Almunecar Excursions
Alhambra Palace
If you do nothing else during your time in Almunecar the one excursion not to
miss is the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Commonly referred to as 'the Jewel of
Moorish Spain' the Alhambra attracts over two million annual visitors and is one
of Spain's major tourist attractions. The Alhambra was a palace, a citadel, a
fortress and home of the Nasrid Dynasty (1238-1492). Together with the Mezquita
(Great Mosque) of Cordoba, the Alhambra is one of the most widely known of all
Islamic works of art. Getting there from Almunecar is an easy 50 minute drive.
Just head east towards Motril then follow the signs for Granada. From the A44
motorway as you approach Granada city take the exit marked "Alhambra / Sierra
Nevada". You'll soon be approaching a tunnel which you should go under in the
left hand lane. Go around roundabout shortly after the tunnel and take the exit
going up the hill. Ignore anyone who tries to offer you a parking space
continuing on until you reach another roundabout - the parking is the 2nd exit.
P2 is usually the best bet.
If you're relying on public transport then
you can get from Almunecar bus station to Granada bus station on one of the
regular services but Granada bus station isn't well located for access to the
Alhambra. You'd still need to take another bus (3 or 33) into the centre then
make your way up the Alhambra Hill.
Alhambra Palace Tickets
For overseas visitors it's a good idea to pre-book tickets online up to 90
days before your planned visit through the
Alhambra Palace Tickets website.
Before ordering your tickets make sure that you do not use a credit card
which has an expiry date before the date of your planned visit otherwise the
Servicaixa terminals will not issue your tickets on the day of your visit. Once
your booking is confirmed you will receive an email showing clearly what time
(within 30 minutes) you are allowed to enter the Nasrid Palaces. If you do
arrive in Granada (or Spain) without tickets you can still try to buy Alhambra
tickets from any Servicaixa machines located in branches of La Caixa bank
nationwide. Some tickets do go on sale every morning when the ticket office
opens at 8.30am but you'll need to get there early as long queues quickly
develop especially during the high season. The Alhambra Palace ticket office at
the entrance pavilion near the parking. Tickets are sold out for many dates so
for peace of mind and to avoid long queues in the hot sun you should book
tickets in advance.
When collecting your tickets at the Alhambra Palace
be sure to have the credit card that you booked with in order to print your
tickets from one of the ServiCaixa terminals located in the ticket booth next to
the bookshop. Just put in your credit card and follow the instructions to have
your tickets printed. It's a good idea to arrive at least one hour before your
alloted time for the Nasrid Palaces. This allows you to leisurely collect your
tickets then visit the Generalife Gardens before the Palaces. Don't forget that
you must enter the Nasrid Palaces during your 30 minute time slot or you will be
denied entry.
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Nerja Caves
Driving west from Almunecar along the motorway you take the first exit for
Nerja and follow the signs to the "Cueva de Nerja". These spectacular caves are
the town's main tourist attraction which attract hundreds of thousands of annual
visitors. The caves were only discovered in 1959 when a group of boys from the
neighbouring village of Maro climbed through a small hole where they were
playing and stumbled on one of Europe's finest cave structures. Although not on
public view, cave paintings have been discovered which are believed to be 20,000
years old. Every June there is a Festival Of Music and Dance held in the
auditorium in the first cave which provides a magical backdrop to ballet,
classical music and singing. Top names have performed there including José
Carreras and Monserrat Caballé and with limited seating it is essential to order
tickets in advance. ticket purchase is essential. we recommend enquiring about
tickets well in advance. Details are usually available at the website of the
Festival de la Cueva de
Nerja.
Opening Times:
Morning: 10am to 2pm
Afternoon: 4pm to
6.30pm
In July and August they remain open in the evening until 8pm.
Please note that the Nerja Caves close at lunchtime all year round from 2pm to
4pm. If you are there between these hours there's a very nicely located
bar/restaurant serving a buffet lunch with an excellent terrace offering
stunning views out to sea and towards Nerja.
Marina del Este
Driving along the coast from Almunecar towards Nerja is the small marina of
Marina del Este which offers over 200 moorings and is the base of a few of the
local scuba diving operators. The area approaching the marina has been developed
residentially over the recent past and now has a lot of accommodation on offer.
It's well worth a stop to have a wander around the boats and to let the kids
feed the fish around the boats. There are a few typically overpriced restaurants
in the marina itself but the Marina Playa bar/restaurant on the small Playa de
los Berengueles beach at the other side of the car park is more reasonable.
There's some good snorkelling from this beach.
Peña Escrita Natural Park
This natural park is a most unexpected and remarkable place to visit. It is
located high in the hills of the Sierra Almijara inland from Almunecar. To get
there you'll need to drive along the Jete/Otivar road for about 3km looking out
for the left turn which is clearly marked for Peña Escrita. The road surface is
good all the way to Peña Escrita but has some severe climbs and bends in parts.
The scenery is quite spectacular as you climb towards the natural park but the
biggest surprise comes once you've crossed the cattle grid which marks the
beginning of the protected wildlife area. Here you'll soon come to a series of
enclosures containing bears, ostriches and hippos to name but a few. Other
animals which are more at home in this environment such as mountain goats and
deer roam around. There are various walking tracks around, a bar restaurant with
incredible views down to the coast and a swimming pool in summer. Overnight
stays in wooden huts can be arranged. See
Pena Escrita Website.
Frigiliana
Following the motorway from Almunecar towards Malaga take the exit after the
Tunel de Capistrano for Nerja/Frigiliana and follow the winding road up the
Sierra Tejeda for 7km to the delightful white village of Frigiliana. Although
occupied by many foreign residents nowadays the village has retained its
undoubted charm and is well worth a short visit. Park at the entrance to the
village then take a stroll up the hill where you can sample the local wine at
one of the terraces with stunning views back down to the coast.
Lecrin Valley
If you fancy a drive around some more remote villages take the A44 motorway
towards Granada from just beyond Salobreña as far as junction 160 signposted for
"Lecrín/El Valle". This takes you into the the unspoilt Valle de Lecrin where
you'll come across the ancient villages of Acequias, Nigüelas, Pinos del Valle,
Lecrin, Melegis and Durcal.
Alpujarras
Following the coast road towards Motril from Almunecar take the exit for
Granada shortly after Salobreña. Get onto the A44 motorway as far as junction
164 which is signposted for "Béznar/Lanjarón/Pinos del Valle". Follow the signs
to Lanjarón which is the stepping stone to the Alpujarras which are a mountain
range making up the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Quaint villages abound
with highlights including Pampaneira, Capileira, Bubion and Orgiva. The scenery
is stunning and you can spend many hours driving around the area. This is also a
very popular area for a wide range of activities including mountain biking, bird
watching and hiking.
Cordoba & Seville
Many visitors to the Costa Tropical fancy visiting Cordoba and Seville.
Certainly they are well worth a visit but please be aware how far away these
cities are and just how much there is to see in them (especially Seville).
Almunecar to Seville is 280km so a single journey by car will take you over
3 hours. Almunecar to Cordoba via Malaga is 230km which will take you over 2½
hours. Personally I prefer to drive to Granada then take the N432 road cross
country to Cordoba which is even more time consuming. If you're planning on
visiting these cities then I'd strongly recommend that you arrange for an
overnight there (or longer in Seville). For more information about these cities
take a look at Cordoba and
Seville.
Day
excursions by coach from Almunecar might be advertised in local travel agency
windows.
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