Costa de Almería + Costa Tropical
The Costa de Almería and the Costa Tropical stretch out from San Juan de Los Terreros till La Herradura. The capital of the Costa de Almería is Almería and the capital of the Costa Tropical is Granada. Both Costas know almost no winter season, it feels more like an everlasting spring, and the average annual temperature stays at around 20 °C. Here you can enjoy magnificent nature reserves such as the natural park Cabo de Gata-Nijar in the Costa de Almería. You can also enjoy the cold climate at the ski resort in Sierra Nevada, just inland of the Costa Tropical. In both Costas you will find many villages with interesting history, monumental heritage and a very friendly population. Far away from mass tourism these Costas stay a true treasure where you can enjoy the silence and the nature. However, you won’t lack any facilities or amenities and will find interesting locations.
The COSTA DE ALMERÍA has a very varied landscape with surprising contrasts and goes from San Juan de los Terreros to Adra. Between San Juan de los Terreros and the town of Garrucha there are many clean and wide beaches, including Vera Natura (Vera Playa Club) the nudist area. After Garrucha we find Mojácar, known as the white village. This is a tourist spot due to the unique bendy shopping alleys, which are built against a mountain slope and are situated in different levels. Following the coastline we reach Carboneras, a town with over 16 kilometres of beaches, like the very impressive Punta de los Muertos (beach of the death).
Going inland we find Níjar, this characteristic Andalusian village is specially famous for its handmade ceramics. From this town you can hike into the mountains of Sierra de Alhamilla and into the dessert of Tabernas. In one of the most southern parts of Spain we find the beautiful Cabo de Gata and the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata. This area has a few spectacular views and on one of the beaches, where some famous movies have been shot (like Indiana Jones and the last Crusade), lies Playa Mónsul; with an impressive huge rock in the middle shaped as a wave. Further down the coast from this point you reach the reserve of Las Salinas; a breeding place for Flamingos.
Almeria es la capital de la Costa de Almería y es una mezcla de diferentes culturas. En la ciudad hay un bonito paseo marítimo. Uno de los monumentos más bellos de la ciudad es La Alcazaba, un castillo árabe situado en una colina desde donde se puede observar la ciudad. Desde Almería se puede ir por la carretera de la costa hasta Roquetas de Mar; un paraíso de vacaciones. Esta ciudad es un centro deportivo al aire libre. La playa de Roquetas de Mar está rodeada por un ancho paseo, muy animado y cerca del puerto pesquero se puede visitar la lonja de pescado. Después de Roquetas de Mar se encuentra la reserva natural de Punta Entinas y Punta Sabinar, un lugar donde habitan más de 150 especies de aves marinas. En esta reserva se encuentran la playa nudista de Cerillos y un precioso faro. Justo antes de llegar a la frontera de esta costa nos encontramos con la reserva natural de Albufera de Adra, un santuario para diversas aves, que se alimentan en sus tres lagunas. Adra, la última ciudad de la Costa de Almería, es un pueblo dedicado a la agricultura y a la pesca, en la frontera de la Costa Tropical y con todos los servicios que los turistas puedan necesitar.
La COSTA TROPICAL se extiende desde La Rábita hasta La Herradura y tiene numerosas playas resguardadas y bahías de aguas cristalinas. Aquí el sol brilla, como en la Costa de Almería, 320 días al año y hay una temperatura media de 20 °C. La Rábita pertenece al ayuntamiento de Albuñol. Desde aquí se pueden realizar bonitas excursions siguiendo los senderos marcados hacia el interior. Por ejemplo, hacia los alrededores de Albuñol y a Las Alpujarras. En esta zona se respira una atmósfera pintoresca, con sus pueblos originales con calles pequeñas y bonitas plazas.
Costa de Almería + Costa Tropical
The Costa de Almería and the Costa Tropical stretch out from San Juan de Los Terreros till La Herradura. The capital of the Costa de Almería is Almería and the capital of the Costa Tropical is Granada. Both Costas know almost no winter season, it feels more like an everlasting spring, and the average annual temperature stays at around 20 °C. Here you can enjoy magnificent nature reserves such as the natural park Cabo de Gata-Nijar in the Costa de Almería. You can also enjoy the cold climate at the ski resort in Sierra Nevada, just inland of the Costa Tropical. In both Costas you will find many villages with interesting history, monumental heritage and a very friendly population. Far away from mass tourism these Costas stay a true treasure where you can enjoy the silence and the nature. However, you won’t lack any facilities or amenities and will find interesting locations.
The COSTA DE ALMERÍA has a very varied landscape with surprising contrasts and goes from San Juan de los Terreros to Adra. Between San Juan de los Terreros and the town of Garrucha there are many clean and wide beaches, including Vera Natura (Vera Playa Club) the nudist area. After Garrucha we find Mojácar, known as the white village. This is a tourist spot due to the unique bendy shopping alleys, which are built against a mountain slope and are situated in different levels. Following the coastline we reach Carboneras, a town with over 16 kilometres of beaches, like the very impressive Punta de los Muertos (beach of the death).
Going inland we find Níjar, this characteristic Andalusian village is specially famous for its handmade ceramics. From this town you can hike into the mountains of Sierra de Alhamilla and into the dessert of Tabernas. In one of the most southern parts of Spain we find the beautiful Cabo de Gata and the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata. This area has a few spectacular views and on one of the beaches, where some famous movies have been shot (like Indiana Jones and the last Crusade), lies Playa Mónsul; with an impressive huge rock in the middle shaped as a wave. Further down the coast from this point you reach the reserve of Las Salinas; a breeding place for Flamingos.
Almeria is the capital of the Costa de Almería and is a melting-pot of different cultures. This city has a nice sea promenade. One of the most beautiful monuments in Almería is ‘La Alcazaba’, an Arabic Castle situated on a hill overlooking the city. From Almería you can take the coastal road to Roquetas de Mar, a true holiday paradise. This town is an open air sportscentre. The beach of Roquetas de Mar is bordered by a lively wide promenade and near the fishing harbour you can visit the fish market. After Roquetas de Mar you will find the nature reserve of Punta Entinas y Punta Sabinar, the living space of over 150 different seabirds. Within this reserve you will find the nudist beach Cerillos and a beautiful lighthouse. Just before the last town of this Costa is situated the nature reserve Albufera de Adra, a sanctuary for numerous birds, which breed in three different lagoons. Adra, the last town of the Costa de Almería, is a village dedicated to agriculture and fishing on the border to the Costa Tropical and has all tourist amenities.
The COSTA TROPICAL goes from La Rábita to La Herradura and has a coast with numerous sheltered beaches, interspersed with bays with crystal clear water. Here the sun shines, just like in the Costa de Almería, 320 days per year and has an average temperature of 20 °C. This Costa starts at La Rábita, which belongs to the town of Albuñol. From here you can make beautiful hikes on the mapped out hiking tracks that lead you inland, like for example, to the area above Albuñol and Las Alpujarras. This area, with its original villages with small streets and nice squares, radiates a
picturesque atmosphere. Back on the route along the coast after La Rábita we arrive in Motril. This town has a 20 kilometre long coast where you can find seven different beaches. Also the well known beach Playa de Poniente, which is very crowded on the warm summer nights with its beautiful sea promenade and a golf course of 200.000 m².Motril is, together with cities like Calahonda and Torrenueva, situated in the Cape of Sacratif, one of the biggest tourist centres of this area. The capital of the Costa Tropical is Granada. This city once was a symbol of the Arabic and Christian cultures with a rich history and historical treasures. The district of Sacromonte has famous cave houses and in the quarter of Albaicín you can find a tangle of shopfilled streets with the most beautiful views of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada. Alhambra is the most impressive monument of Granada. This complex of palaces can be partially visited.
The Sierra Nevada starts in Granada at the highest situated mountain road of Europe. This is a very popular skiing resort with excellent hotels and other facilities. Here one can practise 6 different winter sports from the late autumn to the middle of the spring. This skiing resort has 62 km skiing slopes of which a small number is situated in the Costa de Almería. The road back to the coast leads us to the village of Salobreña, a small village with white houses against a rocky background that runs into an Arabic fortress. At the foot of Salobreña you can find beautiful beaches separated by a large rock rising from the sea. After Salobreña we arrive in the town of Almuñécar. Here the Romans and Arabs left a part of their inheritance and this is the oldest town of the whole Costa Tropical. In Almuñécar one can learn more about the rich history in the castle of San Miguel and the archeological museum, situated in the largest of the Seven Palaces or one can take a walk on the sea promenade with views to the beautiful sea landscape. The last town in this Costa is La Herradura, an old fishermen’s town situated at a lovely bay that has become one of the most remarkable tourist centres of the Costa Tropical. La Herradura offers the possibility to practice all kinds of water sports. There is a harbour where one can practice underwater sports and there also are 2 nudist beaches in the surroundings (Cantarriján and El Muerto).
SPORTS
Both Costas are ideal regions to practice water sports. In the coastal towns you can find all kinds of facilities. Scuba diving and snorkeling are very popular because of the clear waters and the beautiful underwater world with its nature. More inland and in the various nature reserves you can find tracks for hiking, mountain bike and horse riding. In the Costa de Almería you can find special tracks for 4x4 vehicles in the park of Cabo de Gata. In the Costa Tropical you can enjoy skiing or practice any other winter sports.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Costa de Almería: at the town of Sorbas is situated the natural reserve Paraje Natural Karst and Yesos de Sorbas, a wonderful underwater world of over 6 million years of age, shaped by dripping stones in a gypsum platform with over 1000 holes. The natural park Cabo de Gata-Nijar at the coast south from Carboneras is a paradise under sea level with nice rocky beaches and wide white sandy beaches where some famous movies have been shot in the past twenty years.
Costa Tropical: the biggest nature reserve here is the National Park of Sierra Nevada. This mountain chain has the most southern situated skiing resorts of which a small part is situated in the Costa de Almería. From the highest mountain top (Mulhacén) you can see the North African coast on clear days as well as the Spanish ibexes.
PLACES TO GO OUT
In the Costa de Almería you can visit many open air markets where you can find folk art and craft work, or visit the places in the Costa Tropical where people work with handicraft or one of the workshops specialized in art. In the nice coastal places you will find a good night life and sea promenades with shops, restaurants and bars and discotheques for nightlife lovers.
FOLKLORE AND CELEBRATIONS
In both Costas fiestas are held the whole year round, some of them have a tradition of many centuries. To honour the virgin of the sea a big annual market with different activities is held in Almería in the second fortnight of August. They celebrate Carnival in March, the ‘battle’ between the Mores and the Christians in June and the sea procession of theVirgen del Carmen in July. During the Easter Week the villages within the nature reserve Cabo de Gata-Nijar celebrate this fiesta in a traditional way.
GASTRONOMY
In the Costa de Almería, especially in the summer, people normally eat in the famous tapa bars. Besides tapas these bars serve a wide offer of seafood and shellfish and fresh starters like fish soup, gazpacho or white garlic soup. For desert they serve fresh fruit and sweet Arabic delicacy all year round. In the Costa Tropical the main ingredients come from the sea and the vegetable garden. Every village in this region has its own gastronomic specialty. Motríl for example is famous for its stove pot with goat meat in a sauce with spices and shrimps.
The Sierra Nevada starts in Granada at the highest situated mountain road of Europe. This is a very popular skiing resort with excellent hotels and other facilities. Here one can practise 6 different winter sports from the late autumn to the middle of the spring. This skiing resort has 62 km skiing slopes of which a small number is situated in the Costa de Almería. The road back to the coast leads us to the village of Salobreña, a small village with white houses against a rocky background that runs into an Arabic fortress. At the foot of Salobreña you can find beautiful beaches separated by a large rock rising from the sea. After Salobreña we arrive in the town of Almuñécar. Here the Romans and Arabs left a part of their inheritance and this is the oldest town of the whole Costa Tropical. In Almuñécar one can learn more about the rich history in the castle of San Miguel and the archeological museum, situated in the largest of the Seven Palaces or one can take a walk on the sea promenade with views to the beautiful sea landscape. The last town in this Costa is La Herradura, an old fishermen’s town situated at a lovely bay that has become one of the most remarkable tourist centres of the Costa Tropical. La Herradura offers the possibility to practice all kinds of water sports. There is a harbour where one can practice underwater sports and there also are 2 nudist beaches in the surroundings (Cantarriján and El Muerto).
SPORTS
Both Costas are ideal regions to practice water sports. In the coastal towns you can find all kinds of facilities. Scuba diving and snorkeling are very popular because of the clear waters and the beautiful underwater world with its nature. More inland and in the various nature reserves you can find tracks for hiking, mountain bike and horse riding. In the Costa de Almería you can find special tracks for 4x4 vehicles in the park of Cabo de Gata. In the Costa Tropical you can enjoy skiing or practice any other winter sports.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Costa de Almería: at the town of Sorbas is situated the natural reserve Paraje Natural Karst and Yesos de Sorbas, a wonderful underwater world of over 6 million years of age, shaped by dripping stones in a gypsum platform with over 1000 holes. The natural park Cabo de Gata-Nijar at the coast south from Carboneras is a paradise under sea level with nice rocky beaches and wide white sandy beaches where some famous movies have been shot in the past twenty years.
Costa Tropical: the biggest nature reserve here is the National Park of Sierra Nevada. This mountain chain has the most southern situated skiing resorts of which a small part is situated in the Costa de Almería. From the highest mountain top (Mulhacén) you can see the North African coast on clear days as well as the Spanish ibexes.
PLACES TO GO OUT
In the Costa de Almería you can visit many open air markets where you can find folk art and craft work, or visit the places in the Costa Tropical where people work with handicraft or one of the workshops specialized in art. In the nice coastal places you will find a good night life and sea promenades with shops, restaurants and bars and discotheques for nightlife lovers.
FOLKLORE AND CELEBRATIONS
In both Costas fiestas are held the whole year round, some of them have a tradition of many centuries. To honour the virgin of the sea a big annual market with different activities is held in Almería in the second fortnight of August. They celebrate Carnival in March, the ‘battle’ between the Mores and the Christians in June and the sea procession of theVirgen del Carmen in July. During the Easter Week the villages within the nature reserve Cabo de Gata-Nijar celebrate this fiesta in a traditional way.
GASTRONOMY
In the Costa de Almería, especially in the summer, people normally eat in the famous tapa bars. Besides tapas these bars serve a wide offer of seafood and shellfish and fresh starters like fish soup, gazpacho or white garlic soup. For desert they serve fresh fruit and sweet Arabic delicacy all year round. In the Costa Tropical the main ingredients come from the sea and the vegetable garden. Every village in this region has its own gastronomic specialty. Motríl for example is famous for its stove pot with goat meat in a sauce with spices and shrimps.
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