In this series, I share conversations with people who have experienced Spain beyond the tourist version: daily life, local routines, cultural surprises and the small moments that make you feel more connected to the place.
My student Zuz, a photographer based in Zurich — @seenbyzuzi_photographer — and her boyfriend Ondro, @randesosvetom, spent one year living in Granada.
They like to travel slowly and consciously: tasting local food, staying close to everyday life and avoiding tourist traps whenever they can. In this interview, they share what made Granada special, what they loved about Andalusia and why life in Spain was so easy to fall in love with.
What made Granada feel different?
We decided to move to Spain because Zuz was going there to study through the Erasmus programme.
Our original plan was to choose a place by the sea, but the only university where Zuz’s subjects matched was in Granada, so we didn’t really have a choice.
In the end, we completely fell in love with Granada, and it became our favourite city in Spain.
Granada is a historic, multicultural city full of beautiful monuments. It lies just below the Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain range in mainland Spain. In about an hour, you can get both to the sea and to the mountains.
At the same time, it is a very Spanish city: full of little cafés, where people still respect the siesta and close their businesses in the afternoon. The people are very kind, warm and friendly.
The way to fall in love with Granada? Through food.
So what makes Granada so special?
Granada is the only Spanish city where you still get a generous portion of tapas with your drink for free.
Yes, in other cities you may get a small bowl of olives or nuts. But in Granada, we are talking about a portion that can actually fill you up.
If you ever visit Granada, you should definitely try some of our favourite tapas bars, such as Taberna Andaluza, Bar Establo, Native and Mesón La Rumba.
Then you’ll understand exactly what we mean.
Life in Andalusia
Granada is located in the heart of Andalusia, an autonomous region in the south of Spain.
During that year, we visited many places in Andalusia and, in our opinion, it is the most interesting part of Spain.
We discovered beautiful beaches near Nerja, walked around one of the most beautiful squares in Europe in Seville, and hiked many kilometres below the Sierra Nevada, in the Los Cahorros canyon.
People in this part of Spain are very kind, always smiling and open to conversation. That is one of the reasons why we fell in love with Spain and were able to settle in so quickly.
What Spain taught them
In general, it is very easy to get used to life in Spain.
Nobody is in a rush, the weather is pleasantly warm, food prices are relatively low and the food is delicious.
We also loved the later sunrises and long days.
Another great advantage of living in Spain is domestic travel. For example, flights to the Canary Islands are much cheaper from Spain than from Central Europe. During our stay, we visited the Canary Islands several times — Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
It is hard to choose a favourite because each island has something special. Around 25% of Lanzarote is covered by lava, Tenerife has the highest mountain in Spain, and Gran Canaria has some of the most beautiful beaches.
Living in Granada gave Zuz and Ondro more than beautiful memories. It gave them a deeper sense of Spain: its rhythm, its food, its people and its everyday warmth.
And this is exactly why learning Spanish matters. It helps you understand more than words. It helps you participate — in conversations, in places, and in daily life.
You can follow more of their travels on Instagram at @seenbyzuzi_photographer and @randesosvetom.