Motril Things to Do
Within the town there are various buildings of historic interest for instance the 17th century baroque-style town hall (Ayuntamiento de Motril) with its Moorish panel work in the ceilings of the entrance and assembly halls. Surrounding the town there still remains evidence of the area’s agricultural past when sugar refining was the principal business and it was at the heart of the only region of sugar cane cultivation in Europe.
The Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza which stands on a hilltop is also worth a visit, it stand on the site of a former Moorish palace, overlooking the Park of the People of the Americas.
Established in 1604, Casa de Palma is the area’s sugar cane plantation. The fields and buildings are open for tours. Plan ahead and you can arrange for a tour of this unique industry.
The Caldéron Theatre is an Italian style theatre that dates back to the 1800s. The building’s ceiling paintings are only part of the theatre’s allure. The building has been undergoing renovations in the past few years, so expect some areas to possibly be off limits.
Back in the nineteenth Centuary with Sugar production at its peak the port of Motril was busy exporting this white gold throughout Europe and the owners of the lands and production facilities became very wealthy one remnant of this wealth which has been preservesd is Casa de los Bates which stands about half way between Motril and Salobrena. Entered from the N340 coast road this impressive 19th century residence is now a boutique style, 4 room hotel. The original structure and its interior retains much of its past century charm and decoration. The house is surrounded by tall magnificent palm trees and Arab gardens of the XVIII and XIX centuries and the various viewing points established in the XV century.
There are also many sheltered coves, rocky inlets and impressive cliff faces along this stretch of coastline making it popular with divers, snorkellers and sailors.
For golfers there’s the eighteen hole Los Moriscos golf course midway between the town and Salobrena, located next to the beach and set amid the exotic fruit plantations its facilities include a putting green, driving range and good leisure facilities. From the course not only are you next to the sea but you also have excellent views of the Sierra Nevada mountains which are covered in snow in the winter
Other sports available in the area include whitewater rafting (there’s a course which goes right through the centre of Granada), rock climbing, fishing, mountain biking and hiking as well as a range of water sports down on the nearby beaches. The marina and nautical club offer a variety of watersports including diving, sailing, fishing, windsurfing and flysurfing. You can hire a boat here and take an excursion across the water to North Africa. The marina has 168 moorings and is always a hive of activity, especially in the summer months.
The town is ideally placed for exploring the historic city of Granada (just 40 minutes drive away) with its Generalife Gardens and fabulous Alhambra Palace. The Sierra Nevada mountain range, at 3,000 metres, is a paradise for skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering and is near enough for you to be skiing in the morning and sunbathing back at the beaches in Motril in the afternoon.
Motril is only a short drive to the fringes of the Alpujarras, one of Spain’s most spectacular regions where ancient villages where time seems to have stood still cling to mountainsides on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. You’d be hard pushed to find a more fascinating day excursion than a trip into the Alpujarras.
Other local activities and places to visit can be found on the Costa Tropical Information page as well as the pages for each of the resorts.
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