Tropical Paradise….

Bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean, the county of Costa Tropical-Granada is protected from the cold by the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada, whilst the warm winds from the North of Africa provide the region with a temperate climate, thus giving it both its name ‘Tropical’ and a subtropical microclimate which is unique in the Iberian Peninsula. With an average temperature of 18,5   ̊C and 320 days of sun a year, the holiday of a lifetime is guaranteed while half of Europe is covered with snow.

Located in the South of the province of Granada, it offers visitors direct contact with Nature, with wide open spaces of great beauty and interest such as The Sierras de Tejada, Almijarra and Alhama Natural Park, and the Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo Nature Reserve, which has posidonia or ‘seagrass’ fields of great value growing in the depths of its waters.

Sun and Beach 

Along 73 km of coastline lie the beautiful, contrasting beaches of Granada’s Costa Tropical, with their wide range of hotels and great infrastructure. One example of this high quality tourism is Motril, the town which is proud to be the town in Spain with most awards for the quality of its beaches: three quality Qs and two blue flags in 2006. 

Almuñecar, Motril and Salobreña have  beaches to offer with all the facilities of the great tourist centres: La Herradura, San Cristóbal, el Tesorillo or Velilla (Almuñecar); Calahonda, Poniente, Granada, Torrenueva and Carchuna (Motril); and Playa del Peñón and la Charca (Salobreña). Those of a quieter nature can opt for the beach at la Guardia in Salobreña or La Rábita in Albuñol, as well as the natural coves of El Caletón or El Pargo. What’s more, those who prefer nudist beaches will find true havens in the beaches of Cantariján and El Muerto in Almuñecar, La Joya in Motril and El Ruso beach in Albuñol.

Art and Culture 

A gateway used by powerful civilizations, this land saw the arrival of the founder of the Omeya Emirate of Al-Andalus and now boasts several valuable archaeological sites and monuments which bear testimony to the busy history of this privileged, strategic site. Your visit could begin with the Cueva de los Murciélagos, the Cave of the Bats (Albuñol) which dates from Neolithic times, and could then continue with the Salting Factory from the Roman Punic period in Almuñecar, without forgetting, of course, the forts and castles, look-outs and watchtowers which the Muslims erected as a defense against invasion by Christian troops. All this alongside pretty villages with harbours, and inland hamlets, which peer out towards the sea from the slopes of the Alpujarra, preserving that mountain region feel. 

The cultural options along the Costa make this one of the most appealing areas for cultural visits in the province. Museums as representative as the Archaeological Cueva de Siete Palacios, the Cave of Seven Palaces (Almuñecar), the Preindustrial Sugar Museum (Motril), the Historical Town of Salobreña and the Museum of Oil and of the Gastronomic Heritage of Andalusia (Vélez de Benaudalla) go hand in hand with internationally recognized music events such as the veteran Jazz on the Costa Festival and the International Andrés Segovia Classical Guitar Competition or the un-missable summer flamenco event par excellence, the Lucero del Alba Festival, which takes place in Salobreña.

A flavor of its own 

The Mediterranean provides the inhabitants of this region with delicious fish, the main ingredient used to make the dishes which are characteristic of the area: fish cooked in escabeche marinade, in more elaborate dishes or as part of seafood rice dishes. These recipes also include a touch of the tropical, provided by the tropical fruit which, thanks to the region’s micro-climate which is similar to that of the Pacific, are grown on picturesque mango, medlar, guava, avocado and custard-apple plantations, this latter fruit being granted the status of Designation of Origin along with that grown on the coast of Malaga province. Another typical image to be seen along this coast is that of sardines cooked on a spit over a fire, or that of summer visitors regaling their taste-buds with a glass of sugar-cane rum of Motril.

For the more Active 

The Costa Tropical offers water-sports lovers a whole range of activities. The beaches at Carchuna or La Herradura are absolutely ideal for riding the waves on a windsurf board; the rich seabed at Calahonda, the cliffs of El Caletón and El Pargo in La Caleta at Salobreña (near its artificial reefs) or the caves and grottos in the Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo reserve, are an irresistible magnet for expert divers and snorkelers; and for those who wish to moor their leisure boats, the county also boasts the Motril Sailing Royal Club and the Leisure Marina at Marina del Este. The inland countryside is also the scene of active tourism activities such as hang-gliding and paragliding in the Sierra de Lújar and hill-walking in the Sierra de Almijara mountains, and the Peña Escrita Ecological Park.