Zambra at Cuevas Los Tarantos
One hour of live flamenco in a Sacromonte cave home, with one drink included.
Why Sacromonte
A hillside built into the rock
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Homes dug into a hillside
Sacromonte is a traditional neighbourhood in the eastern area of Granada, on a hillside across the valley from the Alhambra. Its homes are caves. Wikipedia says their origin is not very clear and that building is assumed to have begun in the 16th century, after the expulsions of Jews and Muslims, to house marginalised people outside the city walls.
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A quarter of Granada's Romani families
The neighbourhood is traditionally associated with Granada's Romani community, who settled here after the Christian conquest of 1492. Spanish Wikipedia lists blacksmiths, peddlers, farmers, craftspeople and flamenco artists among the residents, and calls the district the cradle of Granada flamenco, where zambras arose in tablaos inside the cave homes.
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Zambra, the style of the caves
Wikipedia describes zambra as a flamenco dance style typical of the Romani people of Granada and Almería. Its name comes from the Andalusi Arabic zamra, and it is believed to continue earlier Morisco dances. It became common at wedding celebrations and is mostly performed today for visitors in the Sacromonte caves.
One hour, start to finish
One hour in the cave
Your ticket buys the show and one drink. The booking calendar gives each night a separate start time.
- Before
Find the cave door
The address is Camino del Sacromonte 9, in the Sacromonte district of Granada. Look up the start time attached to your night, and leave time for the climb, because the neighbourhood is built on a hillside and the way in is uphill.
- Arrive
Settle in with your drink
One drink comes with the ticket. Further drinks can be ordered at the bar, and dinner is available at your own expense. Neither is part of the fare.
- Show
One hour of zambra
Live dancers and musicians perform a zambra, billed as a large cast. Guests who booked describe an intimate cave where the performers are close, and where the clapping and the music carry through the room.
- After
Back down the hill
Afterwards you are on a hillside facing the Alhambra. Decide how you will get back down before the show ends, whether on foot or by taxi, so that leaving feels as simple as arriving did.
Listen and watch for
Six things to listen and watch for
Flamenco braids voice (cante), dance (baile) and guitar (toque), and zambra carries a wedding past of its own. The six points below draw on UNESCO and Wikipedia.
- Cante
The voice
According to UNESCO, cante is flamenco's sung voice, performed by women and men alike, ideally seated and without backing vocalists. Listen to how a single voice can hold an entire piece.
- Toque
The guitar
Toque is guitar playing, which UNESCO says has gone well beyond its original role as accompaniment. Notice when the guitar leads and when it follows the dancer.
- Baile
The dance
UNESCO describes baile as passion and courtship in movement, travelling between sadness and joy, and adds that men tend toward heavier footwork while women favour gentler, more sensual movement.
- Palmas
Clapping and stamping
UNESCO counts castanets, clapping hands and stamping feet as flamenco's further instruments. Inside a small cave that percussion carries well, and guests single out the clapping.
- Dress
Barefoot, with cymbals
Wikipedia says zambra is danced barefoot with finger cymbals, in a blouse tied under the bust and a skirt that is tight at the hips and then flares. How closely a cast follows that dress is its own choice.
- Wedding
A celebration at heart
Wikipedia says zambra became common at wedding celebrations, and Andalucía's tourist board calls it common at Romani weddings. Wedding celebrations are where zambra was common, so expect a festive mood.
Casts alter the programme nightly, so read this as a listening guide, not a set list.
On your ticket, and off it
What the fare covers
Six things to settle before you choose a night.
- The show
- One hour of live flamenco in a Sacromonte cave home. It is billed as a zambra with a large cast, including prominent figures of Granada's flamenco scene.
- The drink
- One drink comes with the ticket. After that, drinks are ordered at the bar and paid for at the cave.
- Dinner
- Dinner is not part of the fare. The cave serves traditional Spanish food that you can order and pay for there if you want to eat around the show.
- The cave
- Cuevas Los Tarantos is at Camino del Sacromonte 9. The venue calls itself a family-run tablao, and flamenco shows have run in the cave since 1972.
- Dress
- There is no special dress code.
- Booking terms
- Cancel at least a day beforehand and you are refunded in full; if you prefer, book now and pay nearer the date. Each night carries its own start time.
The hill, and the Alhambra opposite
Sacromonte, the Alhambra and a cave-home museum
Whitewashed cave homes on the hillside, the Alhambra across the valley at dusk, and rooms from a Sacromonte museum. None of these photographs shows the cave on this ticket.
What costs extra
What is on the ticket, and what is paid for at the cave
| Choice | How it works | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Show with one drink | The ticket on this page: one hour of zambra, with one drink included. | Anyone who wants the show without a meal. |
| More drinks | Ordered at the bar and paid for at the cave. | Guests who want more than the first drink. |
| Dinner at the cave | Spanish food ordered and paid for at the venue, outside this fare. | Anyone who prefers to eat and watch in one place. |
Book your night
Zambra in a Sacromonte cave
This is the ticket the guide is about: one hour of zambra at Cuevas Los Tarantos, with one drink.
More to book around Granada
Practical notes
Plan the climb
- 1
Where it is
Cuevas Los Tarantos is at Camino del Sacromonte 9, 18010 Granada. Sacromonte lies in the eastern part of the city, on a hillside facing the Alhambra.
- 2
The climb
Sacromonte is built on a hillside, so every approach from the city is uphill. Choose between walking, a taxi and public transport before you set out, and wear shoes that grip.
- 3
Dress
No dress code applies; come as you would to any easy evening out.
- 4
Drinks and dinner
One drink is on the ticket. Further drinks and dinner are bought at the cave, at your own cost, and are not part of the fare.
- 5
Start time
Each night in the calendar shows a start time of its own, which your confirmation repeats. Check it before you book a table.
- 6
Elsewhere on the hill
The Sacromonte Caves Museum has eleven original caves and a lookout with views of the Alhambra. Its opening hours are on its own website.
More on Sacromonte and zambra
Six guides to flamenco in Sacromonte
- Which ticket to book
Los Tarantos Granada tickets
What a ticket for the zambra show at Cuevas Los Tarantos covers, what costs extra, who it suits and how booking works for Granada's Sacromonte caves. Read the guide → - Getting there and what to bring
Getting to the Sacromonte caves
How to reach Cuevas Los Tarantos on the Sacromonte hillside in Granada, what to wear, how to time the evening and what else the hill offers by day. Read the guide → - The style behind the show
What is zambra flamenco?
Zambra explained for a first-time audience: a flamenco style tied to Granada's Sacromonte caves, with Morisco roots, wedding links and its own dress. Read the guide → - The hillside behind the show
Sacromonte's cave homes
How Sacromonte's cave homes came about, who lived in them, how they were dug and finished, and what became of many after the 1963 floods. Read the guide → - Before your first flamenco night
Flamenco for first-timers
Cante, baile and toque explained: what each part of a flamenco show is, what UNESCO says about them, and how a tablao show differs from a concert. Read the guide → - Around the hour
Granada evening around the show
Ideas for the hours around a Sacromonte zambra: the Albaicín and its viewpoint, the caves museum by day, and the Alhambra seen from across the valley. Read the guide →
FAQ
Questions before you climb the hill
How long is the show?
One hour. The start time depends on the night you pick; the booking calendar displays it, and so does your confirmation.
Is a drink included?
Yes: one drink is part of the fare. Further drinks and dinner are bought at the cave and paid for there.
Is dinner included?
No. Dinner is not part of this fare. You can order traditional Spanish food at the cave at your own cost.
Is there a dress code?
There is no special dress code. Shoes with a grip help, because Sacromonte is built on a hillside.
What is a zambra?
A flamenco style typical of the Romani people of Granada and Almería, Wikipedia says, and today mostly performed for visitors in the Sacromonte caves.
Is it a real cave?
Yes. It is a Sacromonte cave home, where flamenco shows have run since 1972.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Cancel at least a day beforehand for a full refund, or book now and pay nearer the date.
Is the Sacromonte museum the same place?
No. The Sacromonte Caves Museum is a separate site, with eleven original caves, its own tickets and its own hours.
One hour of zambra in a Sacromonte cave home, with a drink in your hand.
Book the Sacromonte cave show ↗The fare shows in your own currency once you choose a date.