Spain Plus More

Costa Tropical

Where the mountains meet the sea

Hello and welcome to the Costa Tropical, a lush and exotic corner of Andalucia, a region of iridescent light, bejewelled colours and shimmering sunshine for around 320 days a year.
It is a little piece of heaven on earth.

Stretching from Velez-Malaga in the west to Roquetas de mar in the east, the Costa Tropical is an area of complete contrast in –winter you could be skiing in the morning in the Sierra Nevada and sunbathing in the afternoon by the sea- the Costa Tropical is famous for its subtropical microclimate.

The Sierra Nevada, over 3,000 metres high, is just over an hour from the coast and is the perfect location if you are into winter sports or climbing.  The mountains shelter this region from cold winter winds, while the warm breezes float in from North Africa, contributing to the unique climate.

The Costa Tropical is studded with picturesque white Moorish villages around the verdant hills, so there is no end to the sightseeing you can do.  At Almunecar, crowned by its imposing Moorish castle, you can stroll through the cobbled streets of the old town and shop at the delightful street market where you will find sumptuous locally-grown produce such as lycheese, custard apples, avocadoes, mangoes, bananas and sugar cane.

Futher inland, visit the world famous Alhambra at Granada.  Alhambra, (Qa’lat al hamra in Arabic) means red castle after the red mountain on which it was built.  The Alhambra consists of a ninth century Moorish fortress, palaces, gardens with fountains and lakes and a small city all enclosed within its fortified walls  It is a great place to absorb the history, or sit back with a glass of wine and listen to the songs of visiting gypsies.

Back on the coast, Solobrena, 17 kilometres east of Almunecar, is set against the backdrop of the Sierra Chaparral mountain range.  The little white washed town is clustered around a magnificent medieval castle that is well worth a visit.

Just east of  Salobrena is Motril, a thriving fishing and commercial port.  This is where you will find the Costa Tropicals main shopping area, as well as fantastic restaurants and glittering nightclubs.  The marina offer as wide selections of water sports, and is the best place to seek out boat trips, including excursions to Morocco.