La Costa Tropical

Our last day in Granada we decided to drive down to the Costa Tropical (about an hour’s drive) to see what this part of the Mediterranean coast is like. Like most parts of the southern Spanish coast, it’s an expat’s haven. Lots of British pensioners living here.

me and Alfonso on El Balcón de Europa

When King Alfonso XII came to the town of Nerja in the 1800s to inspect damage from an earthquake, he thought the views of the sea to be so beautiful that he dubbed the location “the balcony of Europe.” The Nerjanos loved the tag so much that they created a marble balcony extending over the beach so everyone could take in the view.

Frigiliana

After lunch in Nerja, we drove up into the hills to experience our first pueblo blanco, Frigiliana. These white villages that hang off the southern hills overlooking the Mediterranean are spectacular. You’ll see more of them in the future; I promise.

La Herradura

Last stop on our way back to Granada was Almuñécar, another coastal town. We love that this rock splits the town in two. On the eastern side of the rock you have the more modern town. On the west side is the cute little village of La Herradura – much more our speed. Had a coffee at a café on the beach, then hopped in the car and headed back “home.”