The jewel of the Costa Tropical, Salobreña is a whitewashed township clinging to huge lump of rock just back from the shoreline, topped by a Moorish castle and surrounded by lush sugar cane plantations.
Salobreña has witnessed 6000 years of history thanks to its privileged position and benign climate. Its Moorish castle was built in the 10th century, and its Mudejar 16th century church, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario is built on top of the old mosque and Roman remains turn up everywhere.
From various viewpoints, you can admire the rugged landscape of the Sierra del Chaparral which cradles the town to the back, while under the cliffs are orchards of sub-tropical fruit trees and expanses of sugar cane spreading to the shoreline. The tiny village of La Caleta directly to the west houses the last sugar factory in Europe.
The Zoco de Artesanos, a craftsmen’s market, is the place to see how glassblowers, carpenters, ceramicists or toy makers work and create, and the Parque de la Fuente, well known for its twice weekly night-time markets, holds various cultural exhibitions in the summer.
Beaches
The beautiful, wide sandy beach at Salobreña is split in two by Penon rock. The beach is a short walk from the town, but is home to several chiringuitos – the Spanish beach restaurants.
Gastronomy
Fish cuisine, blue fish marinades – escabeches, Salobreña style octopus, sardine skewers, seafood zarzuelas, salt rock fish, cazón stews with potatoes, seafood soups, homemade dishes such as bread crumbs or flour – they all deserve to be tasted by the visitors. Gazpacho is done with vegetables from the garden and tropical salads with exotic fruits produced in Salobreña. Pastries of Arab origin and ice cream such as local curly milk, cherimoya ice cream, desserts and tropical fruit are the delicious sweet options of the area.