Living in Granada during the summer, I had a perfect opportunity for beach time that I could not miss out on. Granada is only about an hour drive away from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, so taking a bus down to the beach is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday at the beginning of the semester when homework hasn’t picked up yet.
There are a bunch of options you can pick when deciding which beach to go to, but there aren’t a lot of differences between the various towns. Some have more pebbles than sand on their beaches, others have a wide expanse of soft sand you’d normally associate with a warm climate. Depending on which beach town you go to, the bus ride might take longer. I always chose to go to Nerja because I love the town and it’s usually less than two hours by bus. Others liked to go to Málaga, the closest beach only an hour away.
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| An example of a rocky beach |
Taking buses are definitely the fastest and cheapest way to get around southern Spain, so I took them a lot! You can simply buy a ticket online or at the bus station, and you can ride the bus to whichever town you need to go. The bus station is a bit far from city center, so it usually makes sense to take a city bus (only €1.50 fare) as opposed to a taxi (more like €8). This is really easy from most locations you’ll only need to take one bus to get to the station.
Once you arrive, you can just follow the crowd always heading towards the water. Most of the beaches in these towns are free for public use, so once you find the sand (or pebbles), all you have to do is lay down your towel and relax.
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| Nerja |
I recommend Nerja for your destination because not only does it have sandy beaches and an adorable surrounding town, but it is also famous for its seaside caves. You might book a caving tour so you’re sure to see the best, or you can just explore the caves on your own.
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| Peaking out between two massive rocks in Nerja |
Things to keep in mind:
- The water might be really cold or change temperatures within the span of days! I went toward the end of the summer, and it was pretty chilly. During my second trip only a week later, no one could swim because the water was too freezing.
- All of the beaches in Spain are topless. Now this does not in any way mean that girls have to go topless! But if seeing that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, it’s something to consider before you go!
I had an amazing time at the beach, and if you are anywhere near a warm coast during your study abroad, I highly recommend taking a trip to the ocean!
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| The amazing Mediterranean Sea with its stripes of color. |
Eve Olson is the Fall 2015 CEA MOJO Blogger in Granada, Spain. She is currently a Junior at the University of Utah.