Spain: Medieval Granada and the Alhambra
Score: 78
"The beauty and variety of Granada still astonish me after 40 years of visits." The "magical" palace and gardens of the Alhambra comprise "one of those rare must-see destinations that lives up to the hype." The Alhambra is an innovator in managing tourist numbers; visitors are"absorbed into the urban milieu with little overt impact."
Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:
"The Alhambra is one of the most significant cultural and historic treasures in the world. Its location on a hill in the medieval portion of Granada provides stunning views. Wandering up to the former Muslim palace and gardens along winding streets through the old town provides a perspective that has great aesthetic appeal. Visitor numbers to the palace are controlled daily by a quota system."
"Incredible is the word for this magical place. We were, however, quite concerned to see that many, many decorative and plastered wall surfaces and painted surfaces were not protected in any way. Evidence of repeated, prolonged touching had worn away both paint and actual decoration, at some places down to the substrate. The site is extremely heavily visited, and it's apparent that this is taking a toll."
"The Alhambra, beyond being the best example of Nazari architecture, has been developing fairly well for such an important heritage attraction. Over the past few years there has been a trend to value the place and preserve it from previous, undesirable developments."
"The beauty and variety of Granada still astonishes me after 40 years of visiting the place. The city seems to be very serious about its integrity and environment and it shows in the care of the monuments."
"One of those rare 'must see' destinations that lives up to all the hype. Few places as heavily touted as the Alhambra can match their advance billing, but the Alhambra doesn't disappoint—it is magical, all the more if you can book a visit when it's less crowded, and take it all in slowly, preferably over a few days. The rest of Granada is pleasant, especially the Albaicin, from which the views back to the Alhambra are the stuff of dreams."
"Several features stand out immediately. First, the number of tourists is controlled, and their movement within the attraction is timed to avoid crowding, thus preserving the environmental quality and maintaining the aesthetic appeal. Second, the condition of the built heritage is very well preserved; the structures remain almost in their original condition. Third, the town and local population, although removed from the attraction, benefit from the tourists that come to the Alhambra."
"Aggressive land-use planning based on residential tourism has destroyed most of the natural and cultural beauty" that make people want to visit. "There appears to be an effort to stem the tide and even roll back some of the worst excesses."
Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:
"Costa Brava has suffered greatly from tourism development, but in the past ten years the local population has discovered the necessity of preserving their environmental heritage as the center of the region's sustainability as a tourism destination. The principal hope is the awareness of the local population for a sustainable land-development plan."
"An enormous amount of damage has been wrought by mass tourism on this lovely coast, but there appears to be an effort to stem the tide and even roll back some of the worst excesses. For better or worse, as more and more of the world's coastline is dominated by megaresorts, the Costa Brava's hodge-podge resorts are starting to develop a certain charm. And away from the water, beautiful villages still abound."
"I live on the Costa Brava. Most of this territory has experienced aggressive land-use planning based on residential tourism, which has destroyed most of its natural and cultural beauty. There are few places in which you can still feel something of the old times, and in general the area is going downhill. Still, you can find nice summer cultural events and some beautiful areas, such as the Cap of Creus or the Medes Islands."
"A long-term disaster-in-waiting as buildings and infrastructures age."
"Costa del Concrete" was the big loser in our rankings, staying at the bottom of the list, where it was in 2004. This year it scored even lower, by 10 points. "A textbook example of mass tourism run amok," with high-rise hotels, crammed beaches, water shortages, pollution, and indifference to local culture.
Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:
"Costa del Sol suffers from poor-quality highrise development dating to the 1960s in places such as Torremolinos,and overdevelopment of the coast, especially during the 1990s and early 2000s. The result is poor aesthetics, pollution, a feeling of crowding, and a stress on scarce water resources. Promotion of sustainable tourism practices will be a real challenge for the future. Nevertheless, there are areas of greater aesthetic appeal and of important cultural and built heritage, especially in and near Marbella. Malaga has important archaeological remains, and the White Towns in the nearby hills are attractive destinations with their architectural heritage and aesthetic appeal."
"The textbook example of mass tourism run amok. Even efforts to undo the worst excesses still only add to the overall levels of development. A cautionary tale."
"The ongoing transformation of Costa del Sol from a mass tourism destination to a quality-based sustainable destination involving the private sector, public sector, and residents, is promising and could revitalize the region as an attractive place to visit and live in."
"Creaking under the weight of Brits and Germans who have retired to this southern Spanish coast, Costa del Sol is likely to suffer as the world economic situation causes them to return home. The area must go more and more down-market to maintain market share (and will do so), but this is an area where volume tourism rules, with little real consideration, it seems, for its impact or need for regulation. Not sustainable."
