Granada city hall tackles the graffiti in its historic Albaicín district

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Two cleaning brigades are focusing on cleaning the façades of buildings in the popular tourist area

Javier F. Barrera

Granada

Tuesday, 13 January 2026, 14:35

A zero-tolerance era for vandals has been signealled by Granada Mayor Marifrán Carazo, who has announcec two specialised cleaning brigades to patrol the city 24/7.

It’s a multi-pronged assault: relentless cleaning, fines, and an expanded network of surveillance cameras designed to reclaim the city’s historic facade from graffitti 'artists', starting with the crown jewel, the Albaicín.

The city’s frustration is a decade in the making. The tipping point arrived in November 2014, when residents awoke to a neon eyesore: a two-metre "Sigo" tag screaming in fuchsia and electric blue from the ancient Arco de las Pesas.

It was at this point that video surveillance cameras were installed, National and Local Police officers were deployed and the culprits were caught, arrested and sent to court. It seemed that the graffiti had begun to disappear.

The good news didn't last long and spray paint started to give way to markers and coloured pens and the fashion for poetic and romantic mini paintings took hold in the World Heritage Site from the summer of 2024.

That's when the authorities finally took action. This time, a protocol of action was drawn up which, since last summer, has allowed the Albaicín to be cleaned up. A stroll through its streets reveals that the façades and walls have been repainted, although often, the attempts to paint over the previously white walls can still be seen. Yet, the improvement is obvious and the district looks cleaner.

The really good news is that the Arco de las Pesas has remained untouched by the vandals since last October when it was thoroughly cleaned with laser technology. The success of this war is based on perseverance and, for this reason, Granada city hall is now starting a new clean-up operation.

There is still plenty of work ahead. A tour of the Albaicín's narrow lanes reveals that the vandals are still out there, although they have mainly moved to hidden alleys, but the work to clean it up continues.