Holiday homes in Alpujarras, Andalusia, Spain

The nearest beach is in Motril which is about an hour from the cortijos. Motril is an industrial town and port and consequently not ideal for swimming. However, the port area has many sea food restaurants and midday menu is highly recommended. Only a few kms away is the town of Salobrena with a very long sandy beach ideal for families with small children. Here when you get to the beach turn right and you will find many restaurants serving fresh seafood.

Also, in Motril, the big supermarket El Campo has a branch just off the main road.

Other beaches:

Towards Malaga:

Moorish pots outside the Chambao de Joaquin restaurant in La Herradura.

Apart from Salobrena beaches, some 20 minutes away is La Herradura. Herradura lies between Tunel Punta de la Mona and Tunel Cerro Gordo, a small town with excellent seafood restaurants all along the beach. A highly recommended restaurant is to the left of the beach (as you approach the coast) called Chambao de Joaquin and serves excellent paella during the weekends. If you prefer smaller beaches, just a few minutes after the Tunel Cerro Gordo, (leaving La Herradura) on your left you will find a small sign (barely visible) signposted Cantajirran and Playa Naturista (nudist beach). Drive about 1.4 km on a bumpy road and you will get to the beach. More recently there have been restrictions on taking cars down to the beach, but national park mini buses charge one euro and take you down There are 2 restaurants on the beach.

Just beyond this point and several hundred meters away there is another beautiful beach also belonging to the National Park which is called “el Canuelo”. Here again the National Park mini buses operate lifts to the beach. There is one restaurant on the beach which is not really very good. You are better off to take a cool box with food and drinks.

Then just hundred meters away from this beach there is another beach where you have to find a place to park and then walk down to the beach. There are no facilities on this beach.

El Canuelo beach accessible only via minibuses from the main road.

Towards Almeria:

The nicest beach is towards the end of Calahonda (about 20 minutes from Motril) right at the end of the beach there are some nice restaurants and it is ideal for families with children.

Small beach after Calahonda, excellent for snorkelling.

Just beyond Calahonda there are many small and isolated beaches. If you like snorkelling there is a nice beach with one restaurant and nothing else (restaurant not very good). To get there, drive on the main road up the windy hill and carry on for two more miles. Then from the road you will catch a glimpse of the beach and the restaurant down below. To drive to this beach is rather complicated and rather dangerous. I suggest you drive past this beach and turn round somewhere safe and come back. Just opposite the beach you will find a small road on your right. Drive gently into this road and then cross the second small bridge. Follow this tiny road around and it will take you under the bridge and to the beach.

If you continue on this road you will find many small towns and beaches. If you were to continue you would eventually get to Almeria and Cabo de Gata.