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Sports

 Watersports   Tennis   Horseriding   Parapente
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 Adventure Sports   Indoor Sports

Geography and climate have conspired to make Almuñécar and La Herradura the preferred destination for a wide variety of sportsmen, from divers to hang-gliders. Numerous activities and training courses are available throughout the year, particularly for watersports.

The Costa Tropical has recently been chosen as one of the country's top seven nautical venues and will be receiving a lot of attention over the coming years. Comprehensive sporting holiday packages will be one of the outcomes of this enterprise which can only be good for visitors who don't want the hassle of having to organise all the details of their stay. We shall keep you informed of developments. Meanwhile, many sports clubs can help with arranging accommodation if you're booking a course.

Windsurfing. This is very popular and facilities can be found on many beaches offering equipment hire, courses and storage facilities. Winds are light to moderate throughout most of the year with occasional gales in Spring or Autumn. Overall, conditions are ideal in summer for beginners and more experienced enthusiasts can enjoy themselves throughout most of the year.

\ Windsufing Schools

Diving. There are atleast 6 diving schools in the area which says much for the sport's popularity and the wealth of underwater attractions. Most types of dive are available, including cave and wreck dives, and occasional night dives. Courses of all levels are offered.

The stretch of coastline running west from Cerro Gordo to Maro (near Nerja), known as the Cliffs of Maro has been declared a maritime park and is protected against fishing and coastal development, making it an attractive diving destination.

\ Diving Schools

Sailing. Boats are available for hire or purchase at a number of places and some training courses can be found. Most sports boating activity takes place around the Marina del Este and on the beach of La Herradura. You can charter a yacht, usually with captain, or rent a smaller dingy or catamaran for unaccompanied sailing. See Windsufing above for comments on the wind conditions.

\ Boat Hire

Other Watersports. Usually only available in summer, you can also enjoy some water-skiing or para-skiing, behind a boat, or take to the sea on a jet-ski. Most watersports clubs can offer some or all of these facilities.

Public playing facilities are limited in the area, most courts belonging to hotels and private urbanisations. On the other hand there is a pretty good supply of tennis equipment in the sports shops. With an average of only 20 rainy days a year, the tennis season is long and mainly sunny. During the height of summer the heat usually prevents playing throughout much of the midday.

\ Tennis Clubs

There's one picadero, or stables, to the east of Almuñécar in Taramay which gives classes, arranges events and organises excursions. Trekking in the surrounding hills is hard work but very rewarding, mainly for experienced riders.

\ Riding Schools

Gentle breezes hitting the abrupt local coastline during the heat of day create great thermal updraughts for practising parapente and delta. Launch points are well known by enthusiasts who can be seen circling the headlands for hours.

\ Parapente Clubs

Practised here, this sport truly lives up to its name, so as long as you're prepared to take the uphill with the down, you'll find some exhilirating biking to be enjoyed. Bike repairs and supplies are available in town.

 \ Bicycle Rental and Repairs

There are a couple of agencies in the area that offer a selection of adventure excursions along the coast and in the surrounding mountains. Apart from those sports already mentioned on this page, you'll find 4x4 cross-country routes and canyoning trips on offer. Groups are lead by trained monitors and prices include insurance and equipment hire.

 / Adventure Sports

Indoor Sports

The benign climate tends to encourage outdoor activities and there are few facilities in Almuñécar or La Herradura for practising indoor sports. To our knowledge, there are no public squash, paddle or badminton courts in town.

There is, however, a very smart new covered municipal swimming pool close to the beach of San Cristóbal in Almuñécar, beside the sports pavilion. The building is perfectly acclimatised with sliding roof and competition sized swimming area. An outside pool is also being prepared.

Another kind of pool is also popular among the local youth, this one played with an 8-ball. There's one good pool hall in Almuñécar with a healthy number of tables (American rules). Unfortunately we haven't yet found any full-size snooker tables anywhere. Electronic darts, however, is very popular and can be played in many of the bars.

And there's a gymnasium in town for those who need to have a serious workout.

 \ Indoor Sports