What to see in Almuñécar, on the Tropical Coast of Granada

In the province of Granada there is a little piece of Andalusia called Costa Tropical, which stretches between Motril (in Granada) and Nerja (Málaga), and whose best exponent is Almunecar, a town where thousands of avocado trees, romantic viewpoints and naturist beaches meet.

Almuñécar: welcome to the Costa Tropical

Located in the homonymous municipality, in the south of the province of Granada, Almuñécar is a white town spread over the balconies of an exuberant Mediterranean, whose avocado tree plantations form a green and exotic palette that could well be confused with a place in Brazil or Colombia at first.

In itself, Almuñécar is ideal as a base to visit other nearby places such as the towns of Salobreña o Motril and, above all, to enjoy each of its beaches. It should be noted that, despite what it appears on the maps, Almuñécar is a very approachable town, where you can cross its urban core in just 15 minutes.

An enclave of white streets that encompass a lively holiday scene and the perfect combination of history with that "tropical" culture that characterizes the town with places such as the Loro Sexi, an exotic bird park, or the Majuelo Park, an exotic lung of species. vegetables among which are not lacking the guava tree, avocado, mango or sugar cane plantations, which are also more than present on the slopes and terraces of the valleys that surround Almuñécar.

The castle of San Miguel is the main icon of that Almuñécar mestizo and of supposedly Phoenician origin, although the first remains analyzed belong to the Roman period. During the Nasrid period, the castle became the main control point of the Muslim settlement after the arrival of Abderramán I in 755 AD, being Carlos I who would build the final moat and towers once Almuñécar succumbed to the Christian conquest in 1489.

If we walk towards the coast from the castle, the presence of a rock covered with a huge cross installed in 1900 reveals us the most famous viewpoint in town: the Peñón del Santo, an old lookout point and the best setting from which to look out over the other two crags that make up the Punta de San Cristóbal: the rock of En Medio and the Rock of Out, two natural paradises whose slopes are embraced by corals and on which small colonies of seagulls gather.

From such a privileged position they extend the urban beaches of Almuñécar: La Caletilla and Puerta del Mar to the east, and Playa de San Cristóbal to the west, ideal to watch the sunset and taste a good fried fish.

Although when it comes to beaches, the thing is not here.

Cantarriján: naturist paradise on the Costa Tropical

The beaches of Almuñécar are followed by La Herradura, located six kilometers, and the inlets of Maro-Cerro Gordo park, which extends to the Malaga town of Maro. A paradise where the mountain goats still live and the naturist beaches are hidden among the mantles of pine trees, standing out above all the Cantarriján beach.

If you plan to drive to this place, it will be good to know that Cantarriján is not a beach whose shore can be accessed by your own vehicle. In fact, the car park located 14 kilometers above it provides a bus every 15 minutes and 1 euro each way in order to preserve the natural environment.

In case of going by bus, the Almuñécar bus station provides the bus to Torre del Mar, which leaves at 10.20 to Cantarriján and returns at 17.15.

Once we have descended to Cantarriján, we will discover two beaches: the first, of a textile nature and full of beach bars, and a second separated by a cliff (with a shortcut included if you do not want to be surprised by the waves), which leads you to the section naturist.

A pebble beach and azure blue waters that immerse us in that almost virgin charm of this place on the Granada coast where taking off the sarong or going into its corals is an experience in the middle of nature, yes, as long as you take into account the currents from the sea on windy days, which was my case.

Accommodation: La Casa Roja B&B Tropical House

When find accommodation in Almuñécar The options are many, especially if you are traveling as a family and are looking to stay in simple hotels that are perfectly accessible. In my case, I chose La Casa Roja, whose reddish towers stand out next to the white houses located on the banks of Río Verde.

For a very affordable price, this accommodation is listed as Tropical B&B offers everything a traveler is looking for in such an exuberant setting: sleeping in bunk beds (or also in private rooms), swimming pool with views of the tropical fauna of Almuñécar, good vibes and breakfast included with orange cake homemade and all kinds of fruits and sausages.

Manuela, its owner, is a real charm, making sure you get on the right foot in Almuñécar thanks to her recommendations about the best places to visit or when it comes to discovering the best tapas, a typical snack on your way through Granada. In the case of Almuñécar, I prefer those of El Templillo, a five-minute walk from La Casa Roja.

Almuñécar, in Granada, is the most charming enclave of that Tropical Coast blessed by a microclimate that allows a portion of South America to settle between the foothills of the Granada mountains.