Spain’s Costa Tropical: La Rijana Beach
It would be a shame to head to Spain and not see a little bit of its gorgeous coastline. I wasn’t there in peak beach season so I just wanted a glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. Andalucia’s Costa Tropical made for a great location for a quick beach trip on the drive between Granada and Malaga. I visited the Costa Tropical after spending a couple of days in Granada and it was a very pleasant drive. If you are not traveling by rental car, this tour from Granada takes in the Tropical Coast on a day trip and looks like it visits many beautiful beaches.
While not as famous as the Costa del Sol, the Costa Tropical of Granada province is full of beautiful beaches and the famous sunshine. Less developed than the Costa del Sol, you have a better chance of having a less crowded beach experience.
La Rijana beach near Castell de Ferro made for a great choice because it is a short way off of the main route between Granada and Malaga. A short drive down a winding highway and we
Finding La Rijana Beach
La Rijana is about an hour drive from Granada. La Rijana entrance was a bit hard to find at first because it is on the opposite side of the coastline. With our eyes glued to the Mediterranean Sea, the first stop was actually above the beach looking across the cliffs and beach.
Backtrack from the viewpoint and you will find a parking lot on the opposite side of the coast. It’s a bit tricky to find because the entrance is right at a curve in the road. From the parking lot, you can walk down to the beach using a road and tunnel under the main highway. If it’s the offseason, you can even drive right down to the beach where there is a very small area to park. With only three other people on the beach when I visited, it felt like having the place to ourselves.
Jellyfish and Cliffs in La Rijana
Beaches along Spain’s southern coast (including the Costa
There are a few kinds of jellyfish in the Mediterranean, I think these ones are the Mauve Stingers. The Mauve Stinger is apparently the most venomous type of jellyfish in the Mediterranean. They can apparently cause intense pain and burning that can last for a couple of weeks. Thankfully I did not experience first hand! The large amounts of jellyfish were caused by rain and wind directing the jellyfish towards the shore.
La Rijana is part of a Special Area of Conservation as it has important wildlife and vegetation both in the water and on the cliffs. I only saw jellyfish, but the area supports Spanish ibex as well as peregrine falcons. In addition to this, its crystal clear waters make for a great location to snorkel or scuba dive.
La Rijana beach made for a nice quick stop to walk along the sand and take in the sea. This bay is quiet and seems to be mostly visited by locals. The water is very enticing to swim in, and I would have if it was free of jellyfish. If you enjoy coastlines and dramatic cliffs, this is a fantastic little beach to add to your trip to Spain. Check out my entire trip itinerary to spending a week in Spain’s Andalucia region.
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I love seeing how beaches differ around the world, because I think as a kid you just assume all beaches are the same as the ones you visit with family and friends. La Rijana Beach has such a beautiful coastline!
I never thought of beaches that way before! I absolutely love coastlines and would have loved to explore more of Spain’s. La Rijana definitely was a great choice to visit though.
The waters at La Rijana beach look gorgeous! This makes me want to go. Those were some awesome shots of the jelly fish as well. I like places that mostly locals go to.
The water was so beautiful and clear! While the jellyfish were cool, I was kind of disappointed I didn’t get to go swimming!
Gorgeous photos of the ocean. We encountered something similar in Costa Rica, as the water was very clean and supported various systems of wildlife, including jellyfish as well. We swam anyway as they were mostly jellyfish larvae and a sting felt a bit more like a mosquito bite. Do you know what kind there was in Spain? I suppose they also appreciate pristine water!
Those jellyfish don’t sound so bad, but I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to swim with them anyways. There are a few kinds of jellyfish in the Mediterranean, I think these ones are the Mauve Stingers. These ones do apparently cause intense pain and burning which I thankfully did not experience first hand! From what I read, it sounded like the large amounts of jellyfish were caused by rain and wind directing the jellyfish towards the shore.
The beach seem to be amazing, im sorry that there is so many jellyfish otherwise it would seem like such amazing place to bathe in! And it feels amazing that there are still places like this where you can have beaches for yourself
Even though the jellyfish dissuaded me from swimming, it was still a really beautiful beach to stroll around. This beach is not in one of Spain’s more popular beach areas like the Costa del Sol. The Costa Tropical is less busy and seems to attract more locals than international travelers.
We failed so badly when we went to Spain. We only saw the coast line from the train. After seeing your photos I really wish that we had taken the time to stop off in a small village and enjoy it.
I was almost guilty of the same mistake! I wasn’t focused on a beach vacation so I was only able to fit this visit in to the Costa Tropical on my very last day in Spain when I was on the way to the airport!
So lovely! These beaches look completely deserted too, It would be a nice place to go for a dip! (minus, of course, the jellyfish)
I think perhaps I just visited at a bad time. I’m sure it’s jellyfish free most of the time! There was only 3 other people on the beach the whole time I was there. And La Rijana is fairly large too so lots of space away from other people.
I’ve been meaning to visit Spain and its surrounding areas for over a year now and this post has just made me up my game. I need to book tickets asap. I’m a beach baby at heart, being from Australia, and this looks stunning!
Spain has so much to offer. I’ve actually heard the best beaches are in the northern part if you like dramatic coastlines! Hope you make it to Spain soon 🙂
I have been to Madrid but never to the coast of Spain. It looks AMAZING! Beautiful photos. I will definitely put it on my list for our next trip to Europe.
I’m going to have to make it to Madrid on my next trip to Spain. There’s so much to see in Spain I feel like I could visit multiple times and never see the same place twice!
Such an amazing beach! I love the dramatic coastline, it looks so peaceful on your photos, it’s definitely a beach I’d love to visit off season to avoid the crowd like you did. It reminds me of The Algrave in Portugal!
I love Europe in the off season. I haven’t visited the Algarve but it looks lovely. I’m a huge fan of dramatic coastlines so La Rijana was right up my alley.
This post is perfect for me. I’m heading to Spain for the first time next spring. I’m hoping to do a road trip through southern Spain all the way from Portugal to France. These beaches look gorgeous, I hope I can see them all.
That sounds like a fantastic road trip! I loved driving in Spain, the scenery is just stunning. While there is definitely a lot on the well-beaten tourist path, with a car I found it easy to get off that path and find some gems like La Rijana.
Your post greeted me with a dash of blue and love all the view points. Jelly fish blooms is interesting.
Glad you enjoyed the photos! The jellyfish blooms are really interesting and while I love seeing local wildlife, it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind! At least the Mauve Stinger is a beautiful jellyfish 🙂
Wow! What a place – I´m not sure I´ve ever visited any beaches at Costa Tropical! Spain has so many areas with gorgeous coastline, especially not in the peak beach season!
I’m not sure I would enjoy the beaches in peak season. Costa Tropical is so close to its famous neighbour the Costa del Sol that I think it gets overlooked a lot! It was so easy to access from Granada though.
This beach looks so lovely! I’m going to Malaga and Granada this fall and will definitely try to step by. Thank you for the inspiration.
Thanks Amber! Hope you enjoy your trip to Spain 🙂