“On receiving the town, the traveller must raise the head to look at the cliff top Salobreña castle, more than one hundred and ten meters above sea level with two white backgrounds framing it. First the town, with its whitewashed houses and, above it, the luminous whiteness of Sierra Nevada giving testimony to the tourist of Granada of sun, beach, snow... and sugar cane." Anon, a 19th century traveller.

South of Granada on the N-323 the ancient settlement of Selambina is the first town of the Costa Tropical. Today the coastal town of Salobreña with its golden sandy beaches, its rocky El Peñon point a popular corner of the promenade for diners, and in the winter a warm sunny shelter for sun worshippers from the cool easterly winds is a typical Spanish holiday destination. The town is surrounded by the Bodíjar mountain range that slide towards very green and fertile valleys filled with plantations and tropical fruits unique in Europe; mangos, chirimoyas (custard apples), avocados or guavas all grow in this pleasant climate. The centre of the town is crowned by the hill top Arab fort – once the winter palace for the Nasrid kings of Granada – around which the original village houses cling in a classic but amazing white washed array of monumental proportions. Below the town, the lush plains of sugar cane plantations can still be seen. However, this is becoming a less popular agricultural business, and only recently has led to the closure of a once thriving molasses and sugar industry that processed cane from as far afield as Velez Malaga (Malaga) and Calahonda (Granada) to the east of the province.
 
The castle of Salobreña is a most emblematic and significant monument (it appears on the coat of arms of the town), is located at the top of the promontory, so its towers over an impressive panoramic view where in the summer the limits of the sky and the sea get confused, combined with the green of the fertile plain, the mountains and, in the distance, the summits of Sierra Nevada. This fortress of Phoenician origins, has suffered successive transformations throughout history. The castle has a trapezoidal design and is formed by three enclosures: an interior one of triangular design, which corresponds with the alcazaba or Nasrid palace of the Alhambra in Granada; and the other two strictly defensive ones built by the Christians at the end of the 15th century.

During the 70’s an anecdotal fact is that the castle housed a lion that was very popular with visitors. Nevertheless, today’s tourist can still see evidence of the past sugar industry and while local farmers continue to operate the leafy sugar cane plantations of the Salobreña valley; this is now done in rotation with other crops like maize, beans and artichoke. The new town planning that has developed and lines the coast also gives a proud nod to these times; a testimony to a past where the economy of the town depended almost exclusively around the sugar cane industry with 12 factories (ingenios) operating during the golden age of the late 19th century. The visitor will see at various points around the town, at the centre of a roundabout, a striking relic of 19th century factory machinery installed; a very simple but crowning monument to this bygone industrial age.

The local park La Fuente, where trees and fences give way to all manner of tropical plants like bananas, chirimoyas, canes, avocados... At the centre of the park is a monument to the cane, where bronze figures are shown giving life to a zafra, an ancient word used to denominate the harvest. The monument displays the harvester, machete in hand, and the woman clearing the leaves of the cane trunks. However, this romanticised tribute is not strictly true to practice. At the beginning of the 20th century this method of farming was replaced by a more popular technique that consisted on burning the plantation the day before the harvesting and cutting the stems the following day. Unlike potatoes, the sugar plants only last four years after which they lose their glucose content, and so they need to be lifted and new plants sown.

The Parochial Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario remains the pride of the townspeople. Built in the 14th century on the site of a mosque, it is a work in Mudejar style, and its interior was completely reconstructed in the first half of the 19th century, after being destroyed by a fire in 1821. In its interior, many relics remain, the most significant being a Mannerist chest of the 12th century, made in golden silver it has enamels of fine design, in blue, ochre and green. The most venerated carvings are those of the Virgin of the Rosario (the town’s patron saint), the Christ of the Perdon and the Christ Yacente, all of which have suffered great damage since the Civil War, but a program of restoration is being campaigned. Close by the church, the Villa de Salobreña historical museum located in the old town square summarizes the six thousand years of history of the town through scale models, ceramics, tools and exhibitors who show to the visitor the historical importance of the community through time.
 
Though rare, it is still possible to see the odd mule or oxen being trailed down to the fields, and in late summer if there are not mules, there are many garcetas, African birds that show how used they are to our presence and stop – serious looking - before returning to the wetlands of the Guadalfeo river.

Salobreña is not afraid of its past or is it reluctant to look to the present. While only one sugar factory remains (operating 2 months a year) in Caleta, at the foot hills of the Monte de los Almendros, an urbanisation where stunning designer villas look over the hill tops over to the castle town below and offer owners some of the most spectacular coastal views on Spain’s Costa Tropical. The progressive town hall administration has encouraged not only tourism but also historical attractions too. Soon to be opened are a new cultural centre, sports arena, and a museum to the sugar industry. During the summer months the town hosts a medieval market in the old town streets with a blend of stalls and jugglers, where locals and visitors are encouraged to join in to these unique attractions even through to the early hours. Other local fiestas include San Juan and San Pedro in June, and the patron celebrations of Nuestra Señora del Rosario in October where a fantastic firework display is launched from the castle turrets across to the shimmering Mediterranean below.

The area can expect to open up even more in the next 3 to 5 years. We will see the continued expansion of the motorway network that will see the connections of the A-1 (N-323) from Bailen and Madrid, with the coastal motorway A-7 (N-340) connecting with greater Mediterranean network. This will not only reduce journey times for tourists and visitors but will give a greater and more mobile access for those living in the city of Granada to be base themselves in more relaxing homes near the coast while still being less than 40 minutes from the office. Just 7 kilometres east of Salobreña lies Motril, Granada provinces second town and home to a seaport, thriving commercial centres, a marina, 18 hole golf course, 20 kilometres of sandy beaches along Playa Granada and Playa Poniente and the new thriving urbanisations of the Costa Granada ideal for golfers and water sports enthusiasts alike.

Motril town is also home to the Calderon de la Barca theatre. A building which dates from 1880 and is designed and decorated in Italian style. The building was recently restored and has been declared a Monument of Cultural Interest by the regional government of Andalucia - it is still used to host the many theatre, music and cultural events held in the town during the winter months. Other buildings of interest in the town include the house of  Countess Torre Isabel with its classical Andalusian patio; and also the Casa de Palma or Lucas Palma’s mill which today is home to the town’s library.

Apart from the popular fiestas of the Three Kings, Easter, day of the Crosses and San Juan; Motril  and its districts also have specific local dates celebrating either religious or social events. At the beginning of the year, January 13 is Earthquake day. On this day in 1804 a series of disastrous earthquakes came to an end when two of the town’s most sacred Saints images were taken through the streets in a procession that is still to this day annually repeated. July 16 is the procession of Virgin del Carmen – saint to the fisherman – that is paraded from town to the port and then taken out to sea in a boat before being landed again at Torrenueva. The townsfolk, also enjoy a full week of fairs, parties and celebrations in August when to commemorate the town’s patron saint – Nuestra Senora de la Cabeza – the night of the 15th ends with procession through the streets of the saint’s effigy followed by a spectacular display of fireworks. Later in the year, in October, Semana Verde is an important local agricultural fair that attracts not only farmers but also visitors from all over the region who come to sample the best wines, raisins, olive oils, almond sweets, sausages and other foods that the area produces. For more information about Motril; and its sugar cane industry see the following link.