Elvira Traditional Baths — Local services in Granada

I booked a private circuit for 2 people for 180 euros.

Short summary: tiny change room, outdated facility and questionable cleanliness, overpriced for what you get (esp compared to other hammams in the area), hot pool is lukewarm at best, staff are very friendly and service is great

Long extended review:

I had to book my appt via whatsapp as there were no other ways to book online. Had to call to provide full payment by providing my cc to make the appointment.

My booking was for 9pm, and they asked me to arrive 10min prior to, yet when I arrived, they kept us waiting until 9pm anyway.

We were a little shocked when we entered as the waiting area looked very plain and did not look very relaxing or inviting, especially because we had just experienced another hammam in Cordoba and our expectations were much higher.

Once we were led to the change room, they gave us flipflops and a towel. The change room is very, very small and I’d say accommodates 2 people max comfortably, at best. Unfortunately when we entered, there were 4 other people and we had to squeeze in and wait to access the lockers.

The change room has a tiny shower stall, and a bathroom. Generally the facility could use a huge update, especially for the prices they are charging.

After changing, they walked us through the facility of the hammam and showed us the hot pool, cold pool and steam room. They offered us beverages, fruits, and chocolates.

The hot pool was unfortunately not very hot, probably lukewarm at best. It also smelled of chlorine (like a swimming pool) and for some reason was bubbling..

The cold pool was much smaller, but was not deep enough to immerse your whole body unless you laid down. I can’t imagine what this place would be like during public access.

The steam room was to our liking and we had no complaints. I did see that there was a huge gap at the bottom of the door but we did not feel it impacted the steam or heat in the room.

During our time in the pools, I could see the cleaning room with all the cleaning supplies, and the staff walked around cleaning with garbage bags and etc. It did not feel like a relaxing experience, nor sanitary, nor professional.

Our visit ended with a 30min massage although I did not have the time my entire visit so I was unsure if I was given a full hour access to the hammam facility since we were brought in late. Didn’t argue or bother asking since we were not dying to stay a long time anyway.

My massage was actually decent and I’d recommend, however my friend who visited with me said her massage was more like a oil rub for 30min.

Since the shower was so old and only had questionable body gel and shampoo, we opted to change and get out of there as fast as possible to shower back at our accommodation.

I was honestly very surprised at my experience after reading all the five star reviews of this place, and I hope that my review can at least set proper expectations for those who choose to still visit, and perhaps also let the owner know that they have many areas to improve on if they want to compete with other hammams in Granada. The staff and service were great, but it could not make up for the lacking facility and I would not be able to genuinely recommend this hammam to my friends or family. I mainly leave 2 stars for the friendly staff...

Honestly? It’s a sad little place. Nothing luxurious about it, trust me. The ‘circuit’ consists of just one pool which is more like a giant hot tub (it gets odd when you share it with strangers) and a small shallow splash pool with cold water. It’s ankle deep. Then there is a small steam room. That’s it 🤷🏻‍♀️ So the ‘baths’ actually mean just one bath.

You must really love sitting in a hot tub to spend 1.5 hours there without getting bored. At least we were lucky to be the only visitors and had this tub and the steam room for ourselves but then 5 more people came and i kinda feel for them.

Also the space is not as pretty as it is in the pictures, it’s shabby without that ‘ancient baths’ look. Well maybe if you come late in the evening and see it with the dimmed lights and candles it gets more romantic…To us, especially after seeing Alhambra in all its glory, it was quite sad.

This said, the massage was great and the staff girls were lovely. I rather spend those €40 on massage only and skip...

We booked this experience in advance. A down-payment is required (about half the price). Towels and flip-flops are provided along with tea, juice, fruit, and chocolates as you are in the baths. We were a group of 3 at 12pm and had the place to ourselves. It was quiet and nice to not share the pools with others. It was easy to move between the Turkish steam bath, the warm pool, and cold pool. The staff was very welcoming and ensured we enjoyed our stay. We were there for 1.5hrs including a 30min massage. It was worth the little bit more for the 30min - it isn't a super deep massage but relaxing nonetheless. There is a small changing area with lockers, a shower, and toilet - it can be tight if traveling with 2+ people or if other guests are also there, but manageable if you can communicate and decide who will use the...