Almunecar Spain

Almunecar lies on the coast of Granada some 90km east of Malaga Airport and 80km south of Granada on a small stretch of coastline known as the Costa Tropical. The nearest well known place is Nerja which is just 20km along the coast towards Malaga. The town of just 30,000 residents maintains its Moorish legacy and remains very much a summer destination for Spanish tourism whilst attracting a fair number of northern European visitors during the winter months.

Almunecar House for Rent Three bedroom house for rent with sea views from the roof terrace. 5 minute walk to beach & restaurants.	Malaga Airport Car Hire If you're driving to Almunecar you'll find great car rental deals with Economy Car Hire at Malaga Airport.

From a tourism point of view it is the magnificent subtropical climate which has put the town on the map with over 300 days of sunshine per year and average temperatures averaging around 18C in winter and rarely reaching single figures. If ever you look at the European weather map during the winter it's a reasonable assumption that the place with the most sunshine is the Costa Tropical.

Historically Almunecar dates back to Phoenician times when it was called "Sexi", this has led to some unfortunate names today such as "Sexi Loro", the town's impressive parrot park. The town became an important port centred largely on its fish salting industry which was heavily developed under Roman rule. Today the excavation of the fish salting plant which produced a fish paste for Rome is available for all to see in the Majuelo Botanical Gardens. Another historical site worth looking out for is the Roman aqueduct in the car park of the Carbonell DIY shop in town which is most impressive about 2km out of town following the valley of the Rio Seco. The castle of San Miguel which overlooks the main town beach is another major historical sight in Almunecar.

The Moorish influence on Almunecar dates back to the arrival of Abd-ar-Rahman I in 755 whose boat stands outside the Casablanca hotel in town. He would go on to create the Emirate of Cordoba and the city's Great Mosque (Mezquita). Under the Moors sugar cane was introduced which became the staple industry of the area until modern times. Today the local agricultural industry produces avocados, mangos, chirimoyas and other tropical fruits that aren't grown anywhere else in western Europe.

Location wise the town has a lot to offer with easy proximity to the great Moorish cities of Granada, Cordoba and Seville. Granada is home to the magnificent Alhambra Palace and is an easy day excursion, the other two cities would be better visited as at least overnight stays as there is so much to see there. There are plenty options locally for watersports and hillwalking whilst there's a good selection of golf courses in the area.

Almunecar is a chilled destination for a holiday. There's plenty of nice accommodation for rent and the pleasant beaches are ideal if you're looking to get away from it all. The town has a good selection of tapas bars and there are enough local restaurants for you to enjoy the local cuisine during your stay. The town is particularly suitable for families with young children and for retired people. It does not offer the wild nightlife of the Costa del Sol so young people looking for an action packed hoiday would be best booking elsewhere.