THINGS TO DO WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE
If you’ve had a full day sightseeing and are too tired to cook or walk far – next door to the apartment is a restaurant, Trocadero, where meals are served on a terrace above the beach, weather permitting, or you can walk two minutes up the road from the apartment and have drinks on the terrace of the new hotel, Hotel Playa Cotobro, or dine in its Cenador restaurant.
A fifteen minute walk eastwards along the shore, passing several restaurants, will take you to the bustling, upbeat town of Almuñécar with its beaches and bars and ample nightlife. Above the daily market is the old quarter of the town, a maze of narrow streets and plazas, full of shops and bars. Every Friday, near the bus station, there is a large market selling clothes, shoes and local products. Along the beaches are many ‘chiringuitos’, serving fresh fish cooked on barbecues. As Almuñécar is in Granada province, you get a free ‘tapa’ (a tasty morsel) with your glass of wine or beer. There are loads of restaurants to cater for any taste or price, and look out for locally grown mangoes, which are truly delicious… especially if served with local goats’ cheese and chilled white wine.
The town has a rich historical and archaeological heritage that you can’t fail to notice as you wander around. Almuñécar was founded by the Phoenicians in the first millennium BC. They named the colony Sexi, which is why you’ll see that name appearing where you wouldn’t expect to, i.e. Sexi Driving School, or Sexi Bird Park! The town was further developed by the Romans, remaining an important port during the period of Arab domination.
In the centre of town is a botanical garden, the Majuelo Park, which, as well as having a fine collection of subtropical plants, also hosts many activities in the warmer months, notably an international jazz festival in July (www.jazzgranada.es). There is also an impressive collection of birds in Loro Sexi, just above the San Cristóbal beach.
A forty minutes walk westwards from the apartment, takes you past a small nudist beach and then on to Marina del Este, with its palm fringed marina and waterside restaurants.
WITHIN EASY DRIVING DISTANCE
Granada is about an hour away, so well worth a visit for its innumerable pleasures – the most obvious being the Alhambra palace and the Albaicín, or jewish quarter. It is essential to book tickets in advance if you wish to visit the Alhambra, as only a limited number of visitors are allowed in daily. This can be done online at www.alhambra-tickets.es or www.servicaixa.com or by phone from Spain, 902 888 001 or, from abroad, 934 923 750 (24hr; English spoken).
MÁLAGA, the ugly duckling of old, has been transformed and is now a wonderful waterfront city. Stroll along the Alameda, with its huge variety of subtropical plants, wander around the lanes by the cathedral and visit the Picasso Museum.
LEISURE ACTIVITIES
Golf: For the golf lovers amongst you there are several possibilities near by – the most popular one being Los Moriscos twenty minutes drive away in Motril. Their website (www.moriscosgolf.com) will give you all the details.
Skiing: Solynieve (sun and snow) is the most southerly ski-slope in Europe and is often open in May. It’s about an hour and a half’s drive from Cotobro. For details see www.sierranevadaski.com
Diving: Much of the coastline of the Costa Tropical has been designated a National Underwater Park – there are many undersea caves and pinnacles to explore, so there are several diving companies in the area that offer a whole range of courses. See www.costatropicaldivers.com for one such company.
Nudism: There are several nudist beaches on the Costa Tropical; the nearest, the ominously named Playa del Muerto (beach of the dead!), is a 5 minute walk round the headland. Another larger beach is Cantirrijan, a ten minutes drive away. See www.nude-spain.com
There are lots of other activities near by such as riding, hiking and paragliding;
too numerous to mention here but easy to find information on the internet.
LOCAL FIESTAS
Semana Santa – celebrated throughout Spain; Almuñécar is no exception. Week long processions throughout the town.
June 23 – Fiesta de San Juan. This is a special day in Andalucía as it heralds the start of the Spanish holiday season. It’s the only time when you’re legally permitted to light fires and have barbeques on the beach, so everyone takes full advantage.
July 16 – Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of mariners. This is celebrated near Cotobro, on the west of San Cristóbal beach. There is a maritime procession and a firework display.
Around mid July – annual international Jazz Festival held nightly in the botanical park, El Majuelo (www.jazzgranada.es)
August 15 – Assumption of the Virgin Mary. This is a national holiday in the whole of Spain and the week around this date is the annual feria (fiesta longer than a day) of Almuñécar.
On the day, a flotilla of boats carrying the statue of the Virgin, processes around the coast, culminating in a spectacular firework display.