Preface: I am the worst, part time, semi retired, professional ballet dancer in America. But I do know a little about dance...
Just about all travel books and websites will mention visiting the Sacromonte area of Granada to see the gypsy caves and catching a zambra show, which is similar to Flamenco. As Admiral Ackbar once said: "Its a trap!"...well, not completely...but it is a tourist trap.
MUSIC: I'd seen 3 other Flamenco shows, and the music was good and on par. If there is musical a difference between Flamenco and Zambra, I wouldn't know.
DANCING: 2 of 3 females seemed to be amateurs at best. Maybe they just didn't care. The lone male was truly exceptional, captivating, and with strong technique and musicality. He owned the cave. But I noticed he came in late, and some of the females left...I've got a feeling that the other zambra venues just rotate the dancers out...is it one big organization?
PRICE: €22 and only 45 minutes long. Not exactly a good deal and not the advertised 1 hour long show, but I wanted to get out of there anyway. The included drink was a cheap watered down glass of Sangria.
AMBIANCE: The cave and the decor are definitely interesting. Lots of photos, art, and knick knacks. We sat in high chairs in the back, which were in the door way to someone's bedroom. See photos.
If you rarely see professional dance shows, this might be impressive to you...a lot of older tourists seemed delighted and a few couldn't put down their phone cameras. But for me, it was mostly an a low budget amateur show and tourist trap.
TRAVEL TIP: The late show at 10:00pm ends at 10:45pm, but the #C2 bus stops running at 10pm, which I learned the hardway, at about 10:50pm that night. So if you're seeing a late show, get the transportation & show option for €28. Or walk...not a taxi in sight...my wife was pissed about the 2.1km walk back to the hotel. Opps! read more