LA COSTA TROPICAL

 

 

 

What makes the Costa Tropical unique? Could it be the lush fruits and vegetables grown around Motril – kiwi, mango, avocado, chirimoya, peppers, tomatoes, and aubergine to name but a few? Or is it the mountains which descend to the coastline, punctuated only by river deltas – Rio Verde, the Guadalfeo, and Rio Seco?

Read more from Max for his description of the Costa Tropical.

Then the Costa Tropical has a unique History…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History

An area settled by the Phoenicians, who first established a colony in Almuñécar in about 800 BC, developing for 600 years into an important port and town called Sexi. They supplied a prized fish paste called garum made from the intestines of small fishes by a process of fermentation.The Romans loved this so much they took over the area, its industry prospered, and in 49 BC it was given the title Firmium Julium Sexi in recognition of the town’s loyalty to Rome.

After the Romans Almuñécar served as the entry point to Iberia and establishment of a power base for Abd ar-Rahman I in 755, who came from Damascus and was the founder of an independent Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of the Iberian Peninsula for nearly three centuries thereafter.

 

 

 

So really the Costa Tropical is a region of contrasts and variety. It provides welcome relief from the over-development of the Costa del Sol. Coming east from Nerja is like entering another world, where sugar cane fields and orchards break up the concrete, where fishing boats still ply their trade, where local produce is still available, not to mention the Rum!

The area is less dry and more lush than the surrounding areas. This is because the Sierra Nevada catches more rain and supplies the area with abundant irrigation. This same mountains provide a shelter from northerlies and create a pleasant microclimate of mild winters and mild summers, with temperature differences of 10 °C (18 °F) relative to the area north of the Sierra.

 

If you stay with us in the Lecrin Valley both of these climate zones are within 30 minutes drive. But if its the sea and the gentler climate of the Costa Tropical you desire we can rent you a Villa or an Apartment in Almuñécar.