65 Reasons Why We Love Costa Tropical Spain

Why come to Costa Tropical Spain? Where is that? Everyone knows about the coasts with the big cities Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Dorada (Alicante, Malaga, Barcelona, Valencia), but not many know about Costa Tropical. That’s why it’s one of the best places to live in Spain! Shhh, don’t tell anyone! With coast, mountains, sea, mild winters, and more.

Updated: It’s all still true as of January 2021!

We are often asked, “Why did you choose to move to Almuñécar or Costa Tropical Spain?”. The list of reasons is endless, but we thought we would share with you why we fell in love with Costa Tropical.

It is located in the Granada province, which is a small stretch of Spanish coastline, along the Mediterranean. It is just 1 hour east of Malaga and 1 hour south of Granada city. Obviously, when choosing a location to call home there are factors other than location, such as education, language, amenities, vibe, cost, etc. We just wanted to share with you why the Costa Tropical captured our hearts. We write more about Almunecar on our other website.

Why we think Costa Tropical is the best place to live in Spain

Hands down there are extremely Friendly people in Costa Tropical Spain!
Picturesque rugged cliffs plunging straight into the sea
One hour from 2 good-sized airports (Malaga and Granada) – closest airports to Cost Tropical.
Quaint small white villages
Hiking in the hills and mountains as well as along the coast
One hour from snow skiing and the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Watching the fishermen return in the mornings from the sea in the wee hours
Scuba diving
Costa Tropical is Not overrun with tourists
“Real Southern Spain” (Otivar or Spanish Culture mixing with modern times)
Living within walking distance to Roman Ruins!
Watching the sunset over the Mediterranean
Driving through the windy mountain roads passing through enormous gorges
Watching the local artisans perform their crafts (Spanish Guitars)
Ease of access with or without a car – connected with public transit and a very walkable city.
The variety of small towns to walk around and explore, each with its own character.
Fresh Local Produce – at very low-cost
Local Markets (The Friday Market, Municipal Market, Medieval Market)
Crazy Inexpensive Good Wine and Cava. Locally it is from 2€ up for a bottle of wine and some really good bottles at the 3€ and 4€ mark! You can Buy wine here and filter by Spain, but they are slightly more expensive to order from the US, so just move here!
Everyone is out walking on the promenade in the evenings. We’ve even created some self-guided walking tours to try out.
The water fountains in each village are always interesting to see.
The daily mood of the Mediterranean Sea
Family Friendly with playgrounds everywhere
Options for Naturist or Topless Beaches
Aquapark!
Watching the paragliders
Affordable living, see our cost of living in Spain. We shared every expense for the first 18 months to help provide a starting point for others to create their budgets.
Wildlife park and hiking areas, like Mediterranean Park.
Waterfalls, when you are out hiking in the Spring you can find some in the Rio Verde or up in the mountains.
Looking at San Cristobal Beach every single day
(over 19km of Almunecar beaches with a variety of sand, views, and coves.
History!!! Many of the towns have a Castle in the center.
Below is San Miguel Castle in Almunecar
Simple Family Life – Here is our guide to Almunecar from A-Z.
Panderias – Fresh bread daily!
Zumo – fresh squeezed OJ
Interesting Architecture in town buildings
Outdoor activities – Snorkeling, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, water sports, padel, tennis, futbol, and more.
Pedestrian-only zones in town centers
Creatively designed cobblestone streets & paths, and mosaic art all around.
Cafe con leche for about 1.20€ ! (Here is how to order coffee in Spain!)
Flowers everywhere, All Year Long!
People watching in Almuñécar Center Plaza
Farinel pizza
Affordable rental properties with sea view! (prices have gone up a bit since we arrived, so depending on the exchange rate it may or may not be more expensive now)
Awesome Bacon and Jamon
Flamenco Dancing at restaurants
The Climate – Beautiful sunny breezy days 90% of the time. Read more about the Almunecar weather.
Traditional Festivals and Celebrations – Semana Santa Here is the annual calendar of fiestas in Almunecar – Costa Tropical
Extremely mild winters (don’t get me wrong, there are still cold and rainy days).
Close proximity for amazing day trips
Watching the sunrise over the Mediterranean
Watching the local basket weaver
Experiencing the making of a 10-foot wide paella at one of the many fiestas in Almunecar
Hearing the Almuñécar Church bells ring
Good Tide Pooling
Fresh Seafood – We are not big seafood eaters, but it is nice to have the variety when we want to step out of our comfort zone and try something new.
Romantic Hidden Coves, perfect to watch the sunrise or sunset!
Did I forget to mention ——-The Climate – Beautiful sunny breezy days 90% of the time. Read more about the weather in Almunecar
Terraced Hillsides
Open-air farmlands
Diversity of multinational locals
Almuñécar is a hidden gem
The age and history of the area dating back over 2000 years
The towns are “Alive” in the winter
Very low crime and safe for families
No matter where we travel in Spain we come back to Almuñécar and know this was without a doubt the right place for us to call Home.

BONUS!

Current La Herradura and Almunecar covid information.
Why not check out some of the rooftop bars & amazing restaurant terraces in Costa Tropical?

Even more things to love about Costa Tropical Spain!

Sailing charter from Marina del Este

Force 4 Sailing School La Herradura

Kayak and Paddleboard tours

Spain Coasts

Spain Costas or the Spanish Coasts provide a great variety of beaches, towns, and coves to choose from. Spain is known as the Iberian Peninsula, which is shared with Portugal. Being a peninsula means there is plenty of Spanish Coastline to discover and experience. Along the south and east are the Mediterranean beaches. Then the west and north provide you with Atlantic or Bay of Biscay beaches.

Would you like to move to Costa Tropical Spain?

We can help!

Let us help you plan your family gap year in Spain or your retirement in Spain. We can help you the entire way from visas, residency, housing, banking, phones, neighborhoods, shops, schools, clubs, sports, activities, social groups, and more.

We’ve helped hundreds of people move to Spain.

For those who want to move to Costa Tropical, we can really hold your hand and take away some of the stress and culture shocks.

Already in the Costa Tropical?

So you’re in the Costa Tropical area, and you need IT services (internet, mobile phones, computers, etc.), Alan can help! With over 30 years of experience with PCs, Macs, and Linux, He has a wealth of knowledge to apply to get your IT problem solved.
Contact info for computer services Almunecar.

Of course, we offer many bespoke services for getting settled as well. See more of our relocation services to Almunecar – La Herradura.

We also share our cost of living in Spain, as a family of 4.

Thinking of a move to Spain?

Alan has written a very thorough e-book, Live in Spain, which walks you, step by step, through the entire process of the nonlucrative visa requirements and the Spain retirement visa requirements. It is full of tips and tools to help you and a matrix with spells out the special things for each Spanish consulate in the USA.

It also provides you with a checklist to make sure all of the organization and timing of documents in on target. We have helped hundreds of families, couples and singles successfully move to Spain!

We also have a book to help you prepare for your move and getting settled once you arrive! Getting Settled In Spain
Updated: As of September 2020

Thinking about a move to Spain?
How Much Did It Cost To Live In Spain For 1 Year?
How to estimate the cost of living.
Preparing For Your Move Abroad

Organized Tours

There are also many organized tours for you to enjoy from being active on a walking or biking tour, to enjoying a food or wine tour. There is so much to do and Viator has so many great offers for you. Click here to see their latest Malaga Deals!

Where to Stay in Costa Tropical

We have the best Spain holiday rentals here:
Booking.com

Property Owners: you may list your holiday property!

Want to know more about how we have been able to travel since August of 2012?
Click on the image below to see.

Select the appropriate image, if you are interested in Moving to Spain, Visiting Spain, or the cost of living in Spain. We also share our cost of family travel in Southeast Asia. You can also see more info about our town and learn more about the area on Almunecar Info.