Almuñecar lies at the apex of the Costa Tropical and is composed of a municipal authority that includes the old fishing village and seaside resort of La Herradura, the leisure port of Marina del Este and the prestigious residential areas of Cotobro, Punta de la Mona and El Nogal on Cerro Gordo.

Most recently there have been attempts to divide the area of La Herradura from Almunecar and to make a more autonomous local authority; but with just a few hundred residents short of the required nomination this has, for the moment, failed to materialise. Nevertheless La Herradura has continued to develop its own independent social style and offers a bespoke, newly built, civic centre, a new indoor sports arena, as well as an 18th century battalion fortress, a daily municipal market, various diving schools and a vibrant mix of restaurants all to accommodate the many interests of today’s multi-cultural community. Since 1985, La Herradura is home to the acclaimed International Guitar Competition - homage to Andrés Segovia, an adopted son of the community, who demanded that the contest bearing his name demand only the highest standards from its entrants.

The province of Granada boasts 60 km of coastline, the Costa Tropical, much of which is tranquil and unspoiled. Almuñécar was founded by the Phoenicians as Sexi, then after renamed by the Moors as Al-Munakkab. The town boasts ruins from this and then later; the Roman and Moorish periods. Surrounded by the original village homes, the Castillo de San Miguel, sitting on the headland that bisects two beaches of Puerta del Mar and San Cristobal, replaced the Moorish alcazaba in the reign of King Carlos V. It has a massive tower called La Mazmorra (the dungeon) and is the site of an ancient graveyard. The local archaeological museum, in the Cueva de los Siete Palacios, may have been a water reservoir at one time, and houses mainly local exhibits including a 17th century BC Egyptian vase which is inscribed with the oldest written text ever found on the Iberian peninsula. Today, the town authorities have declared the San Miguel area of local cultural interest; so that planning is restricted and is now subject to strict controls over expansion and change.

Just on the towns outskirts, a Roman aqueduct remains in use today, and in 2005 further Roman traces were uncovered that show the continuation of this canal and a settlement located near the Plaza Major and just to the left of the road that continues up through Jete and Otivar and over the mountains to Suspiro del Moro. Just a short walk from the town centre are the catacombs of Laurita and Puente de Noy first discovered in the late 60s; they remain today important Phoenician and Roman evidence prized by both the Antigua Sexi Institute and Granada university.

Traditionally a fashionable tranquil Spanish holiday resort since the early 20th century, Almuñecar soon became a quiet retreat for Europe’s International jet set including stars of screen, stage and industry in the 1960s. Today, hotel occupancy figures for the 2007 season show that hotels were continuing to attract more than 60% of their clientele from Spain’s cities. Yet still the town does not languish in the past; over 30,000 Internet users visited the Almuñécar Town Hall web site last year, of who two thirds were from outside Spain. The town’s mayor regularly attends trade fairs throughout Europe to promote the town’s attractions as a Mediterranean holiday resort and third age retirement opportunity. All contributing to the town remaining especially unlike other coastal resorts here on the Costa’s... here many bars will offer traditional tapas with a drink – free of charge, here too you will need to speak some Spanish, and here is a great place to begin your enjoyment of the real Spain.