La Herradura – Happy Summer!
Before, during and after Covid – La Herradura is our south Spanish paradise where we spend our summers and all our free time.
Photo: Per Lindblom
1 hour east of Malaga you find La Herradura, which in our opinion is the “gold nugget” along La Costa Tropical: the coastline of the province of Granada. We believe that this area is one of the most beautiful coastlines in Spain, stretching from Nerja in the west to Almuñecar in the east.
What makes it so special is how the mountains meet the sea and plunge into the water. That is what made us fall in love with the place – the fact that you view both sea and mountains from the beach.
The name, La Herradura, means horseshoe in Spanish, which is the shape of the bay where the village is situated. It is a village with well-preserved charm. No high-rise buildings, no big food chains, or big resorts – no, life here is more authentic, more traditional. When we go grocery shopping, we make many stops on the way – the butcher, the market hall, the fruit shop, the small supermarket and the baker. You stop and talk for a while, like you do in smaller villages. We love it!
Photo: Andalucia.org
The crystal clear, turquoise blue water makes this part of the Mediterranean a paradise not only above the surface. It’s an area where divers come from near and far to enjoy the colourful marine universe full of caves, cliffs, corals and reefs. The area in between La Herradura and Nerja is a marine reserve where all this beauty is well preserved and protected.
Here you can also find the beach Playa de Maro that was appointed, by the Swedish travellers’ magazine Vagabond, to be the most beautiful beach in the south of Spain.
When we go out with the boat, we easily see the bottom at 30-40 meters depth!!! And it isn’t unusual to see dolphins, sunfish and a large selection of colourful fish and even octopuses.
Photo: Per Lindblom
Yes, when we feel happiest, we are out at sea. We pack some tortilla de patatas, watermelon, hummus, vegetables and white wine, and off we go to enjoy a day at sea. And the SUP board and the snorkel are always with us. Unbeatable!
Photo: Per Lindblom
The sensation of freedom is enormous when you jump into the sea, at open water at 150 m depth. But I must admit I don’t stay swimming for too long… You never know what is hiding down there.
Photo: Lime DMC
Another highlight is to take a long morning walk to one of the mountains that embraces La Herradura. My favourite is to reach the lighthouse on Punta de la Mona, from where you view the beautiful port and the main city of La Costa Tropical, Almuñecar. When you reach the top, you get amazed of the crystal-clear water where you easily see underwater rocks, divers and even fish.
Photo: Lime DMC
And if you turn your head the other way you see the snow-covered peaks of Sierra Nevada. Yes! Didn´t you know? During spring we can go skiing and have a dip in the sea on the same day! It’s only 1,5-hour drive to reach the ski resort.
Photo: Per Lindblom
The beautiful marina, Marina del Este, is a place you cannot miss. It’s impossible to find a more charming and quaint port. It’s a bit like a pirate port where a big rock full of lush vegetation is the natural protection from storm and waves. Here you find several nice restaurants where we love to meet with friends over a cold beer.
But when it comes to eating, we have one special favourite, our second home – La Sardina, on La Herradura beach, where Paco and his very welcoming staff offer superb service. And fantastic food! The speciality is fish and seafood – as fresh as it gets! Our order is quite static, I’m afraid: avocado and tomato salad, quisquillas (shrimp from the area) and mussels in tomato sauce. Mamma mía, what an amazing tomato sauce. YUMMY.
The avocado deserves a special mention. La Herradura is located on La Costa Tropical, a name that brings sun and fun to mind. But there is more to it than that. The climate in the area is subtropical, which means that tropical fruit like avocado, mango, papaya and lychee are cultivated here. To have locally produced avocado that tastes like avocado almost bring you to tears.
Locally produced, fresh fish and vegetables – here we live a truly good life.
It’s not only avocado trees that like the subtropical climate – so does chameleons. When we walk down to the beach, we pass by a big pomegranate tree where we more than once have seen these funny little creatures. I suppose it’s not the same one we’ve seen, but even though we’ve named it Manolo.
Photo: Lime DMC
We come here as often as we can and during spring, we’ve been confined in La Herradura. Now we are looking forward to enjoying summer in this gold nugget.
And the very best is that all our friends that have discovered La Herradura together with us have fallen head over heels in love with this charming village, its horseshoe shaped beach, its good food and its turquoise water.
We hope that you also get the opportunity to discover La Herradura – our paradise.
HAPPY SUMMER
Evalisa and Javier
Photo: Per Lindblom
