Where can you get away from it all on holiday? By staying in or around Almuñécar and La Herradura. Where the majestic mountains of the Sierra Nevada descend all the way to the Mediterranean coastline below. Below you'll find five reasons to choose Almuñécar and La Herradura as the destination for your next break.
1.) A Quiet Life
Look around you. Trees? Check. Mountains? Check. Beaches? Check. Overdevelopment? No. The Costa Tropical, aka the Costa de Granada or Costa Granadina, is mainly made up of agricultural villages and small-scale resorts.
Because of the Sierra Nevada mountain range which doesn't just loom above but rolls all the way down to the sea, there aren't many flat areas for unscrupulous developers to take advantage of. So it's largely been left as nature intended. Which makes for a stress-free holiday.
2.) Beach Fun
Because of the favourable climate, you can sun yourself on Almuñécar beaches all year round. Ditto the sub-tropical Motril playas. Where the high temperatures of summer give way to a milder winter.
Elsewhere on the Costa Tropical, the 19km-stretch of shoreline, including many coves, of La Herradura attracts families and nudists alike. Salobrena, meanwhile, boasts beaches of the calibre of La Guardia, El Peñon, La Charca and Punta del Rio. All within comfortable reach of the resort (as in a short drive), they make up half of Salobrena's 8km-long coast.
3.) Blue is the Colour
Check out that hue. Appropriately tropically turquoise blue, this picture invites you to dive right in. Just doesn't it? No need to answer. It's a rhetorical question.
4.) Port Sunlight
Marina del Este began life as a inlet behind Peñón de las Caballas (Mackerel Rock). Now it's a smash hit with nautical types, thanks to its 200+ moorings. And its bars, restaurants and shops keep the tourists entertained and fed. Beside it you'll find the popular Playa de los Berengueles, the Punta's only beach.
5.) Time Travel
Sí sí, San Miguel. Saint Michael's Castle (Castillo de San Miguel) is one of the sights to see in Almuñécar. And if you know your history, you'll be aware it was originally a Roman fortress.
Other Roman ruins include roads, bridges, and irrigation systems still in use today. The Arabic influence on architecture is just as keenly felt. Especially as Almuñécar was where Abd ar-Rahman I landed, going on to establish an independent Muslim dynasty which ruled for around 300 years.