Costa Tropical Beaches
Your guide to the best beaches
The Costa Tropical has 28 kilometres (18 miles) of beaches. The mountains run right down to the sea in this area, creating a series of coves and promontories along the coastline, and making this one of the most picturesque sections of the southern Spanish coast. It is also one of the least populated, as the beaches here are less known to foreign visitors than those of the Costa del Sol further along the coast to the west. For the time being, at least, the Costa Tropical is still off the beaten tourist track.
Playa de las Azucenas – Motril
To the east of the port of Motril, we have the only sandy beach in the delta with remnants of mobile dunes, formed by the finer sediments of the Guadalfeo delta. With a width of about 30 meters, it is a beach with dark sand that stretches along 1600 meters of coastline between the Port of Motril and Torrenueva Costa. Easily accessible, it has a low level of occupancy. Coastal native vegetation and unique species along the Granada coast maintain their territories despite the advancement of the port and tourism. It is said that the Patron Saint of Motril, Our Lady of the Head, appeared on this beach. Pedestrian access is easy.
Barranco de Enmedio Beach – Almuñécar
A small but pleasant beach of dark sand and pebbles. An enviable setting due to its location surrounded by mountains. A popular swimming spot. You will have access to umbrella rentals and a small parking area, as it can be accessed by car.
Los Berengueles – La Herradura
Sand beach next to the leisure port Marina del Este. The calm, sheltered bay is also a haven for water sports enthusiasts, offering opportunities for snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking. It offers convenient amenities, including beachside restaurants and facilities.
Playa del Cable (Playacan) – Motril
This is the only dog-friendly beach on the coast of Granada. Playa del Cable is a beach of considerable length. Its shoreline is dark and composed of fine sand and gravel. In addition, its waters are clean and crystal clear, with gentle waves, making it a peaceful spot for swimming. Because of this, it’s a very family-friendly beach, especially since dogs are allowed. It is equipped with a modern circular dog shower, a canine water fountain, trash bins, a regular shower, and a walkway to the shore.
Furthermore, it is located next to the maritime port of Motril. It also features a spacious promenade where you’ll find various leisure and dining options. So, while taking a stroll, you can explore shops, dine in one of the restaurants or cafés, or grab a treat from an ice cream parlor.
Access to Playa del Cable, or Playacan, is very convenient via its promenade, allowing you to approach on foot or by car.
Cabria Beach – Almuñécar
Located away from the bustling crowds, Playa Cabria provides a sense of seclusion and intimacy, making it a favored spot for those in search of tranquility. The rugged cliffs that surround the beach add a touch of natural grandeur, enhancing the breathtaking coastal scenery. Beachgoers can also enjoy the convenience of amenities such as beachside restaurants and facilities, ensuring a comfortable day by the sea.
Calabajio Beach – Almuñécar
This small 300 m long beach has fine dark sand, of the kind that is perfect for building sandcastles, and areas of pebble. The water here is shallow, making it an ideal beach to bring children. Rarely crowded. Some of the services provided to beachgoers include umbrella rentals, parking, showers, cleaning crews, and surveillance.
Calahonda Beach – Motril
Calahonda is an small fishermen village near Motril. This town is one of the most frequented by vacationers. Cañahonda beach is a fairly large beach, with fine gravel shores. As implied by its name, Calahonda features a “steep entrance” into the sea, hence we advise extra caution for children and non-swimmers. The beach is well-equipped with facilities like restaurants and bars, making it convenient for visitors. The calm waves make it suitable for swimming, and there are also opportunities for water sports and fishing. The surrounding area has a pleasant promenade, ideal for leisurely strolls and taking in the sea breeze. Currently, there are three main parking areas: in front of the pier, on the Beach Promenade, and next to the Church of Calahonda.
Calaiza Beach – La Herradura
Calaiza Beach is located at the base of the Cerro Gordo Nature Reserve and is one of the lesser-known beaches in the area due to its hidden access. For this reason, it is also one of the most tranquil, peaceful, and natural beaches you can enjoy in La Herradura.
Calaiza can be accessed in two ways, either by kayak or on foot through the pine forest above.
La Caletilla Beach – Almuñécar
Small, narrow beach located in the main area of Almuñécar, adjacent to San Cristóbal Beach. It is approximately 100 meters long with coarse sand. It is perfect for family enjoyment. Situated next to the promenade, it tends to be quite crowded. This picturesque spot is framed by the historic San Miguel Castle. Visitors can enjoy the convenience of nearby restaurants and cafes, providing a taste of local cuisine and refreshments. This beach was ranked sixth in the best beaches in Andalucia list by travel magazine National Geographic in 2024.
Playa Caletón – Salobreña
One of the secluded coves of Salobreña, near the border with the municipality of Almuñécar. It can be reached on foot from La Caleta. Caletón Beach is composed of gravel and rocks. It measures a little over 30 meters in length and 10 meters in width. Caletón boasts calm, crystal-clear waters and spectacular seabeds, making it ideal for diving and fishing with a rod. The beach does not have any kind of services or lifeguard station.
Playa El Cambrón – Salobreña
A small beach, 86 meters long by 21 meters wide, located next to the urbanized area of Torre del Cambrón. It is a beach made of pebbles and gravel, and the sea conditions usually feature moderate waves. The access is only by walking. During your visit to the cove, we recommend wearing comfortable and closed-toe footwear as the terrain is rocky and the hill is steep. This beach does not have any kind of services. For these reasons, its level of occupancy is low.
Playa Cambriles – Lújar/Gualchos
Cambriles Beach belongs to two municipalities: Gualchos-Castell de Ferro and Lújar. It is not an excessively crowded beach since it offers few services.
Cantarriján Nudist Beach – La Herradura
Isolated nudist beach formed by two coves. Access is by a steep 2km path through a nature reserve. Access from the coast road is to the west of the Cerro Gordo road tunnel. In the summer months, car access is prohibited and you need to take the minibus to go down to the beach (return ticket is 2 euros). It has two restaurants on the first cove.
Carchuna Beach – Motril
It has a very extensive length of around 3000 meters and an average width of 40 meters. Despite being quite popular, it offers a peaceful atmosphere. It is surrounded by intensive greenhouse crops. The surface composition is medium gray sand and gravel. It has calm waters for swimming.
There are residential developments, a campsite, and a hotel. It has a castle located at the edge of the sea, which in the past served as a military building to protect the area from Berber attacks.
Beach facilities: Parking, surveillance equipment, phones, nautical rentals, bus service, danger signs, showers, umbrellas, sunbeds, restaurants, local police, beach cleaning, trash bins, beach bars, Red Cross station. The beach has access for people with disabilities. It also has a beach football field, a beach volleyball court, a table tennis area, and barbecue areas.
You can also find beach bars, refreshment kiosks, ice cream stands, etc., and water sports companies.
Pedestrian access is easy, with a compacted sand walkway in the dry area and boardwalks leading to the wet area along the entire beach.
Access is also available via urban bus. Currently, there are two main parking areas, one in the Chucha area and another in the Urbanización La Perla area.
Playa de la Charca / Salomar – Salobreña
It is located just a few minutes from the center of Salobreña. It stretches for about 1800 meters with an average width of 64 meters. This is an extensive and wide beach with a mix of gravel and sand, offering a family-friendly atmosphere and good amenities. Its crystal-clear waters make it attractive for diving, windsurfing, or paddleboarding for much of the year. There are numerous services available, such as umbrella and sunbed rentals, and even small boats. It features a promenade lined with various residential developments and buildings associated with tourism.
Cotobro – Almuñécar
A small beach at the foot of the Cotobro hills, surrounded by rocks. Rarely crowded, even at high season. A popular sea-fishing spot.
Curumbico Beach – Almuñécar
A small cove located in one of the less developed areas of Almuñécar. Due to its somewhat remote location from the main town center of Almuñécar, the influx of visitors is moderate. A very nice cove with fine dark sand, accessed via a path through the rocks from neighbouring Cabria Beach.
Playa Granada – Motril
A long (1,3 km), fine sand beach that is usually fairly quiet and peaceful. Beside it is the 18-hole Los Moriscos golf course.
With a tranquil atmosphere and enhanced by the greenery of its golf course, it is bathed in a special light. It was chosen by the Belgian Kings as their vacation spot in “Villa Astrida”. Nowadays, it is an expanding residential area surrounded by a golf course and offering great facilities for water sports. The cape formed next to Villa Astrida allows for taking advantage of both westerly and easterly winds, and many visitors come specifically to Playa Granada for paddle surfing, wind surfing, and kite surfing. In some spots, it’s possible to see Sierra Nevada right from the beach sand. During snowy seasons, the visual contrast is spectacular, creating a unique scene that combines sea and mountain.
There is easy road access from Camino del Pelaillo and from the exit of the N-340 roundabout. Pedestrian access is simple, with a compacted sand walkway in two sections, next to the two existing parking lots, which also have four bike parking zones. There is a bus stop. It has all the necessary public facilities and security measures. There are beach bars and restaurants, refreshment kiosks, sunbed and umbrella rentals, pedal boats, a nautical activities school, and an area for summer cinema.
The Los Moriscos Golf Club is located here, boasting an 18-hole golf course right on the beachfront. Visit our Golf page for more information.
Playa la Guardia – Salobreña
La Guardia is a fairly extensive beach, surrounded by agricultural fields and with impressive views of the historic castle of Salobreña, which rises majestically on a rocky promontory, La Guardia offers a unique landscape where history and nature intertwine. This is one of the most charming corners of the Costa Tropical. Located in a district of the municipality of Salobreña, it is a dark sandy beach which harmoniously contrasts with the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. The beach stretchs 1100 meters in length and 25 meters in width. There is a protected area that has succeeded in regenerating the ecosystem “Salobreña Reefs,” making it an added attraction for diving enthusiasts. It experiences little wave action. Despite its proximity to the town center, it tends to be less crowded than other beaches along the Granada coast. . This beautiful family-friendly beach has a unique feature: the so-called “chozas,” made of reeds by local residents and equipped with barbecues, tables or chairs in some, and even bedrooms in others. La Guardia offers lifeguard and rescue services, cleaning, restrooms and showers, parking, rental of sunbeds, umbrellas, and water sports equipment. It can be accessed on foot, by car, or by urban bus. There are several beach bars, one of which is nestled in the rocks. It is separated from Charca Beach by a large rock.
La Herradura Beach
Large bay sheltered by two rocky promontories. A popular seaside destination for Granadinos.
A wide urban beach, over 2 kilometers long and 40 meters wide, with dark sand and a horseshoe shape. It stretches from Punta de la Mona to the cliffs of Maro-Cerro Gordo. There is a seaside promenade with a children’s area and beach bars. It experiences high levels of occupancy. There is also an anchoring area for boats.
Scuba diving is one of the attractions of this beach, as the Natural Area of Maro-Cerro Gordo Cliffs, which extends between Nerja (Málaga) and La Herradura, gives rise to a series of underwater caves and grottoes that can be explored. In addition to diving, you can enjoy the marine life with lighter equipment through snorkeling, discover numerous coves during a kayak ride, and train with paddleboarding, thanks to the numerous companies that offer this service around the beach.
A city bus service reaches the beach. There is ample parking available. Playa de la Herradura offers lifeguard and rescue services, cleaning, restrooms and showers, a phone booth, beach bars, rental services for sunbeds, umbrellas, and water sports equipment, a diving area, a children’s area, and a sports area.
Playa de la Joya – Torrenueva
A small nudist beach in a secluded cove. It is located 1km from Torrenueva. There is a renovated parking area where you can leave your car, and from there, a staircase path in fairly good condition leads directly to the beach. Thanks to this, it is not very crowded. It is about 300 meters in length. It is predominantly nudist, but there are also textile beachgoers, although they are a minority. The beach is made up of fine to medium-grain sand. It does not have any services. It can also be accesed from the town of Torreueva along the coastal trail that starts from the Jolúca Cliff Viewpoint.
La Mamola – Polopos / Sorvilán
A popular fishing spot, with several jetties. La Mamola Beach belongs to two municipalities: Polopos and Sorvilán. It has a seaside promenade with various tourist services. The waters are calm. There is a lifeguard service. Public restrooms are available. There is a nearby campground.
Melicena – Sorvilán
Melicena is a 500-meter-long beach with calm and crystal-clear waters, and a low level of occupancy despite being urban. Melicena provides cleaning services, restrooms, showers, and beach bars. Access to the beach is convenient, with the distance to the road being less than 500 meters. There is a parking area near the beach, and it can also be reached by intercity bus.
El Muerto Naturist Beach – Almuñécar
Secluded cove beach surrounded by rocks which can only be accessed on foot from the Cotobro beach (at the western end of the Almuñécar promenade). Officially designated a nudist bathing area. It has a kiosk that serves home made vermout, cold drinks and food (pizzas and roscas). We reccommend their salad of tomato, anchovies and avocado salad.
Playa de Poniente – Motril
It is the closest beach to the center of Motril, only about 2 km away. This beach is large, pebbled, and always full of activity. It is popular with water sports enthusiasts who frequent the marina and nautical club. People also come here to water-ski, paraglide, scuba-dive and so on. There is also a fish and seafood auction, which is open to the public. The beach-front and surrounding area is well served with shops, bars, restaurants, camp sites etc. It includes hire of sunbeds and umbrellas, children’s recreational area, beach soccer field, beach volleyball courts, beach tennis court, boules area, ping-pong tables, night market once a week in summer, pedal boat area, etc.
Playa Pozuelo – Almuñécar
Small beach in an urbanized area, with a high number of visitors. It is located next to Tesorillo Beach. It has a length of only 250 meters and is composed of sand and gravel. It has a beach bar and other amenities.
Puerta del Mar – Almuñécar
One of Almuñecar town’s two main beaches (the other being the Playa San Cristóbal). The two beaches are separated by the cliffs of the Arab citadel, and three large rocks extending out into the sea.
Puerta del Mar Beach is one of the largest beaches in the municipality of Almuñécar. Along with Velilla and San Cristóbal beaches, it is one of the most frequented and popular in the town. It is located very close to the historic and commercial center, between Peñon del Santo and the mouth of the Verde River. From the mouth of the Rio Verde to Velilla, it is known as Fuentepiedra Beach. Puerta del Mar Beach measures approximately 1200 meters in length and is 50 meters wide. It is made up of dark sand and gravel, with calm and transparent waters.
The name “Puerta del Mar” originates from the fact that not far from the shore, roughly where the current Plaza de la Rosa is located, there was one of the gates that led into the city. This gate provided access to the eastern cove, where the Paseo del Altillo now stands. Since the 13th century, it was the customary and busiest port in Almuñécar. Along the lower part of Paseo del Altillo, you’ll find many bars, restaurants, and pubs where you can have a drink during the day or enjoy the nightlife.
Punta del Río – Salobreña
This beach in Salobreña, also known as La Cagadilla, is a long and narrow strip of sand and gravel along an agricultural area. It is located between the Guadalfeo River and the boundary of the municipality of Motril. It measures 1,200 meters in length and 30 meters in width. The sand color is dark, mainly composed of sand and gravel. The area experiences moderate waves. It typically has a low occupancy rate due to its isolated location and lack of clear signage.
La Rábita – Albuñol
A popular resort for Spanish people. La Playa de la Rábita is an extensive urban beach, nearly one kilometer long and with an average width of 30 meters, composed of gray gravel. It is the only beach in the area that offers various amenities. The beach has a children’s play area, public restrooms, Red Cross surveillance, showers, parking, recreational and sports areas, etc. Along the promenade you eill find tapas bars, restaurants, supermarkets and small shops. La Rábita has become increasingly popular in recent years.
El Ruso Naturist beach – La Rábita
It’s a naturist beach emanating peace and tranquility, also known as Lance Nuevo Beach. This cove, nestled between cliffs only 800 meters from the center of La Rábita, features natural springs, which make it an area of high ecological value. Quiet with a low level of occupancy, its sands are dark and its waters crystal clear. A magnificent spot for diving. It can only be reached by walking along the trail that starts from the access road to La Rábita, in the high area, next to a villa. The effort is well worth it because the scenery is spectacular. El Ruso Beach is actually two coves connected by a narrow strip of shore, but most people camp in the second cove, which is much more sheltered. The beach was renamed El Ruso in honor of Basilio Lukianov, a Russian lieutenant who fled the Soviet Union in 1921 and settled there, living off the land and assisting both farmers and fishermen. The locals grew so fond of him that they still bring flowers to the place.
Playa Rijana – Castell de Ferro
Crystal-clear cove, perfect for snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking. With easy pedestrian only access (you’ll need to walk about 5 minutes after parking your car through a path winding through Mediterranean vegetation). Small in size, barely 250 meters of fine dark sand and pebbles, enjoys a blue and crystalline sea. The shoreline creates a petite cove, featuring the remnants of an old Moorish tower on one side, along with three prominent rocks jutting out into the sea. It is one of the most recognizable landscapes of the coast”. There is a small beach bar where you can buy drinks and other refreshments. La Rijana comes in thirteenth place in the list of best beaches in Andalucía by National geographic. La Rijana is a paradise for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, thanks to the rich marine biodiversity hidden beneath its waves.
San Cristóbal Beach – Almuñécar
A fine sand beach to the west of Almuñécar town. The promenade has shops, bars, restaurants and hotels along its length. San Cristóbal Beach is located between El Peñón del Santo and Cotobro Promenade. In the final stretch, where Cotobro Promenade begins, it is called Playa de la China. It is a 1 km long and 50 meters wide beach with dark sand and clear waters. The beach offers all kinds of amenities such as showers, sunbeds, lifeguard service, etc. During high season, this beach tends to be very crowded.
El Tesorillo – Almuñécar
A fine sand inlet framed by rocky promontories. It’s name derives from the fact that gold coins were once found at the water’s edge. There is an ancient Morisco watchtower at one end. It measures 80 meters in length and 55 meters in width. It has a beach bar, other amenities, and facilities for disabled access. The beach is composed of gravel and dark sand.
Torrenueva Beach
A spacious family-friendly beach with a splendid and extensive seaside promenade. It is an ideal place for children’s and sports activities, barbecues in designated areas, and outdoor concerts and movies. It has been awarded the “Q” for Touristic Quality certificate since 2005. It also boasts the prestigious Blue Flag distinction.
Velilla Beach – Almuñécar
A long, fine brown sand and shingle beach located just one kilometre east of Almuñecar, just beyond Aquatropic (see Things to do page). There are shops, bars, restaurants and hotels all along the seafront. There is a water sports centre on the beach, in addition to various other services and facilities including showers, equipment hire, diving excursions etc. Velilla is a Blue Flag beach.
