All you can do in La Herradura?

Beaches

In the immediate vicinity are a number of beaches:

  1. The 2 kilometer-long beach of La Herradura, at about 1 km from the home. By car less than 3 minutes, if you walk down the hill some 10-15 minutes.
  2. Playa de la Caiza, a tiny and idyllic beach. As the crow flies less than 500 meters from the home and reachable on foot via a somewhat adventurous mountain path 75 meters downhill. Easy to reach by canoe (or Stand Up Paddelboard or boat) starting at the beach at La Herradura.
  3. Playa de Cantarrijan is a well-known nudist beach in this region. It is roughly 6 km from the home in the direction of Nerja.
  4. Near Almuñecar and Nerja you can also find various beautiful beaches.

Swimming pool

Around the corner is the pool Las Palomas where you, as a guest of Casa Viva la Vida, may enter free of charge. You can swim, sunbathe, and drink or eat something. For the little ones there is a separate wading pool. The pool is usually available from January to the end of October.

Water sports

La Herradura is known for its opportunities for water sports. At various locations you can rent canoes for a wonderful trip to e.g. the caves of Gordo, you can do Stand Up Paddelboating, snorkeling, take a diving tour with one of the many diving schools, you can (learn to) windsurf, and if the wind is towards the coast, you can actually surf. Also, there are varous locations where you can rent boats, from catamarans to powerboats. You don't need a boating license. You can register for fine excursions by boat. 

Other sports

tennis

There is a tennis court within a 2 minutes walk, next to the swimming pool in Las Palomas. Here you can rent a court as well as rackets. There is a bar (daytime only) where you can order something to drink or eat.

paragliding

For the not-faint-of-heart: paragliding. The company Paragliding Tropical in Amuñecar offers various options. You can even end up gliding over La Herradura.

Food and drink

There are dozens of bars, restaurants and ice cream stores in La Herradura, for any budget and taste. At the beach you can get seasonal fish every afternoon grilled fresh on a wood fire. Yet you can also find authentic Spanish, Chinese, Italian or Asian fare. We give you some personalized tips in the house guide. Nearby Nerja and Almuñecar also offer many excellent restaurants.

Markets

There is a Fresh Market, covered, and open Monday through Saturday from 8-15 o'clock. It offers fish, vegetables, fruit and meat. Everything is fresh, and prices are very competitive. There is a regular (open air) market on Friday mornings 9.00-14.00 at the Plaza Nueva.

Near-by Almuñecar also has an open air market on Fridays, and a regular Sunday flea market.

Shopping

La Herradura counts many clothing stores and boutiques. There is great shopping in the larger towns of Almunecar and Nerja, some 8 km away. There are lots of small stores and boutiques with clothing, jewelry, ceramics, gifts, etc. Ideal for days when the weather is not the best.

The Castle of La Herradura

In the 18th century, La Herradura had to cope with recurring attacks from pirates and buccaneers. So it was decided to build a castle for defense. The castle was in direct contact with two lookout towers, one in Cerro Gordo on the west side of the bay and the other at Punta de la Mona on the east side. Until 2003 it was in use for military barracks. Now it is used as an interpretive center where you can find out everything about the La Herradura Naval Disaster in 1562 that shipwrecked almost all of a fleet of 28 ships.