador hotel where guests can relax and unwind while enjoying the scenic settings. It is renowned for its dream-like interiors, breathtaking rooms, and elegant furnishings. Due to its historical importance and extraordinary setting, it has been entitled as 'The pride of Granada.
It has retained the original courtyard, the magnificent lookout point, and the Arab hall. Moroccan lanterns, impressive antiques, and an arch-framed Moorish patio evoke the multi-layered past of the building. In the chapel courtyard, you can see Catholic monarchs' graves. It also features a patio, a beautiful private garden dotted with scented herbs, and a terrace café-bar-restaurant.
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