El Varadero is Motril’s maritime district. There are several different themes to consider when planning a visit: the Fiestas in honour of the Virgen del Carmen in July, the Ruta del Mar, and the visitor facilities at Playa de las Azucenas. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can plan your stay around the festival dates, the route or the beach area.
Port, Fishing and Local History
The district grew up around the historic port, which was the only commercial, leisure and fishing port on the coast of Granada. Its connection to the port shapes El Varadero’s maritime character. The procession of the Virgen del Carmen also passes through the district’s streets and uses the Lonja Pesquera as its embarkation point.
For fishing settlements in the surrounding area, fishing was already one of the main livelihoods in the Phoenician, Roman and Muslim periods. The region’s fishing history therefore stretches back across several historical periods, adding to the picture of El Varadero as a maritime district.
Playa de las Azucenas
At Playa de las Azucenas, wooden boardwalks have been installed along the beach, along with raised walkways over flooded areas. There is also a covered outdoor visitor reception area and an accessible toilet module. The facilities therefore include various elements of visitor infrastructure: paths along the beach and across wet areas, a covered reception area and an accessible toilet module.
An access path and a pergola have been completed and are in use. The natural area is considered to be of natural, educational and scenic interest. On a visit to the beach, you can take in the paths and facilities as well as the natural area’s scenic and educational character.
Fiestas in Honour of the Virgen del Carmen
The Fiestas in honour of the Virgen del Carmen take place every year on 16 July in Varadero and last almost a week. The programme includes music, fairground rides, sporting activities and communal meals; individual events may vary from year to year. The annual festival date provides a specific reference point for planning a trip. If you’re travelling to attend a particular event, check the programme for that year.
The procession first passes through the streets of Varadero. It then boards at the Lonja Pesquera and continues by sea along the coast of Motril. Every year, one of the fishing boats moored at the quay is chosen to accompany the Virgen del Carmen at sea during the celebrations. The procession follows a clear sequence: the street section, embarkation and onward journey at sea.
Ruta del Mar: Route and Itinerary
The Ruta del Mar passes through Varadero, by the Lonja de pescado and the Ermita del Carmen. It then follows the traditional Camino Patria through orchards and traditional cultivated land, climbing towards Motril with Cerro de la Virgen in the background. The route links stops in the town with the path through the cultivated land to Motril.
The route is 23.60 kilometres long, is classed as low difficulty and has a cumulative elevation gain of 55 metres. Along the way, the surface alternates between asphalt, dirt track and beach sections. Distance, elevation gain and surface are different points of reference for planning: the low-difficulty rating does not change the stated route length. As trail conditions and signposting may change seasonally, it is a good idea to check both before setting out.
Plan Your Stay
When looking for a hotel in El Varadero, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your stay. For the Fiestas, the annual date of 16 July is the key point for timing; for the Ruta del Mar, the distance, elevation gain and changing surfaces are relevant. If you also plan to visit Playa de las Azucenas, you can consider its paths and visitor facilities as a separate focus. The festival, route and beach area each raise different travel-planning considerations, without needing to treat them as a single outing.
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