Playa Tropical

About Playa Tropical

Playa Tropical is a map name for the western end of Playa de Velilla, the long urban beach that runs east from the centre of Almuñécar, on Granada's Costa Tropical, through the Velilla-Taramay district. Velilla as a whole is about 1,470 metres long and 52 metres wide.

The shore is dark sand mixed with gravel, and the water is usually calm. Behind it runs a paved promenade lined with palms, with hotels, beach bars and restaurants, and the salt-water Aquatropic water park is close by, useful on a day with children. Puerta del Mar, the town-centre beach, lies further west, and Almuñécar has some 26 beaches along almost 20 km of coast.

Velilla holds a Blue Flag and is heavily used in summer. Services include lifeguards, toilets, showers, sunbed and umbrella hire, water-sports rental, a children's area, a sports area, a marked surf practice zone and step-free access. Dogs are not allowed.

June and September give warm water without the July and August crowds. Swim in the morning, when the water is usually calmest and before the dark sand heats up, and come back for an evening walk along the palm-lined promenade.

Playa Tropical in pictures

What you’ll find

• Beach boatsBoat rentalRent
• Beach lifeguardSupervised swimmingFree
• Beach sunbedsSunbed hireRent
• Beach umbrellasUmbrella hireRent
• Public showersWash bodyFree
• Public toiletsPersonal SanitattionFree
• Sandy beachRest on beachFree
• Sea shoreSwimmingFree

Nearby places to visit

Walk east and you are soon on the main stretch of Playa de Velilla (700 m), with its promenade and full services. Back towards the centre, Playa Puerta del Mar (2 km) is the town's main beach, with its monument to the Phoenicians. Further east, on a quieter part of the coast, Playa Cabria (2 km) is a short beach of rock, gravel and dark sand, and Playa Calabajío (2 km) a small cove just beyond it with far fewer people. West of town, Playa El Muerto (4 km) is an official naturist cove below the Peñón del Lobo, reached only on foot from Cotobro.