Motril is the largest town on the Costa tropical with 56,000 inhabitants. Motril is indeed a comercial town with the largest selection of shops on the whole of the coast and is increasily popular with tourists looking for 'typical' spanish towns away from the crowds of the Costa del Sol. The town of Motril is located just off the main coast road between Almeria and Malaga where the N340 turns inland for Granada. Therefore most tourists do not by pass the town.
Whilst in Motril take a look at one of the interesting sights:
Town Hall ? Built in 1631 in baroque style. There is a mudejar coffered ceiling in the main entrance hall and the assembly hall.
The Sugar Cane Museum behind the Casa de la Palma.
Sanctuary of Ntra Sra de la Cabeza stands on a hill overlooking the Park of the countries of America. This baroque shrine was built on the former Moorish palace of Aixa, mother of Boabdil. The well kept park itself is a pleasant place for a quite stroll.
Motril also houses the only theatre on the coast well known for the great number of cultural events every month (Teatro Calderón de la Barca)
Motril is best known for its busy commercial port. There is also a fishing port and a yachting Marina.
Motril's coastal strip has seven beaches. The two main beaches in Motril, Playa Granada and Playa Poniente, have been improved with many services especially in summer and bars famous for the fish tapas they put on. In Playa Granada they are currently building 5 complexes of luxury appartments surrounded by the golf course currently being enlarged to 18 holes, aswell as a 4 * hotel. A select area of Motril. The Gran Hotel Elba is the best on the coast, very comfortable and reasonably priced but its location lacks inspiration. Ideal for a night halt or a business meeting.
Taking the little coast road west from Playa Poniente we pass Casa Astrida, formidable looking with its heavy security. If you see a lot of police standing guard then the King is probably in residence. It was here where the late King Baldwin of Belgium was staying when he died in 1993. A little further west we find Motril's Los Moriscos Golf course.
