A first-timer's guide
Cave flamenco at Los Amayas: showtimes, seats and a Sacromonte evening
How the showtimes work, where to sit in a cave this small, whether to add a transfer, and fitting the night into Granada.
See Los Amayas dates on GetYourGuide ↗Planning your Los Amayas night
| Earlier show | Later show | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A late Granada dinner afterwards | A finish to a day at the Alhambra |
| Arrive | A little early for good seats & views | A little early for good seats & views |
| Getting up | Transfer, taxi or a steep walk | Transfer, taxi or a steep walk |
| Includes | The show, often with a drink | The show, often with a drink |
| Seats | Front = closest to the feet | Front = closest to the feet |
What a cave night is like
A Sacromonte cave is about as close as flamenco gets: a low, whitewashed room cut into the hillside, seats down each side, and a small group of singer, dancer and guitarist only metres off. The zambra — Granada's cave version of flamenco — is danced close and together, heels cracking off the stone floor and the low ceiling. It's intense and hemming-in, the goosebumps kind of night, a show you feel as much as watch, in the very quarter the art came up in.
Choosing your showtime
There tend to be a couple of shows a night. Take the earlier one if you're after a long Granada dinner afterwards, or the later one to finish off a day at the Alhambra. Either way, plan to turn up a bit ahead of time — partly for a good seat in the small cave, partly to catch the Sacromonte and Albaicín views of the palace before you go in.
Transfer, taxi or walk
Sacromonte is uphill along steep, narrow lanes, so how you get up there is worth a thought. Some options bundle in a transfer or a guided walk through the Albaicín, which spares you the working-out; failing that, a taxi to near the cave is the easy way, and walking up is scenic but a real haul. See whether transport is part of your option, and pin down the meeting point when you book.
Where to sit
No seat is really poor in a cave this size, but the front is the one to want — near enough to feel the zapateado through the stone and to catch every flick of the wrist and tilt of the head. Seats inside are usually assigned or first-come, so if being right up by the performers matters, get there early. With free cancellation up to 24 hours before, you can settle on a night now and rework your Granada plans later.