Motril, Mediterranean coastal municipality in Province of Granada, Spain
Motril is a coastal town in the Province of Granada between the Mediterranean and the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia. Long beaches alternate with subtropical fruit plantations that extend right up to the edge of the urban area.
Phoenicians founded a settlement here that later came under Roman and Arab rule. The Arab period shaped the place especially through the introduction of sugar cane cultivation, which dominated the economy until the 20th century.
Sugar cane processing shaped the landscape for centuries, where today avocados and cherimoyas grow between old irrigation channels. The harbor connects the town with North Africa and brings goods and travelers to the Spanish mainland daily.
The center lies somewhat inland from the beach, so you need to cover about a kilometer between shops and the coast. The harbor in the eastern part of town is accessible for both ferries and cargo ships.
A museum displays the original machinery and techniques of sugar processing from medieval times to the early modern period. Visitors can follow how raw cane sugar was extracted and refined in several steps.
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