Playa del Calabajío and Playa de Cabría: a guide to this stretch of Almuñécar's coast

Playa del Calabajío, the beach right in front of us, is fine dark sand and runs for some three hundred metres, sheltered between Punta de Jesús and Punta de la Galera. It's the first of a run of coves —Calabajío, Cabría, Curumbico and Barranco de Enmedio— that make up the least built-up stretch of the Almuñécar coast, which is why it stays quiet here even when the town fills up.

From Calabajío a coastal path leads round to Playa de Cabría, with the old Cabría watchtower in view. Cabría belongs to the same district as us, Velilla-Taramay, and is a small cove of gravel and rock with very calm water: the usual plan is a morning there and lunch back here with the sand still on your feet. If you'd rather leave the car behind, the Almuñécar town bus links the bus station with Taramay.

Velilla-Taramay is part of Almuñécar, but it sits east of the town, around three kilometres out. From the restaurant it's roughly five minutes by car heading west into the old centre, where you'll find the Peñón del Santo, San Miguel castle, the Roman remains and the old quarter, all easily covered on foot and good for a full morning.

La Herradura lies on the far side of Almuñécar, so you carry on west and through the town to reach it: about twelve to fifteen minutes from here. It's worth the trip for the bay, the diving and Marina del Este. Head the other way instead, eastwards, and you come to Salobreña with its rock and castle, and a little further on, Motril. The whole Costa Tropical, all within a short drive.

Coming off the A-7, take the Almuñécar exit and drop down to the N-340; the turning for Velilla-Taramay is clearly signposted, and the Camino de la Galera runs down to the seafront promenade with the sea straight ahead. From the centre of Almuñécar it's about five minutes east along the coast. From La Herradura, allow twelve to fifteen minutes: you pass through Almuñécar and keep going.

There's parking on the surrounding streets and in the areas beside the promenade. Out of season you'll almost always find something close by. In July and August, and especially for the evening service, it's worth allowing a little extra time, or leaving the car a few streets up and walking down: it's a couple of minutes at most.

This coast runs on the day's catch and on bluefin tuna, on slow-cooked rice dishes and on an unusual growing region: Almuñécar's subtropical microclimate produces custard apples, avocados and mangoes a few kilometres from the sea. Eating well here is, above all, a matter of respecting that produce.

Our kitchen starts there and adds a voice of its own: Mediterranean with a fusion streak, with Asian and Italian touches that work surprisingly well alongside local fish. Slow-cooked rice dishes, aged meats, everything made in-house daily, vegetarian and vegan options, a children's menu and full allergen information to hand. The cellar runs to more than sixty wines, so there's plenty of scope whether you're having rice or tuna.

The subtropical microclimate means there's rarely a bad time to be here. Spring and autumn are probably the pick of it: comfortable temperatures, an uncrowded beach and a town going about its business. Summer brings the buzz and the long evenings; winter brings sunny lunchtimes on the terrace that tend to astonish anyone arriving from inland.

We open every day of the year, in two sittings: 1pm to 4.30pm and 8pm to midnight. Lunch is for eating without watching the clock after a morning on the beach. Dinner is the other plan entirely: book early in the evening sitting and you'll arrive with the sunset still burning across the water. Restaurant, terrace, bar and chill-out area, all facing the Mediterranean, depending on the kind of evening you fancy.