Granada Coast - A Practical Guide to the Costa Tropical of Granada

The coast of Granada is characterized by its beaches, almost entirely black and with thick sand or pebbles.

The coast of Granada in Spain is called Costa Tropical, due to its special location, protected by the high Sierra Nevada mountains from the north wind.




Motril, Almuñécar y Salobreña are the three most important towns on the coast of Granada. These are all villages with an ancient history dating back to the time of the Carthaginians and even as far back as the Iberians.


Beaches in Granada coast are not as developed as those of Malaga, and there are still some nice places and small coves to be discovered.

There are 26 beaches along this exotic stretch of the Mediterranean coast. Granada´s Costa Tropical is 19 km long.

Weather on the coast of Granada is considered subtropical and is the only region of Europe where there are some crops, such as the famous chirimoyas in Motril, but also avocados and mangos.

The annual a verage temperature is 20ºC, with a minimum of 14ºC in the winter and a maximum of 33ºC in the summer.

Some small roads along the route lead to a number of interesting villages.

A local road that goes to the right of national road, on the way from Granada to the coast, just after Vélez de Benaudalla, leads to Los Guájares, the three white villages of Guájar Faragüit, Guájar Fondon and Guájar Alto, located in a mountainous area covered with lush ravines and subtropical crops.

Vélez de Benaudalla is a place that preserves the ruins of an Arab castle and a church of the sixteenth century.

The cuisine of the Costa Tropical is based on ancient traditions, as there are many civilizations that have arrived to its shores: the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, etc.

Granada's Tropical Coast is famous for its fish: marinated blue fish and squid.

Sardines are cooked in a very special way, that requires a lot of technique. It´s the "espeto", a traditional way of cooking sardines that looks like a barbacue made in a boat filled with ashes. You will find it in the "chiringuitos" or restaurants on the beach.

Paella, gazpacho and salads. All washed down with Costa wine, elaborated in the surrounding mountain villages. Enjoy also a cane rum made in Motril, the only European rum!

But what stands out the most in the Costa Tropical are the fruits: chirimoyas, mangoes, avocados, etc.

Also, you should try Moorish-inspired desserts such as the Torta Real, with almonds and sugar, and some roscos fritos or pestiños from Vélez.

We also want to mention the amazing home-made ice creams you can buy in the local ice cream shops or "heladerías".

You should try the famous "leche merengada" made at Perandrés since 1900. They are in Salobreña, Torrenueva and Motril.

Also see The Alpujarras Food y Food of Granada.


From Granada take the highway A-44, known as Autovía de Sierra Nevada, going to Motril.

Then it joins the highway A-7, Autovía del Mediterráneo, where you can choose to go west, in the direction of Malaga, or east, in the direction of Almería.

Approximate taxi fares from Granada to the Granada coast villages:

Granada - Salobreña: 80 (fare 1), 95 € (fare 2).

Granada - Motril: 85 (fare 1), 100 € (fare 2).

Granada - Almuñécar: 100 (fare 1), 120 € (fare 2).

Granada - La Herradura: 110 (fare 1), 120 € (fare 2).

Fare 1: Monday-Thursday from 7:00 to 22:00 h, Friday from 07:00 to 21:00 h.

Fare 2: Monday-Thursday from 22:00 to 07:00 h, Friday from 21:00 to 07:00 h. Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

More information, phone numbers and addresses in Granada taxis.

The buses between Granada and the Costa Tropical are run by Alsa. It costs between 7 and 10 euros to go to the villages of Salobreña, Motril, Alnuñecar or Herradura.

More information in Granada buses.

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