Real Spain
Sandwiched in-between Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria, the Costa Tropical consists of various resorts such as Almunecar, Motril and Salobrena. I stayed inland in Veluz de Benaudella, a pretty town set in a valley south of Granada and a 30 mile drive away from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Long sandy beaches can be found in Motril and Salobrena about a 10 minute drive away so too the usual array of shops, bars and restaurants. Salobrena is probably the prettier of the main resorts with its classic whitewashed houses climbing up the mountain, overlooking the sea, crowned by an imposing Moorish Castle.
Another good day out took us Nerja, where we headed for the Balcon de Europa the focal point of Nerja affording magnificent views up and down the coast. Then we drove back via Marina del Este, tricky to find but worth it when you got there. Developed around a large rock known as Penon de las Caballas (Mackerel Rock) Marina del Este is a relaxing place that offers clear views to Almunecar.
Back inland in Velez we found it very Spanish which was lovely. English was not widely spoken by the locals and every other bar owners name was Pepe. The tapas here were great so too the impromptu performance of singing and classical guitar music.
There are many golf courses in Southern Spain as you can imagine and I managed to play at Los Moriscos Club de Golf. A long beachside course and after buying something from the Pro Shop I managed to get a round of golf thrown in for free!
Granada is a must, just over 50km away, where the accommodation we stayed in was actually modelled on the Alhambra Palace. Also from Velez, there is a dam to walk over, a lake to visit and all within a short distance of the village. If you can drag yourself away it’s definitely worth it.
A lovely part of Spain to visit - but will it will stay a secret?!