TROPICAL COAST

Dozens of beaches and small coves with crystal-clear waters. 320 days of sunshine per year. And an average annual temperature of 20 degrees. These are the credentials of the Costa Tropical, the 73 kilometers of coastline in the province of Granada. Its name is due to the exceptionally favorable climate throughout the year, which allowed it two centuries ago to become the only place in Europe where tropical fruits such as mango, cherimoya and avocado are grown. Names that evoke exotic flavors and places, yet are typical of one of the most privileged corners of Andalusia, the Costa Tropical.

Nineteen municipalities make up the Costa Tropical. Founded by the Phoenicians around a thousand years before Christ with the name Sexi, Almuñécar is a place steeped in history that preserves the remains of a Roman fish-salting factory, five sections of aqueduct, and an Arab castle. This resort hosts a magnificent jazz festival in the summer.

Motril it is the largest population in the province after Granada. Among its monuments stand out the Main Church of the Incarnation and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Head, built on the former pleasure palace of Queen Aixa, mother of Boabdil, the last monarch of the Nasrid dynasty.

Salobreña In the visitor’s imagination, it becomes a large mountain of sugar cubes. Its small, white, cubic houses swirl around the seafront, surrounded by a hill crowned by a monumental Arab castle. From the summit, you can contemplate, in a single glance, delightful panoramic views over Sierra Nevada, the Mediterranean and a fertile plain.

Alongside the beaches of these towns there are small and quiet coves located in Albuñol, Castell de Ferro-Gualchos and La Mamola-Polopos. Nearby are the municipalities of Albondón, Ítrabo, Jete, Lentejí, Los Guájares, Lújar, Molvízar, Murtas, Otívar, Rubite, Sorvilán, Turón and Vélez de Benaudalla, surrounded by lush nature.

In addition to sea and culture, the Costa Tropical offers countless possibilities, such as golf, paragliding, hiking in the inland villages, scuba diving in the rich seabed of Cerro Gordo and water sports, which are centered in the Marina del Este marina (Almuñécar) and the Motril Nautical Club.

Tropical fruits can be enjoyed in salads or as desserts, in a meal that must include rockfish such as snapper and sea bream and shellfish such as shrimp. And with the coffee, there’s also sugarcane rum, which is also made on the tropical coast.