Playa del Cañuelo, a great beach for snorkeling
As a beach, top marks, in our opinion!!
Quiet, secluded, and a snorkeling paradise!
Bu
t this wonderful, hidden gem of a beach, is not for everyone; it is located within the protected area of the national parkland to the East of La Herradura, (around 30 minutes’ drive from Escuela La Crujia). This means that you cannot drive down the 1.5 Kms of track to the beach – you have to walk down (August- 4×4 or minibus ride down to the beach provided by the Andalusian Government). But the walk is beautiful, and is not SO bad. For anyone who is not disabled or with a health problem, it is totally ‘do-able’. In the Summer, it is advisable to get there early or leave after 7pm, when the heat of the day will make the walk more bearable – and take bottled water and a snack!
The beach is simply beautiful! It is wild, rugged, quiet (except mid Summer), breathtakingly spectacular, with wonderful rocks, glittering, crystal-clear water and a myriad of tiny, incredibly pretty, brilliantly coloured and patterned pebbles.
Best of all …. THE SNORKELING. This is a perfect snorkeling beach, and as you explore the sensationally cristal clear waters, you will be amazed and fascinated by the variety and beauty of so many fish, in huge shoals, everywhere you look!
Even without the snorkeling gear, all you need to do is step into the water and you will often find that your feet are surrounded by fishes! They will even nip at your legs – quite surprising the first time it happens! The water is so clear, you can see the seabed clearly even many metres down.
There is a lovely and very tropical-looking ‘chiringuito’ (beach bar) here, so although it is very adviseable to take a supply of water and a snack with you and perhaps a picnic, (the bar is not a
lways open), the chiringuito provides a cool drink and tapas when the sun gets too hot! 
There are bins – so take any rubbish to the bins – this is a clean, beautiful and simply divine little beach, and we all want to keep it that way!
So go take a look, and ENJOY!!…
Getting there: from the Escuela, take the main A356 road South, and join the motorway, (left) towards Nerja/Almería. Come off at the second Nerja exit (signposted Maro, Cuevas de Nerja) and follow the coastal road East. Just before you reach La Herradura, and just after a roundabout, you will see the signs to Playa El Cañuelo. Park at the top in the car park and either walk down or wait for the Summer 4×4 ride down.
