" Some Of The Best Chocolate I have Ever Tasted "…read more My wife and I went to the Mayan Monkey Mijas Chocolate Factory. Wow, what a must see place to visit. The Mijas Chocolate Factory along with having many varieties and types of Chocolate candies, they have also Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and some wonderful and different flavors of Ice Cream. They also have so educational Chocolate Tutorials to listen to if you have time. It's a quaint and nice place to visit when you are in Mijas to be able to get a nice chocolate treat.

Tucked in the hills, this little chocolate factory had very very good hot Coco and ice cream!read more

Abuela Ili is a chocolate factory on top of las Alpujarras in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The…read morevillagers in las Alpujarras make these chocolates and infuse them with many flavors including a variety of fruits and spices. The fruits and spices flavors include mango, honey, mandarin, orange, mint, pepper, cocoa, yogurt, cinnamon, and many others. My personal favorites are mango, honey, and mandarin. I bought several to bring home as the perfect gift to bring for each person. The chocolate are sold by weights, but 3 packs are approximately $8 euro or so. They also have other types of chocolate with mixed nuts, which is quite good as well. I highly recommend stopping by Abuela Ili for some wonderful bring-back home souvenirs for your friends and families back home.

From the owner: For more than 25 years we have been crafting artisan chocolate in the heart of the Alpujarra. We…read moreproduce small-batch chocolates using traditional methods: classic bars, honey chocolate, handmade bonbons, chocolate sticks, and more than 50 unique varieties. We work with sustainably sourced cocoa and take great care with every detail to create chocolate that is rich, flavorful, and full of tradition. We are a local reference for high-quality artisanal chocolate and a must-visit for travelers exploring the gastronomic culture of the Alpujarra.

This place has a variety of pastry, which was really good. Tried the carrot cake and it was…read moredelicious. They also serve tostada(bread with tomato paste spread, and jamón serrano) for breakfast and it was great. Also tried their coffee and gelato, and it was very well made. The prices are reasonable for locals and tourists. The customer service was excellent too. Will definitely recommend it.

We found out about this place via Tripadvisor- originally we just wanted to check out their olive…read moreoil selection and perhaps bring some back home. But once we heard about their food/wine tasting, we made sure that we put forth our best effort in finding this place on our last day in Granada. We actually went there twice- the first time we thought they were closed, but it turns out that we didn't find the right entrance. Anyway, if you want to have the food/wine tasting dinner, you pretty much need to make a reservation ahead of time. (Although we lucked out that evening without one). The place is really small, and won't seat more than 9 people. The tasting is meant to give tourists a sense of what the locals typically eat and drink. The food is simple, fresh, and worth every euro you pay (~30-40 EU/person). You have the option to purchase some of things you get to taste (olive oil, wine, Jamon Iberico, etc.) when the meal is finished. The owner Francisco is a super nice old man who explains every bit of what is brought to your table. We ended up tasting 5 different wines, 3 different olive oils, and so many courses of tasty food (small courses, as it's a tasting) that our meal took roughly 2.5 hours to finish. Don't come here planning to have a fast meal. You need the time to thoroughly enjoy what's placed in front of you. La Oliva is an absolute "Must-visit" if you're in Granada.

7 years ago I lived in Granada while I was studying at the university. Before moving back home to…read moreKansas, I bought presents for family and friends. My dad is into cooking and fine ingredients, so I had to get him some high quality olive oil from Granada. The only problem was that I knew nothing about olive oil. Luckily enough, I walked up calle Varela everyday from my Residencia to the Centro de Lenguas Modernas where my classes were. On this walk, I saw the sign for La Oliva down one of the small side streets almost every day. After months of this routine, I finally dropped in to La Oliva to see if it could help me find the olive oil I wanted to get my dad. Upon entering, I met the owner Francisco and he carefully taught me about the differences between the different olive oils and sent me on my way with three unique bottles of oil to give my dad. This impressed upon me such a positive experience because it was so rare in Spain that someone would have the patience to talk to me and teach me about the things in their store. After 7 years hiatus, I just returned to Granada, bringing my brother to show him the sites and to tour southern Spain. Remembering my experience at La Oliva, I decided to drop by again and see if the store was still there, and to buy more olive oil and other authentically regional gifts for friends and family. What a pleasant surprise! Not only was the store still there, but Francisco greeted us with a friendly smile and a genuine delight to have the opportunity to teach us about olive oil and other regional products. Upon telling him that I'd returned after 7 years, he shook my hand and gave me his genuine thanks! He promptly sat us down and told us he had to go buy some bread so that we could taste the different olive oils. So, we waited while he ran down the block to the panaderia. He returned and gave us samples of 4 different olive oils and sat with us answering our questions about the differences in the oils. He proved incredibly knowledgeable, explaining the differences between organic and conventional oils, why olive oil is so cheap in Spanish groceries, and how the weather and landscape affects the taste of the olives. La Oliva and Francisco are the real deal. If you're looking for a relaxed atmosphere in which you can purchase authentic regional products from Granada and the south of Spain, this is the place to go. Francisco speaks Spanish slowly and in a clear voice and even speaks a fair amount of English as well (he told us that he studied English in Oxford, England several years ago). Beyond olive oil, he also sells turron (regional sweet typically eaten around the winter holidays/festivals), sherry, wine, and a number of produce items. In addition, he also does some catering and private dinner events in the store. While I haven't eaten there, I bet the food would be superb. I cannot recommend this place enough as I think it is perfect for tourists and Spaniards alike who want to learn about and purchase authentic regional specialties. Most importantly, I cannot recommend this place enough because if it's another 7 years before I get the chance to return, I sincerely want La Oliva to still be there!