Granada – Guest House

The Carmen de la Victoria is located in the Albayzin, a neighborhood in Granada where there have been cármenes since Arab times. The cármenes are typical estates of the historical neighborhoods of Granada, heirs of the delightful orchards that the Granada Arabs owned in the outskirts of the city. Today they are domestic gardens that maintain an old tradition of pleasant retirement for their owners.

The Carmen de la Victoria was acquired by the University of Granada in 1945, and is the only public carmen in the city that has not lost its character as a home-garden. It was first a residence for Moroccan students (Casa de Marruecos) linked to the School of Arab Studies, then a Colegio Mayor, and today a Guest Residence, always open to the enjoyment of university students.

Although its buildings have been enlarged over time, the layout of the gardens remains the same as it was more than a hundred years ago. It is therefore one of the least altered of Granada’s gardens, preserving the traditional garden forms of 19th century regionalism in Granada.

The garden area is full of hedges, fruit trees and small fountains. The cypress walkway in the upper area is the oldest part of the carmen. In addition, inside is one of the best and most unknown viewpoints of the Alhambra de Granada.