Almunecar Activities Almuñecar

Almuñecar Activities

Almuñécar and La Herradura is the preferred destination for many sportsmen, from divers and kite-surfurs to hang-gliders. Many activities and courses are available throughout the year, particularly for watersports. The Costa Tropical has been selected as one of Spain's top seven nautical venues, and as Almuñecar is a great feature of the Costa Tropical, it will also be receiving a lot of attention over the coming years.

For young families, a great place to entertain children in Almuñécar is at the Aquatropic, the local waterpark, about ten minutes walk from the town centre. Only open during the summer.

Almuñecar Watersports

Scuba Diving
With so much to see underwater it's no wonder that many people consider Almuñecar as an important dive on the Mediterranean diving circuit. The richness of the marine fauna and flora of Almuñecar's coastline, along with its extensive underwater caves and various ship wrecks, help make these waters an attractive destination for any diver. There are about 6 diving schools in the area, all rent equipment and provide courses at all levels.

Windsurfing
As one of the most popular watersports Almuñecar is well set to offer training courses and rent windsurfing equipment from most of the beaches in the area. The sailing conditions here are light to moderate for most of the year, with heavier winds or storms comming in the Spring or Autumn. Windsurfing conditions are ideal during the summer, for beginners as well as the experienced alike.

Sailing
Most types of boats and yachts can be rented or purchased at few locations in a Almuñecar. But the main hub of the boating scene is in Marina del Este, where you can rent almost anything you want, from a dingy to a yacht with a captain.

Almuñecar Winter Sports

Some of southern Europes best skiing can be had in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the most southerly ski venue in Europe. Granada is only two hours drive from Almuñecar, see the Almunecar map, and the ski fields are only 3/4 of an hours drive from Granada.

The Sierra Nevada ski resort is called Solynieve, (sun and snow), ALT 2,100 m, and was host to Europe's 1996 World Ski Championships. The ski season begins in November or December and usually lasts until April or May.

Sierra Nevada offers a wide choice of runs, allowing skiers of all levels a good challenge. The nursery slopes here are very broad and sometimes flat! You can get into a ski class by visiting one of the ski huts, or by asking one of the many instructors.

As Solynieve is the most southerly ski resort in Europe, it has one of the highest temperatures. If you are a skier from the north you will notice that the skiing here is much warmer. Aided by the sun and most days without a cloud in the sky, these ski fields can resemble great white golf courses or even an enormous brilliant white beach, so take a powerful sunscreen and definitely take sunglasses, or you will suffer. Some ski equipment can be rented in Almuñécar's sports shops but most things can be rented at Solynieve. For the least hassle park your car in the large underground car park under Solynieve, or if you don't mind a bit of a walk, you can sometimes park a kilometer down the hill from Solynieve resort.

Telecabina cable cars travel from Solynieve resort up to the main ski fields, a journey of about 15 minutes. From the main ski field are many different chairs and lifts to all types of runs. One lift raises skiers to almost the summit of the peak, Veleta, it stands at ALT 3,398 m and is the second highest peak in Spain. The view from here really is top of the world.

The skiing during bank holidays or the weekends is very busy and the ques for chairs at these times can become extreamly long, better to ski during the week if you can. On Christmas day the skiing is amazing, if you want some of the mountain to yourself, this holiday is one that many miss on the slopes.

The aprés-ski at Sierra Nevada is as rowdy and full-on as any of the more nothern resorts, but here there is a Mediterranean feel, as if the beach was only two and 3/4 hours away, which it is.

Near the bottom of the Telecabina is a little sandwich shop that makes the most delicious bacon quiche in Spain.