For your main food shopping in Almunecar you need to go to the town centre. The main supermarkets are Mercadona, Lidl and Día which are all bunched together in the same part of town. Except for Fridays you can park your car in the car park next to the main N340 road through Almunecar just opposite the Lidl supermarket (near McDonalds). This is usually free but sometimes in summer you pay €1 for a ticket that goes to a local charity.
If you want to get nearer to Mercadona there are often spaces outside but be sure to buy a parking ticket in one of the machines as the parking attendants are very keen all over the town! Lidl has its own parking which often has spaces.
In terms of which supermarket to select, Mercadona is the best presented but we’ve often found fresh produce to be fresher in Lidl. There are some independent traders in the same building as Día including a good butcher. There’s another good butcher in the pedestrianised street behind Mercadona but if the language puts you off ordering just pick up your meat from the fridges in Mercadona.
For a larger choice of products you’ll need to drive to Motril where there’s an Alcampo supermarket. Just drive east along the coast beyond Salobreña. Don’t take the Granada exit but continue over the bridge then take the next main left turn which leads to Alcampo.
Almunecar Covered Market
Another good food market in town is the ‘Mercado Municipal’ near the aquarium which is a great place for fresh fish, meat and local fruit and vegetable products. It’s worth a visit even if you aren’t buying anything. There’s little crime in Almunecar but do be cautious around here as the occasional stolen purse has been reported.
Almunecar Friday Market
On the land (Paseo Blas Infante) where I’ve told you to park (above) is the weekly market every Friday. I don’t know where all the people come from but it’s always busy and finding a parking space is nearly impossible. It’s a typical market attracting locals and tourists alike. There are plenty clothes and bag stalls as well as ceramics, Spanish kitchen equipment, music CDs and football shirts. There’s also a car boot type market in the same place on the first Saturday of every month.
Just about every town along the coast holds a market on one day of the week. The only other one you’re likely to be interested in is the large Nerja market on Tuesdays.
British Food Products
If you’re desperate for your HP sauce or “proper bacon and sausages” then next to the taxi rank in town is Olivares 2 which is quite expensive but offers a good range of British, Scandinavian and German food items.
Almunecar Old Town Shops
If you just fancy a wander around a few local shops head for Paseo del Altillo then go down the steps to Alta del Mar. Here you’ll find the streets of the old town winding their way to the town hall square at Plaza Constitución which is a lovely place to stop at one of the outdoor cafés. Continue on then take a right to Plaza de los Higuitos which is another lovely square with terrace bars and a very good fruit shop.