Salobrena lies just over an hour’s drive east of Malaga. The white walled houses climb up the spine of a promontory jutting out into the Mediterranean. Standing proudly atop the pinnacle is a castle, which stood as a defence for what was the Moorish port of Granada.  The old town retains its North African feel, with narrow streets winding steeply uphill. In the newer parts the shops and tapas bars make for a distinct district, which connects to the apartments on the nearby beach with its promenade and beach restaurants.  This means that within the town it is possible to have three completely separate days out.
Surrounding the town, the fields make the town appear like an island (which it once was).

 

Overlooking all this is the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which has skiing throughout the winter. So it is possible here to be having breakfast by the beach and be on the piste in just under an hour!
A few minutes away is Motril, which is the largest town in the area before Granada.  It has a busy market town feel and is famous for tapas. Just on the outskirts, towards Salobrena is a hypermarket.
Taking the road to Granada which is 90 minutes away you can visit the Lecrin valley and the Alpujarras.

 

Granada of course has the magnificent Alhambra, which should not be missed.

 

On the coast road about twenty minutes west is Almunecar and La Herradura. Almunecar, like Salobrena, retains its tradition of tapas and La Herradura has one of Spain’s most famous paella restaurants, which is located on the beach.

 

 

You can see many varieties of birds depending on the season including Hawks, Eagles, Hoopoes, Black Redstart. At twilight as the birds begin to roost for the night, bats take to the air. Red Squirrel can also be seen the tops of nearby pine trees. Most times of the year Dolphins can be seen patrolling just off shore. Being in the main a hot, tropical climate you are always going to encounter insects! Mainly these will consist of paper wasps trying to drink from the pool and various types of ant. There is a variety of small red ant which can get everywhere, so it is important not to leave food out or uncovered for any length of time in the villa. Outside of the house they perform an important role in the ecology of the garden, taking almost anything away that is edible. Try leaving a peanut or piece of bread on the patio and time how long it takes them to remove it! Of course there are Mosquitoes, but their prevalence depends on the seasons. We have netting on the windows, and electrical plug in units to repel the ones that get through. Around the villa at different times of year in addition to birds of prey can be seen Hoopoes, Black Redstart and bats. In 2006 a pair of Swallows nested on the ceiling of the upper terrace, and they have returned in 2007.