Beaches and boating on the Costa Tropical
The Costa Tropical boasts 73 kilometres of coastline and has a wide variety of beautiful beaches. Some are great for snorkelling as they are shallow and have crystal clear water. Some are small and private, while others are long and have lots of space for sun lovers. Many have restaurants where you can enjoy a great meal right on the beach.
Discover below all the great beaches and calas the Coast of Granada has got to offer.
Beaches in Salobreña
Salobreña has eight kilometres of coastline. A half-submerged rock in the Mediterranean, known as “El Peñón”, separates Salobreña’s two main beaches: Playa de la Charca and the Playa de la Guardia. La Charca caters for the majority of the population, having the most facilities and the best atmosphere. There are various beach restaurants here, known as chiringuitos, which are great for enjoying paella, seafood and a refreshing beer or tasty sangria. Playa de la Guardia is a long, wild beach stretching out between fields of sugar cane crops and the sea. You can always find a quiet spot to enjoy here. There are also a few restaurants nearby.
The small isolated cove, called El Caleton, has a beautiful sea bed but does not have many services. A slight walk is required to reach this beach. For this reason, it is peaceful. We often suggest to go here to see the dolphins playing. To the west the coastline is dotted with the beautiful coves of La Caleta and El Pargo, which offer small isolated beaches. All of these beaches are within an easy 5-minute drive of our office in Salobreña, located at the bottom of the urbanization Monte de los Almendros.
Beaches in Almuñécar and La Herradura
Almuñécar has 19 kilometres of coastline, including La Herradura, containing 26 different beaches. Some of these are remote coves that are a bit hard to reach and others are very easily accessible. Each has its own special charm. We have described some of our favourite beaches starting from the east as these beaches are closest to our office as a reference point.
Playa de Cabria
A small but popular beach with good eating facilities. The last bit of the ride there is via a dirt road, but this makes it all the more exciting. Many of our clients go here to enjoy a great local restaurant called Casa Antonio that is open year-round.
Playa El Pozuelo
Small beach shaded by eucalyptus trees. The sand here is fine and the water is shallow so this is a good beach for children. This can get busy in August since it’s close to a hotel. There are a couple of places on the beach to eat and reasonable parking for most of the year.
Calabajio beach
The beach of the Calabajio has easy access. It has fine sand, which is good for building sand castles. It is great for children because it is very shallow. Even in August, this beach can be very enjoyable and not crowded at all.
Playa El Tesorillo
A fine sand inlet bordered by rocks and serviced by 2 good beach bars. There is an ancient Moorish watchtower at one end. It owes its name to the fact that gold coins were once found at the water’s edge.
Playa de Cotobro
Charming bay lying just around the headland with a small sand and shingle beach and one outstanding French restaurant. From here it’s possible to walk around the rocks to the next beach, the Playa del Muerto.
Playa del Muerto
Accessible on foot from the Playa de Cotobro, this mixture of secluded shingle coves and rocks is officially recognised as a nudist bathing area. There are no services.
Playa de Berengueles
Very pretty, natural beach bordered by rocks in the Marina del Este leisure port. Very popular area for scuba diving and snorkelling. Good beach bar and restaurant on the beach and several good restaurants 3-minutes away on foot in the port.
Playa de la Herradura
Four kilometres from Almuñécar lies the horseshoe shaped bay of La Herradura. The beach is 2 km long, and is mostly fine sand. It is sheltered from breezes on both sides by the hills of Punta de la Mona and Cerro Gordo. This beach has good facilities for nautical sports and wind sports, and a wide selection of restaurants. This is considered one of the prettiest beaches in the area.
Playa de Cantarrijan
On the far western side of the huge Cerro Gordo promontory lies the last beach in the municipality and the most isolated. This is an extremely beautiful beach, although the ride there is a bit challenging. A new entrance has been opened leading off the main N340 highway about 200m from the tunnel. This allows for more comfortable access to this sand and shingle beach. It has been designated a nudist bathing area, although the western end is normally occupied by conventional sunbathers. There are a couple of good beach bars/restaurants open throughout the year.
Beaches in Motril
There are two main beaches in Motril. Playa de Poniente is quite lively. One may practice water sports in the marina and nautical club, or you can attend an animated fish and seafood auction right in the port before sampling the goods in a nearby seafood restaurant.
Playa de Granada provides a relaxing contrast to the Playa de Poniente. Next to the fine sands of this beach is the golf course of Motril, Los Moriscos. This is a nice long beach that is the ideal place for a walk while enjoying the sunset. There is always plenty of free parking here. This beach is 8 to 10 minutes away from our real estate office.
Beaches east of Motril
To the east of Motril, you reach Torrenueva Costa and then the towns of Carchuna and Calahonda. The beach of Carchuna is often frequented by windsurfers, kite surfers and normal surfers. It is an enjoyable site to see. Calahonda is a small fishing village with a decent size beach. If you continue driving beyond Calahonda, there are some amazing views of the impressive cliffs of Calahonda.