Costa Tropical

The term Costa Tropical is well deserved, as the sun shines, warming and illuminating, longer here than anywhere else in Europe. Winters are short and summers long, while autumn and spring are delightful. Almuñécar (the main tourist location), in fact, enjoys a unique microclimate which has led to it being known as the Tropical Coast, though the climate is more exactly subtropical, as humidity is very low. Pleasant sea breezes refresh the heat of high summer, while the mountains parallel to the coast protect it from the cold northern winds. The Mediterranean, itself, serves as a thermostat, regulating and moderating brusque changes in temperature. In other words, the climate here is very mild and temperatures moderate. In the winter season, temperatures very rarely fall below 10-12°C, the average being around 18°C. In summer, this rises to about 25°C, with midday maximums of 30°C, though these are greatly alleviated by the sea breezes. The effects of this marvellous climate are immediately apparent: the markets are full of delicious, exotic fruits and vegetables and flowers carpet the mountain sides while not very far north, ice and snow cover the ground. Here, the first flowers appear on the almond trees before Christmas.

Tropical heat - Cascades of tropical flowers in clear, bright colours. The reds, yellows and blues are like an explosion from the paintbox of Miró. The trees are laden with tropical fruit. There are mangoes, avocadoes and huge bunches of bananas. You're still in Europe, but yet you aren't. Because this is the Valle Tropical and Granada, the Spanish coast with the tropical climate.