Almunecar & Nerja

We drove out of Granada due south toward the coast.  Before we left, we were having breakfast with families heading off to ski in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  An hour later by car, we were at the coast staring at the Mediterranean Sea.  Amazing right?

Our first stop was Almunecar, a small coastal village with a hilltop castle overlooking the harbor.  The girls played in the sand for a while and daddy had his morning coffee and strolled on the beach.  Nice sleepy town.  Next stop, Nerja.

Nerja was a pleasant surprise.  The main town square was an incredible area of sheer cliffs and magnificent views of the coast.  We had lunch overlooking the sea and enjoyed the afternoon sun.  The food was about what you would expect from a restaurant with expansive views of the sea in a tourist area of Spain.  Essentially, average in every way, and they were generally inconvenienced that you were there.  At least it only cost about 60 bucks for one kids meal, an appetizer, and one entrée.  Despite this, the town was really amazing and we enjoyed our visit.  From here, we headed up the coast to Marbella just in time to catch the sunset from our balcony with the mountains of Morocco in the background.  Pretty cool.

 Playing on the beach in Almunecar

 The sand is much darker than we're used to and has smooth rocks instead of seashells

 Off the main highway in the Costa del Sol

 Waiting for lunch in Nerja

 Right below our restaurant

 Nerja is one of the typical "white-washed" towns along the coast

 There are small areas of beach nestled between the rocks

 View from the town square in Nerja

 Same view but with a couple of Pettigrews added

Some very old cannons that used to protect the town

Sunset from our balcony in Marbella.  Those are the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.  Incredible to see Africa  from your hotel room!

- Dave