La Herradura travel information and video

La Herradura

The stunning bay of La Herradura, together with its neighbouring town of Almuñecar, forms the tourist capital of Costa Tropical.

However, it is still a relatively unknown stretch along Spain’s southern coastline, which belongs to
the Granada province in Andalusia; lying between the more populous Costa del Sol to the west, and the Costa Almeria to the east.

The area forms one of the most attractive bays along the southern coast of Spain, with its two large natural promontories, the Punta de la Mona and Cerro Gordo, which protect a two kilometre long sandy beach.

About town
The village itself is located at the eastern point of the bay; it’s a typical Andalusian village of
whitewashed houses, sitting on a gentle slope leading down to the beach.

The town offers good amenities, with shops, bars and restaurants. Down towards the beach there is a wonderful promenade that stretches the whole length of the bay. Perfect for an early evening stroll before dinner, to watch the sun go down.

Beaches
La Herradura has a fine sandy beach, which stretches for 2 kilometres, and aside from this beach, there is 19 kilometres of local coastline, with a variety of beaches, from long stretches
of sandy, small coves.

Water sports are very popular and there are numerous businesses offering different types of courses and equipment hire. Divers will find some of the best underwater scenery here, along the whole southern coast and the best scuba diving in Spain, La Herradura by Almunecar (where most of our diving takes place!) is a National Marine Reserve that plays host to an immense variety of marine life.

Natural surroundings
From here you can almost reach out and touch Africa. The dramatic results are what give the Costa Tropical its special geography and climate, so unlike any other coastline in southern Spain.

Rugged hills soar up steeply from valley floors or plunge dramatically into the sea. Once-forested, now bare hillsides provide a marginal foothold for almond, olive and the hardy carob tree. And above everything towers the grand Sierra Nevada.

Climate
The mountain range, which boast the highest peak in mainland Spain, form a natural weather-break which protects the coastline from the worst influences of the European winters, while Africa, to the south, helps buffer the harsh effects of both the Mediterranean and Atlantic weather.

As a result, the area has an extraordinarily benign subtropical climate, which can be seen in the variety of exotic products to be found in the local markets, especially the different fruits.