Almuñécar

The municipality includes the villages/neighborhoods of La Herradura, Cotobro, Taramay and Velilla and has an approximate population of 27,000 inhabitants. This unofficial number varies as during the summer months the number of people can be multiplied by 5 times. A once-laid back fishing town, it has become a resort for Northern Europeans and North Americans to escape from the frigid winters at home. With the expansion of the European Union, more Eastern Europeans have been drawn here too by the sub-tropical climate where the sun shines at least 320 days of the year.

Almuñecar is equidistant from both Granada and Málaga airports, 55 minutes by car on the newly extended highway.

The local bus transportation is quite good, but alas there is no train service - yet.

The sights include ancient Phoenician and Roman ruins, castle, gastronomic museum, and an expansive stretch of inviting beaches. For the sportsminded, all types of water sports are possible, as well as rural walks into the surrounding hills (where the panoramic views are amazing), horseback riding, paragliding and mountain biking. During the warm summer months, "tapa" bars are bursting with life well into the wee hours of the morning.

The area surrounding Almuñécar features some outstanding geography, making it a good spot for extreme sports. Climbing, canyoning, mountain biking and parapenting are popular in the area. Due to its proximity to the coast there is also scuba diving and snorkelling to kayaking and kitesurfing. The Alpujarra mountain area nearby is known for its serene natural environment and ski resort.
In the area there are several practitioners of Reiki, massage, personality building, life coaching and so on.

Due to the recent recession and economic downturn the Costa Tropical, in which Almuñécar finds itself, there are numerous bargain coastal cortijos and villas on offer.

There are several 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in the area, as well as campsites and rural lodgings (called "cortijos").

• Malaga
• Granada