Arab Baths

The Arabic name for bath house is hammam. © Sophie Carefull
The Arabic name for bath house is hammam. "Bathe yourself in history".

Arab Baths

One of the most relaxing traditions of Arab Spain are the baths, or “hammam” as they are called in Arabic. With so many years of moorish rule and culture, the city of Granada was a natural starting point for the return of this long lost custom.

As the story goes, the traditional Arab bath was banned by Christians as they took over southern Spain. And not surprisingly, to the cultured and hygienic arabs, the Christian invaders were less than clean. Surely it was difficult for those conquered to give up their customary cleansing with water and steam.

In our neighbouring Morocco Arab baths are still the usual manner of cleansing the skin and body. Rather than relying on a quick shower or even a bath, people visit public baths where they can set their personal mat on the tile floor and bask in a steamy environment that makes it easy to exfoliate the entire body with a tiny rough cloth. This is considered to be far superior to the western notion of using soap to simply take off superficial dirt and oil.

Now, in many locations across southern Spain Arab style baths are opening to the public. Granada was the first to return the tradition to the area and offers some of the most luxurious facilities in the region. In addition to the traditional steam rooms, these also offer hot and cold treatments and, of course, a variety of relaxing massages.

If you wish to enjoy the pleasures of “hamman” while you are in Granada, be sure to book your place in advance to ensure there is space available during your visit.

There are also arab baths in Málaga and Ronda and Granada.

Tickets for a Hammam / Arab Baths

Buy tickets for a Hammam / Arab Baths

Arab Baths

Hammam Al Andalus Granada With Exclusive Massage

65
EUR

A day of relaxation is always something to look forward to, but the Hammam Al Ándalus offers more than your average spa.

Its traditional Moorish design and large baths would fit in seamlessly in 15th-century Granada, and archaeological investigations suggest that the current hammam may have been the site of an original bathhouse.

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