As you know, many cruise lines organize theme cruises to attract new customers, or offer something different from yours. Well, whenever I think of these thematic trips, I think of the big shipping companies, however, on the Costa Tropical, yes on the coast of Granada I have found some routes that are based on the history of this coast, in which, according to the advertising brochure itself, "they comb the natural charm of Cerro Gordo to the beauty of La Rijana."
There are several companies of tourist services that offer this and other possibilities, and complement their journeys with wines and tastings of typical products, such as mussels. If you are in the area, I would not miss it.
Cruise Costa Tropical and the cliffs
Cruises Costa Topical, proposes a “Excursion or mini-cruise” aboard the Boatdil catamaran, with capacity for almost 100 people, lasting an hour and a quarter. There are two different routes from Motril to Cabo Sacratif and from Marina del Este, in Almuñécar, to the natural area of Cerro Gordo. If you decide to do the route that starts from Motril, and if you really want to become a sea lion, very early I would go to visit the fish market, so you can learn about the fish auction, traceability and handling. And now, yes, we embarked for Cape Sacratif.
At Cape Sacratif, the southernmost point of the Granada coast, you will find a lighthouse inaugurated in 1863 to facilitate entry into Calahonda, since it is an area of very steep cliffs, some of them have a drop of 75 meters.
In the mini-cruise that you will enjoy along this coastline, the Peñón de Jolúcar, Punta de Carchuna, Ensenada de Zacatín, Punta del Melonar and Cala de Cambriles, It is almost a kilometer long and has the particularity of being protected, so it is hardly frequented. If your cruise stops at La Joya, "don't panic" but bear in mind that it is a nude beach.
Cerro Gordo natural site
El Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs natural area it is a narrow strip 12 kilometers long, of great environmental value, parallel to the coastline, limited to the north by the N-340 highway and which penetrates 1 mile into the interior of the Alboran Sea.
Thanks to glass bottom catamaran in which we propose this cruise you will be able to see the seabed of this coast, with numerous species of flora such as posidonia oceanica, seagrass and seagrass nodosa, which form rich meadows and give this sea its characteristic transparency.
If you are already lucky enough to be able do a diveUnder the sea you can enjoy caves and steep seabeds in the Mediterranean itself, where a large number of plant and animal species live.
A bit of history, the shipwreck of La Herradura
In one of the thematic routes of the Costa Tropical they will explain the shipwreck of La Herradura of October 19, 1562, in which twenty-five ships sank and about 5.000 people died, yes as you read it, a naval disaster in which another 3.000 sailors were saved, even Miguel de Cervantes names the event in the second part of Don Quixote! But the truth is that few resources have been used by the institutions in the recovery of this historical heritage that is still under the sea.
I could give you more data and historical references, but it is much more fun to listen to on board a themed cruise, and this is not the only shipwreck, also in the early twentieth century in 1900 the shipwreck of the German training ship Gneissenau took place.
Do not think that these trips can only be enjoyed in summer, as you know the name of Costa Tropical comes for its subtropical microclimate, with an average temperature of 20 degrees. So now you know, until September 20 the four catamaran departures will be operating, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from Marina del Este and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from Motril. In October the catamaran departures will be arranged for groups with specialized guides, where once again the history and secrets of the Costa Tropical will be the protagonists.