Free parking in Granada

Granada is the tourist city by antonomasia of the Spanish territory, in 2018 it was chosen for the second consecutive year the best city of the world to travel. It has an average size territory that every year receives around 3 million tourists. This high figure makes the total number of its inhabitants multiply by ten. Many come to see the peculiar way of life that has been forged over the years in the Alhambra, the Albaicin neighborhood or the mountain with Sierra Nevada and the coast.

The affluence of people in the city, where its urban layout presents a distribution of narrow and mostly pedestrian streets, forces us to bring you this guide where we will show you the different existing areas to park your vehicle for free, avoiding restrictions and paying areas.

Granada’s maze of one-way streets, its brand-new Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) and a chronic shortage of kerbside bays mean that “just parking near the Cathedral” is no longer an option. The good news? If you know where to aim, you can still leave your car free (or almost free), hop on the tram or bus and be sipping a café con leche on Plaza Nueva in 15 minutes. Below you’ll find a fully updated, detail-packed roadmap: every LEZ rule in force, seven on-street areas that remain free, park-&-ride hacks, Blue-Zone schedules, overnight ideas and four quick FAQs—all verified with the city’s own mobility portal and the latest local press releases. Let’s roll.

Low-Emission Zone 101: what changes in 2025

Granada activated its LEZ cameras on 1 October 2024; until now they only issue warning letters. After the six-month postponement agreed by City Hall, fines will start on 1 October 2025. The perimeter encloses the whole historic core—Gran Vía, Recogidas, Reyes Católicos, Plaza Nueva, Carrera del Darro, Albaicín access roads and adjoining streets. Entry rules:

• Petrol cars Euro 3 (≈ 2001) or newer and diesels Euro 4 (≈ 2006) or newer may enter with the Spanish DGT environmental sticker.

• Older vehicles need a one-time exemption (residents, hotel guests with plate pre-registration, disabled badge, etc.).

• Taxis, buses and delivery vans with the right sticker are exempt.

• From 2025, cameras read your plate the moment you cross any LEZ line; unauthorised entry will cost up to €200.

  

Bottom line: park outside the ring and swap to public transport. All the free areas below sit beyond camera range but inside the metropolitan bus/metro grid.

Seven still-free kerbside zones

Traveller pro-tips

• Arrive before 10 a.m. Saturday or after 20 h to guarantee space.

• Obey any blue-or-green curb paint; wardens patrol Mon–Sat 09:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00.

• Hide luggage. Granada is safe, but break-ins target visible bags.

Park-and-Ride lots that validate LEZ entry

Granada now lets any car—sticker or no—cross the LEZ if it drives directly to an authorised car park and stays ≥ 1 h. Use this hack if you insist on parking close to the sights.

• Severo Ochoa (600 pl.) – easiest access via Avda. de la Constitución; €17/24 h; five-minute walk to the Cathedral.

• Parking San Agustín (Mercado municipal, 345 pl.) – smack under the Arab Baths; €23/24 h but you exit straight onto Gran Vía on foot.

• La Caleta Parkia (900 pl.) – just outside the ring; €25/24 h but weekly passes €68; tram stop Caleta two blocks away.

• Alhambra official car park (450 pl.) – atop the hill. Day rate €2.90/h (max €19), but night flat-rate €7 (20 h-07 h) ideal for sunrise palace visits.

Scan the QR code at the barrier; your plate goes to the LEZ database and any camera capture is auto-voided.

Blue-Zone cheat sheet (ORA 2025 tariff)

Pay at street meters (cards accepted) or with apps Telpark / EasyPark. Sundays & public holidays: all meters free — but LEZ cameras stay active!

Overnight & multi-day bargains

• Cápsula Motorhome Área (Ctra. de Jaén, km 429) – €12/24 h for campervans; fresh water & grey-water dump; CCTV; bus SN1 to centre in 18 min.

• Hotel garages after dark – many mid-range hotels on Camino de Ronda advertise “Plaza Nocturna” €10-12 (20 h-08 h) even if you’re not a guest. Ask at reception; save on Blue-Zone fines while sleeping.

• Alhambra night flat-rate €7 (20-07 h) plus free dawn stroll to Generalife before picking your car up. Perfect for 08:30 palace tickets.

Seasonal chaos & survival tactics

Safety, fines & common GPS traps

• Don’t trust Waze inside Albaicín: it may route you through resident-only cameras on Cuesta del Chapiz.

• A paid meter does not cancel an LEZ fine—environmental ticket trumps parking ticket.

• Police tow older cars parked on LEZ kerbs even if you entered before October 2025; they tag your plate to meter times—they’re laser-focused on pre-Euro 3 petrols.

• Rental car? Ensure it carries the correct DGT sticker (most are Euro 6 and have the green “C” label). If not, ask the agency for the digital exemption they log for tourists.

Zero-car alternative: use the Metro de Granada corridor

Granada’s light-rail connects Albolote ⇆ Armilla (26 min end-to-end). Free street parking lines many out-of-ring stops:

• Albolote (north terminus) – huge park-and-ride lot free 24 h.

• Maracena – on-street around Plaza Europa, 100 m to metro.

• Villarejo – office district bays empty after 18 h.

Hop on with a pay-as-you-go Credibús card (€0.82/ride) and forget the LEZ entirely.

48-hour sample itinerary (no parking stress)

Day 1
08:30 – Park at Avenida de Andalucía.
09:00 – Bus SN1 → Plaza Isabel la Católica, grab breakfast churros.
10:00 – Walk to the Cathedral & Royal Chapel.
12:00 – C32 mini-bus up to Albaicín; free tapas on Calle Elvira.
17:00 – Sunset at Mirador de San Nicolás, taxi back (€7).
20:00 – Bus SN1 ↔ fetch car; quick 6-min drive to hotel in Zaidín (free street parking at 21 h).

Day 2
07:00 – Short drive to Alhambra car park; night flat-rate ended at 07 h; pay €0.00 extra.
08:30 – Alhambra guided tour.
12:30 – Drive down to Nevada Shopping roof deck (3 h gratis); lunch & siesta inside AC.
16:00 – Metro Nevada → Recogidas for shopping.
21:00 – Metro back, retrieve car, hit the road with zero fines.

Where to park for free in Granada

Parking in Granada’s tourist areas can be difficult, as the blue lines of the blue zone flood almost all the roads in the historic centre, even those in neighbouring areas such as El Zaidín or Ronda. This means that many drivers insist for a long period of time on finding the desired parking place.

The large extension of monumental Granada will make you find many buses that at their stops occupy part of the space reserved for vehicles. And beware of vehicles that have access to the street where you park, as the route of Moorish and Jewish heritage can cause other drivers to make a bad maneuver that ends up touching your vehicle.

But don’t worry, there is space and we recommend the surroundings of the Science Park and the Neptune Shopping Centre. From this location you will not have to walk more than thirty minutes to the centre. What you have to bear in mind is that before our visit we have to prepare ourselves for the hundreds of charming streets that have to be climbed up steep slopes, such as the unbeatable views offered by the Mirador de San Nicolás.

If we do not mind using public transport, which is highly recommended in Granada, especially if we want to go up to the Alhambra, we recommend parking our vehicle in the Campus de la Salud, or the nearby towns of Armilla, Ogíjares or La Zubia. We should also consider parking in the blue zone in free time slots, such as from midday on Saturday and Sunday or during the night.

Areas to avoid

Although it may seem complicated to park the vehicle, there are areas where we should not consider parking because of the money it may cost us or the danger it poses. This is the case in the area of San Agustín, the nearest to the Cathedral where, due to an express prohibition, you should not stop. Several cameras monitor the movement of the free zones and you can easily take home a fine.

In addition, the route Albaicín – Sacromonte, a very busy area with narrow and winding streets. Other neighbourhoods that are difficult to park due to their lack of security are those around La Chana. We also find restrictions in the central area of the Gran Vía de Colón and the Calle Reyes Católicos, where the continuous vigilance of the area does not allow us to park for a long period of time.

The Parkings of Granada

The best alternative for parking in Granada, although it is possible to park for free, is the car park. If you visit Granada by car you will save time if you have already planned where to park your vehicle from a car park. There are a total of 33 privately owned and public car parks in the capital, although many of them do not have spaces available because they are reserved only for residents. We recommend you to take a Free Tour in Granada with our best tour guides.

From here you can access two of the main entrances to the city centre, the Acera del Darro or Calle Recogidas. Next to the Paseo del Rio Genil we have the Violón car park and the Puerta Real car park, from where we can easily reach the Zoco and the Cathedral in ten minutes and from there start looking for the Albaicín. Most of the car parks in the centre of Granada offer their spaces for a little over 1 euro an hour, so this is the best option to enjoy our stay in the city.

The cheapest one we have found is the one located in María Moliner Street, called Méndez Núñez. It offers up to 405 parking spaces at a cost of 0.018 euros per minute, 1.099 euros per hour. On the other hand, the most expensive ones are El Triunfo in Constitución Avenue, and Puerta Real in Darro Sidewalk, both with a cost of 0.04 euros per minute, 2.438 euros per hour.

FAQs

Is there any legal free parking right next to the Alhambra?
No. The hill is patrolled and resident-only. The official pay car park is the sole legal option.

Can non-Spanish cars get the DGT sticker?
Yes. Apply online (Ayuntamiento portal) at least 10 days ahead; you’ll receive a printable PDF exemption valid for 30 days.

Are Blue-Zone bays enforced on Sundays?
Meters and wardens rest on Sundays/holidays, so blue lines are free, but LEZ cameras keep working.

Is overnight street parking safe?
Granada is low-crime; still, park under streetlights (Avenida de Andalucía, Cartuja campus) and remove valuables. Hotel garages remain the safest.