The area
Salobreña (the nearest village) is situated on the coast due south of Granada. It is about an hour and a half by car from Malaga to the West, two hours from Almeria to the East and about 45 minutes from Granada itself (where you can visit the majestic Alhambra Palace). The nearest large town is Motril which is 9 kilometres to the East, 10 minutes by car. Our villa is not actually in the village of Salobreña itself, but built on the steep hillside overlooking both the village and the sea as well as it’s moorish castle.
The important thing to explain is that although this is part of the Costa del Sol it is very different. This is very much an unspoilt area, it relies on agriculture for its wealth not tourism. Probably the first thing to strike a new visitor to the area is the bright green sugarcane fields which are so refreshing after the dull browns of the rocks and scrublands between here and the airport.
The climate here is classed as sub-tropical. It is slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the busier western Costa del Sol. The Sierra Nevada to the north of us acts as a shield from the extremes of climate to be found on the central plain of Spain. Although part of the Costa del Sol, the local name for this area is “Costa Tropical de Granada”. The main crops grown here commercially are sugar cane, mangoes, avocados, chirimoyas (custard apples) and bananas.
As a holiday area it takes some beating. The nearest beach is 5 minutes by car and has all the usual delights of tapas bars, restaurants, pedalos for hire etc. or if you go a little further you can find your own secluded cove between rocky headlands. If you like rambling just walk out of your villa and go along the dirt track and immediately you will be in open countryside filled with almond trees. For more serious walking or climbing, the Alpujarras (foothills of the Sierra Nevada) are only 30 minutes away.