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Granada is a city placed in the south of Spain, in a region called Andalucía. It is close to the beach (65 km) and sourrounded by mountains. The most important one is Sierra Nevada with one of the highest peaks of Spain, and it has a ski station (32 km from Granada). Granada has 300.000 inhabitants, and it’s very well known for its University. That gives Granada a special atmosphere, with many students, and loads of things going on all the time. About its history, it is remarkable, that Granada was the last city reconquered by cristians. The muslims settled here for many centuries, and built one of the most important monuments in Spain, The Alhambra. There still are many signs of the arabic civilization.
The weather is very dry, and it does not rain a lot. Fall (from September to December) has an average temperature of 15º, and it is in this season when it rains more than the rest of the year. The winter goes aproximately from December to March. The average temperature is 9 Celsius degrees. It can snow, but it is not very common. Spring goes from March to June, and the temperature is around 15º The summer is very hot, during the day the temperature is 30º, and it can go up until 40º, even though during the night it reach lower temperatures.
The boarding usually is in a Student’s hostel, in an individual or shared room. The hostel most likely is going to be “Residencia Alhamar”, but it might change. The address is: C/Alhamar 33 Bloque 2 1ºA. Telephone: (+34) 958 081 702 / (+34) 635 635 023. There you will have a kitchen which you can use, and washing machines. They will provide you with sheets and towels. In the hostel there is not internet, but all the exchange students will have a pass to use the computers of the Medical school. The hospital where you will attend the practice, is 30 minutes by walking, and around 20 by bus (line number 4 or 6). And it is very close to the Medical School. To get to the city center, you just have to walk 15 minutes. Also to go to bars, discos, cafeterias…
Buses. Granada has a wide service of buses, which run from 6:30 in the morning to 23:30. On weekends there are also night buses, but not during August. Its cost is 1.20€, and there is a buss pass which saves you some money. Taxis. There are plenty of taxis all around the city. The minimal service is 4€, and going from one part to the other of the city should cost you no more than 8-10€. There are special charges from picking you up or leavining you at the bus, or train station. Also there are charges for lugage. During the night and on weekens the prices are slightly higher. The price is controled by a taximeter, and at the start it will mark around 1.70€. Anyway, the people usually go by walking everywhere, it is not a big city. Stores About shopping, there is a mall, just five minutes from the hostel, it is called Neptuno. There is also a supermarket, 10 minutes away (called Mercadona), and several little shops near the student’s hostel. Free Time. Pedro Antonio street, which is very near to the hostel, is full of different kinds of pubs, where you can hang out. Also around Plaza Nueva there are pubs, restaurants, discos… In Granada, there are “bares de tapas”. That is a pub, where you ask for a drink (less than 2 €), and they bring you a tapa, for free. They are very popular, and they are all around the city. You will have to try them all, and choose the one you like the most!!
The practices will be done, in either one of these hospitals: • Hospital Universitario San Cecilio. It is very close to the Medicine school. It was opened in 1952. It is going to be replaced in a couple of years for a new hospital that is being built. It has all the specialists. Web site: www.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdesalud/hsc/ • Hospital Virgen de las Nieves. 10 minutes by walking from the other hospital. It is a third level hospital. Web site: www.hvn.es/
There is not a dressing code for the hospital. You must wear a white coat, and have a stethoscope. Should wear closed shoes, not flip-flops.
Spain has a Public Health System, which attends all the citizens, and covers everything that is needed.
To use it you should have the social security card. The European citizens may get one.
Without the card, everyone is attended in the Emergency. There are problems with the waiting list, which lead some people to use a private doctor. But the best technologies and the most developed techniques are always in the public hospitals.
University of Granada is a public university. The career of Medicine here is 6 years, and after that an exam to get to the the residence and specialize. Nowadays it is being elaborated a new study plan, for the European convergence in the Bolonian Plan. University Web Site: www.ugr.es Medical School Web Site: www.ugr.es/~facmed/ In Spain the academic year is from October to July. The subjets are either for the whole year, or just for a semester. The exams are in february, june (and september for retake the tests). July to October is summer holidays.
The main ones are the schedules: the breakfast is around 8 am, lunch is from 2 to 3 pm, is the main meal of the day. And the dinner is around 9 or 10 p.m. About going out at night, people usually meet at 11 or 12, and pubs are opened until 4 am., the discos until 7 am. It is also important to know how to greet. We give two kisses (one in each cheek) every time you meet a person, except for men, which shake hands. There is not any special consideration for the clothes, everything is allowed. Don’t think there are bull fights everyday, or that we dance flamenco all the time!! That is just in some holidays, and not everyone likes it.
You can arrive to Granada:
• By plane: the airport is situated to17 kms. Bus is more advisable that taxi to get to the city. It costs 3 euros and it arrives to the downtown. The taxi is about 25 euros. • By train: train station is situated 5 minutes by walking to the downtown. • Bus: bus station is situated between 30 and 40 minutes walking to the downtown, it´s advisable catching an urban bus.(about 1,10 euros).
The most important festivities are: on october 1st, “Procesión de la Abadía de San Cecilio” (Saint Cecilio Abbey´s procession), Holy Week(in March or April); on May 3rd Día de la Cruz (The Cross Day); Corpus Cristi(in May or June); on June 29th, Saint Peter, “fiesta del albaicín”; and on the last Sunday of September, “fiesta de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias”.
It lets the direct access to the monuments and to the museums. The entries are cheaper (about the 25 or 30 per cent). It costs about 30 euros and you can get it in the bank “Caja Granada”.
Granada is not a dangerous city, during the day you can walk for all the areas, except for the suburbs, which are far away from the downtown. At night, it is not advisable walking alone in “el Albaicín”, “Sacramonte”. In places with a lot of people you must look after your personal objects (leisure places, for example).
Granada emergencies (Emergencias Granada):061
Granada National Police (Policia Nacional Granada):091 / 958 27 83 00
Granada local Police (Policia local Granada):092
Granada Civil Protection (Proteccion civil Granada):958 27 86 50
Granada Red Cross (Cruz Roja Granada):958 22 22 22
Granada ambulances (Ambulancias Granada):061 / 958 28 20 00
Social Security (Seguridad Social)/Granada Emergencias(Urgencias S.S. Granada): 958 21 21 00 / 958 28 20 00
Granada firefighters (Bomberos Granada):080 / 900 19 95 00
Duty chemist’s in the downtown: Reyes Catolicos Street, 24. Phone number: 958 222861. It is open 24 hours a day, every day.
Pottery products, taracea (wood handcraft) and other products that you can find in the downtown shops, specially around the Cathedral.
Last update of data: august of 2010