In addition to these positive figures for accommodation, there has been a high turnout at the beaches, tourist attractions and the cultural, festive and commercial events scheduled throughout the summer, according to data from the municipal tourist board.

The councillor for tourism, Beatriz González Orce, said, "We must interpret these figures as an incentive to keep working. We’ve had a very good July and August and the outlook for September is excellent, but our aim cannot be limited to achieving high occupancy figures. We must ensure that this demand generates activity across the whole of the municipality, benefits our business community and gives visitors reasons to return to Almuñécar and La Herradura”.

One of the most significant indicators this summer has been the trend in international demand. In July, overnight stays by foreign visitors rose by 15.8 per cent compared with the same month in 2025, with an average stay of more than six nights. This growth has helped to offset the slight decline in domestic demand, a trend that is also being observed this summer in many Spanish coastal destinations as a result of greater restraint in household spending.

“International growth is excellent news because it enables us to move towards a more diversified demand that is less dependent on a single source market,” González Orce said. “Furthermore, we are talking about visitors staying for more than six nights, which is a very interesting statistic given their potential to drive tourist spending in the municipality’s accommodation, catering, retail and service sectors.”

“We have reason to be satisfied, but not to become complacent,” said González Orce. “The true value of a good season lies in our ability to build on it. September and October look very promising, and we must now continue working to ensure that the rest of the autumn and winter are equally strong, to keep growing in international markets, and to ensure that tourism creates opportunities for as many businesses, workers and sectors in Almuñécar and La Herradura as possible.”

 Beaches, festivals and shops  

The strong occupancy figures have also been reflected in the town’s tourism activity. The beaches have seen high visitor numbers and the beach bars in Almuñécar and La Herradura have reported a positive outcome for the season. Added to this are the visitor numbers recorded at tourist and heritage attractions such as the aquarium, San Miguel Castle and the Siete Palacios cave, with an average of around 30,000 visitors over the last eight months.

The Almuñécar fair attracted 60,000 people to the Feria de Noche (night fair), more than 6,000 people a day at the day fair and over 100,000 at the fireworks and music display on 15 August. Added to this were the two late shopping nights which saw the participation of 30 shops and over 5,000 tickets sold, as well as the youth programme, which offered more than 60 activities during July and August and continues its programme throughout September with more than a dozen events.

González Orce went on to say “A tourist season does not depend solely on the tourism department. When Almuñécar and La Herradura see their population multiply during the summer, the destination functions thanks to the joint efforts of many municipal departments and services. Beaches, public safety, cleaning, culture, festivals, trade, youth, environment, maintenance and tourism are all part of the same system. The experience that our visitors ultimately take away depends to a large extent on that coordination," she said.

The Councillor for Tourism has extended this recognition to the private sector and to the staff at hotels, holiday apartments and tourist accommodation, beach bars, restaurants, shops and service providers, “who serve thousands of people every day and play a vital role in shaping the perception and reputation of our destination”.