Costa Tropical Beaches

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The Costa Tropical Beaches Are... Spectacular...

The Costa Tropical beaches are special, I can’t even begin to describe their natural beauty. But I'll try...

Imagine the rugged mountains of the Sierra Nevada rising to the sky and covered in snow... this is the backdrop.

Now imagine small coves and bays with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters protected by high cliffs descending from the surrounding mountains.

The cliffs are natural and untouched, and some are even crowned with ancient watchtowers, a constant reminder of the people who once lived here, starting with the Phoenicians and later the Romans and the Moors.

But Wait...There's More...

Now imagine the flowers; the pinks, oranges, purples and blues of the bougainvillea climbing and wrapping around everything.

Imagine thousands of palm trees lining the beaches... the majestic Phoenix Palm exploding in a firework display of palm fronds, and the Date Palms soaring even higher with bright bursts of orange dates hanging from their trunks.

Now imagine the scuba divers... bobbing in and out of the water around the coral reefs... colorful kayaks dotting the horizon and parapentes floating gracefully through the sky...

You will see sailboats anchored in small coves, swimmers splashing in the waves, and others just relaxing on the warm sand... enjoying the perfect weather.

Can you imagine anything more amazing? If not.... it's time for you to visit the beautiful Costa Tropical Beaches.

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The Costa Tropical Beaches by Town

Each village along the Granada coast offers a unique beach experience, capturing the heart of the Andalusian coastline in its own way.

Almuñécar, often bustling with locals and tourists, is known for its pebble beaches, such as Playa Puerta del Mar, which offer a lively atmosphere and a variety of water sports. La Herradura, with its horseshoe shaped bay, exudes tranquility. Its crystal clear waters are a haven for divers and nature lovers. Salobreña, a beautiful white town perched on a hill, offers panoramic views of the Mediterranean from its sandy beaches. Its more traditional appeal is in stark contrast to the modern, well equipped beaches of Motril, lined with chiringuitos and a marina.

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The 13 Most Beautiful Costa Tropical Beaches

Read on to discover the 13 best beaches in Granada. Let's explore them all... We've also included the nicest hotels near each beach and the most popular activities.

🌴 Coastal Town: La Herradura

Located at the bottom of the Marina del Este urbanization, just next to the marina itself, is Playa Berengueles. It is a small bay with one large rock jutting out on its eastern end, while the Punta de la Mona forms the arm of its western end.

The beach itself is wide and sandy and planted with beautiful palm trees from one end to the other. Clinging to the cliffs above the beach, views can be seen of the striking Aldea urbanization and the Punta de la Mona lighthouse.

The Berengueles beach is known for its bohemian, laid back feel and popularity with scuba divers. On any given day, during the summer months, you will see divers and snorkelers bobbing in and out of the waters of this pretty bay.

The chiringuito, that sits on the eastern end of the beach, also has a very “chilled-out” atmosphere and stays packed all summer long.

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Hotel Best Alcazar (shuttle that runs to and from the beach -- also runs to the Playa La Herradura beach).

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🌴 Coastal Town: Almuñécar

Playa Tesorillo is another one of the prettiest “Costa Tropical Beaches”, this one is in the town of Almuñécar. It’s one of its smaller beaches, but beautiful because of its unique setting.

Tucked into the rocks at the end of Playa Velilla, this beach is headed by an old Moorish tower that sits on the rocks above. The beach itself is surrounded by two rocky points so it feels very private and secluded.

There are two lively chiringuitos that sit right at the entrance of the beach. They play music during the summer months which gives playa Tesorillo its fun and festive vibe.

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Hotel Bahia Tropical - Just in front of Playa Pozuelo and Playa Tesorillo, this elegant hotel is one kilometer from the Old Town.

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🌴 Coastal Town: Almuñécar

Yet another beautiful "Costa Tropical beach" that can be found on the outskirts of Almuñécar, is Playa Calabajio.

This beach is special because of the immense Mediterranean garden has grown up all around it with paths leading up the cliffs on both sides of the beach. Because it's located a bit further from town, it also tends to be quieter and more secluded than the others.

A great 4-star hotel is located just at the top of the cliffs, overlooking Playa Calabajio and its neighbor Playa Cabria. It has an enormous infinity pool that enjoys incredible views of the entire coastline.

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Hotel Playacalida Spa - Located on top of the cliff overlooking Almuñécar and the Cabria and Calabajio Beaches. Features an infinity pool, lazy river, spa and much more.

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🌴 Coastal Town: La Herradura

Playa Cantarriján is included on most people’s list of the "Most Beautiful Costa Tropical Beaches", not only that, it often makes the list for one of the BEST beaches in Southern Spain.

The beach itself is located within the “Los Acantilados de Maro Cerro Gordo”, which is a huge natural park between the towns of Nerja and La Herradura. The area is protected by the Spanish government so little to no development is allowed. It is an absolutely stunning area.

If you’ve never been, I would also highly recommend the drive between the two towns... magnificent beaches, soaring cliffs and Roman watchtowers line the way.

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Hotels in La Herradura and Hotels in Nerja are both close enough to spend a day at this beach.

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🌴 Coastal Town: Almuñécar

Playa Muerto is one of the “naturalista” beaches in the Costa Tropical, another way to say nudist beach. It is located at the western end of Almuñécar, under the Cotobro urbanization.

Muerto gets a vote for “Best Costa Tropical Beaches” due to its spectacular and untouched natural beauty.

While on the beach, you will quickly notice that it's completely void of any development. There are no restaurants, no services, no kayak or paddle board rentals… only the sand, surf, cliffs and beautiful views of the marina in the distance.

Because this is a nudist beach, access has also been restricted to a winding stone pathway that wraps around the cliffs edge. This makes it very secluded and quiet.

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ON ALETA ROOM - Located just in front of the Cotobro and Muerto Beaches, Hotel ON ALETA ROOM is a good choice for a quiet, and relaxed holiday.

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🌴 Coastal Town: La Herradura

The town of La Herradura is one of the most stunning towns along the Granada coastline.

Playa La Herradura, is the towns longest beach that runs the entire length of its beautiful bay. It is jam packed with chiringuitos, shops, bars, cafes, diving schools, boat rentals... the list goes on and on.

The beach is surrounded by two points, Cerro Gordo and Punta de la Mona. It is almost 2 km in length, but the eastern and western ends of the beach are arguably the nicest. The sand is finer and the water is very clear, perfect for snorkeling and diving.

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Hotel Sol Los Fenicios (on the beach) | H Boutique Peña Parda (on the beach) | La Caleta Bay (on the beach) | OYO Hotel Almijara (2 min walk to the beach).

For more information on this beach, see the La Herradura Beach Guide.

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🌴 Coastal Town: Salobreña

Located in what some would call the “Jewel of the Costa Tropical” (the town of Salobreña), Playa Guardia is the long sandy beach that stretches the length of the western end of town, up to the great Peñon.

It is backed by a lush sugar cane plantation and the Salobreña Castle in the distance.

The beach itself has all the amenities, including great restaurants and bars, water sports and a new promenade that is great for walking and biking.

Playa Guardia is more touristic than some of the others on the list because it’s so close to Salobreña, but it's usually less crowded than the beaches in Almuñécar and La Herradura.

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Hotel Avenida Tropical (3-star) and Hotel Miba (new, highly recommended) are the two closest hotels to the La Guardia beach area.

There are also some great apartments available even closer to the beach: Garrido Apartments (closest to La Guardia Beach) and the Salobreña Primera Linea de Playa (which are just behind the Peñon, on the beach and very highly rated).

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🌴 Coastal Town: Almuñécar

Yet another of the "Best Costa Tropical Beaches" is Playa Puerta del Mar, one of Almuñécar's main beaches, and its second longest.

It is strikingly beautiful with jetties forming smaller coves that are perfect for swimming. From anywhere along the beach you have wonderful views of the Almuñécar Peñon jutting into the sea, and the mighty castle that sits behind it.

This is a great beach for families as it is close to the town center, and all the hotels. It has all the necessary amenities; restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, water sports, etc.

During the summer months the beach bars on Playa Puerta del Mar play lively music.

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Hotel Bahia Almuñécar - Located 150 m from the Puerta del Mar Beach. It offers a spa, rooftop pool, and views of the sea and mountains. Almuñécar Playa Spa Hotel - This hotel is on San Cristóbal Beach and .5 kilometers from the Old Town. BEST LOCATION!

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🌴 Coastal Town: Calahonda (Motril)

Calahonda beach is another beach that always makes the "Best Costa Tropical Beaches" list. It is a wide, sandy beach that juts out into the sea on one end, and has a pretty little cove on the other, it's also popular with scuba divers.

The area around Calahonda (going east) is known for its rugged cliffs that fall dramatically into the sea and create breathtaking views around every corner.

If you want a nice photo, the best place to view Calahonda beach is from above. You can see the entire length of the beach, it’s pretty cove full of boats, and swimmers bobbing in and out of its turquoise waters.

Playa Calahonda has been designated as a “Blue Flag” beach of excellence.

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OYO Hotel El Ancla - El Ancla is a very BASIC hotel located 150 m from the beach in Calahonda.

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🌴 Coastal Town: Calahonda (Motril)

Playa Rijana is my all-time favorite of the “Costa Tropical Beaches” and the most beautiful.

It’s just past the small coastal town of Calahonda on the old coastal road. After you get past the more commercial area around Motril, the coastline going east is just incredible.

Playa Rijana is part of a national park, it is very natural and undeveloped. The beach forms a small bay with the ruins of an old Moorish tower on one end with three large rocks that jut out into the sea.

I would definitely recommend this beach for a day out, and then a drive further down the coast going east is well worth your time.

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🌴 Coastal Town: Torrenueva (Motril)

La Joya beach can be found just after the small town of Torrenueva going east from Motril.

The beach itself is quite nice with a huge boulder on one end that gives it a very dramatic look. It’s a favorite among locals and always makes the list for the "Best Costa Tropical Beaches".

Access to the beach is via a steep flight of stairs on its western end. This can be a bit challenging for some, but once you reach the bottom you have only the beautiful sea views, the surf, sand and seagulls soaring overhead to enjoy.

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Playa Granada Club Resort - Motril - This 4-star resort is located in Motril and is one of THE BEST in the area.

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🌴 Coastal Town: Almuñécar

Cabria beach is another beach in the resort town of Almuñécar that has made the "Best Costa Tropical Beaches" list. It’s located on the far eastern end of town at the end of a dry riverbed, so it also has a very remote and secluded feel.

The overall vibe is very bohemian and sporty, so this beach tends to attract the youth more than others.

On the eastern end of the beach there is a stone pathway that leads to yet another of Almuñécar’s gorgeous beaches, Playa Curumbico. This beach is small but even more private and is often used for nude sunbathing.

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Hotel Playacalida Spa - Located on top of the cliff overlooking Almuñécar and the Cabria and Calabajio Beaches. Features an infinity pool, lazy river, spa and much more.

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🌴 Coastal Town: La Herradura

This beach is rarely on anyone’s list as one of the "Best Costa Tropical Beaches", but I think it deserves to be. The reason most people don’t include it, is because most people don’t know about it.

Playa Calaiza is just a tiny little cove on the western-most side of the La Herradura bay, tucked away between the rocks and the cliffs. It’s a favorite among kayakers, who often stop off for a rest, and snorkelers who enjoy the colorful fish species that live among its rocks.

The only downfall (or maybe it’s one of the best things about Calaiza... because its less crowded) is the access to the beach. The only ways to get to Calaiza are to hike in from the Pine forest above or arrive by boat. Sounds like an adventure!

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Hotel Sol Los Fenicios (on the beach) | H Boutique Peña Parda (on the beach) | La Caleta Bay (on the beach) | OYO Hotel Almijara (2 min walk to the beach).

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How to Arrive to the Costa Tropical Beaches

From Granada: Drive south on the A-44 for 45-50 minutes to reach the Costa Tropical Beaches.

From Málaga: Head east on the A-7 for 50 minutes to reach the Costa Tropical Beaches.

I hope you find these beaches as beautiful as we do!! ;-)