
Authentic Gypsy Zambra
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The Zambra María la Canastera, located in the picturesque district of Sacromonte, represents today, 70 years after its foundation, one of the main tourist attractions of our city: flamenco dancing.

A Zambra with history
The Zambra María la Canastera, located in the picturesque district of Sacromonte, represents today, 70 years after its foundation, one of the main tourist attractions of our city: flamenco dancing. Decorated with photographs of famous visitors and with the typical Sacromonte craftsmanship (ceramics and hammered copper), it has a capacity for 100 people and every night we organise the Sacromonte songs and dances, masterfully performed by María’s descendants, who are in charge of maintaining the tradition she left behind.

Enrique El Canastero, María’s son, looks after and maintains the Sacromonte cave with the same love and enthusiasm as his mother did in the past, keeping everything in its original state, which is why it is considered by cultural organisations to be just another museum in Granada. Maria’s cave occupies a privileged place among the tourist attractions of Granada because it is the best preserved, as well as the most emblematic and of national and international fame.
Flamenco in the Zambra Gitana
Two different genres are known in Andalusian music under the name of zambra:
- The first belongs to the ritual of the gypsies of Granada.
- The second, a theatrical style created by Manolo Caracol for his shows, with which he tried to recreate the Moorish atmosphere of the caves of Sacromonte, thus exploiting the exotic atmosphere that so much appealed to Spanish audiences in the 1950s.

The Granada version is part of the ritual music of the gypsies of Sacromonte and includes three main dances: ‘la alboreá’, ‘la cachucha’ and ‘la mosca’. Each of them symbolises a moment of the gypsy wedding.
The name zambra derives from the Arabic word zamra (flute) or zamara (musicians). It is often mentioned in 17th and 18th century literature along with genres such as zapateado, zarabanda and fandango, and as a genre specific to the Moors of Granada. Many of these, during the persecutions of the 17th century, joined the gypsy bands that inherited the zambra tradition and recreated it in a gypsy show. The zambra caracolera, very popular in the shows of the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, is inspired by a type of music in which the exoticism so much in demand at the time stands out, evoking the gypsy atmosphere of the caves of Sacromonte.
The zambra in Sacromonte
Over the years, these dwellings were transformed into cultural spaces. Sacromonte, with its gypsy community and rich musical tradition, established itself as an epicentre of flamenco in Granada. In the mid-20th century, some of the caves began to be used as stages for flamenco performances, especially for the zambra gitana, a traditional dance of Moorish origin characterised by its expressiveness and energy.
The zambra quickly became popular with visitors, attracted by the authenticity of these performances in such peculiar surroundings. In this way, the caves went from being mere dwellings to become places of cultural encounter and artistic expression. Today, many of the Sacromonte caves have been adapted to host regular flamenco shows in Granada, keeping the tradition alive and offering visitors the opportunity to experience flamenco in its most authentic setting.
The caves of Sacromonte, therefore, are much more than a tourist attraction: they represent the history of a community that has managed to resist and transform adversity into a unique cultural expression, making flamenco a fundamental part of its identity and sharing it with the world.
Do you want to enjoy authentic flamenco in a real gypsy zambra in Granada?
SHOW + DRINK
ADULTS
(From 12 years old)
26 €

SHOW + DRINK
CHILDREN
(From 5 to 11 years old)
20 €
Are you in Granada? You can't miss it
Enjoying a flamenco show in a Zambra is not the same as attending a performance in a conventional theater. The caves, with their white walls and low ceilings, create an intimate and enveloping atmosphere that cannot be replicated elsewhere. This historical and cultural environment adds a unique value to the show, transporting the spectator to another time, where music and dance were the purest forms of expression.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Duration
1 hour
EVENING PERFORMANCES
Usually at 7:45 PM. We recommend that you arrive 20 minutes before the start time.
CAPACITY
55 people