Thoughtful words about life, and Almuñécar, written by Marianne Kummel-Kunnas.

There are certain events in life that are so disruptive and lead to such big changes that they divide life into BEFORE and AFTER. I’m sure you have some examples you’ll immediately think of. It can be nice things like when your children were born, but it can also be loss of some kind, a serious illness or other type of crisis. In the future, we will certainly also talk about before and after the corona pandemic.

For me and my husband, it was illness that became the watershed. BEFORE, we were stuck in the squirrel wheel in many ways. There were dreams of winters in the sun, but we did nothing actively to make them a reality. But when life suddenly comes to a standstill, anything can happen. For us, it led to some non-characteristic decisions for us, with the consequence that we were suddenly in Almuñécar with a rental apartment for 6 months in our pocket, and a contrac as “newly hatched” tour guides.

Our AFTER has given us the best of both worlds, winter at home on the Costa Tropical and summer at home in Finland. I look with gratitude at the fact that we just landed in Almuñécar. It is a place where many things can heal. Here we built a new everyday life, found new friends and an open, inclusive atmosphere both among Northerners and sexitanos, as the city dwellers are called. Here we have everything we need. 

Almuñécar is a small, adorable town on the side of the large tourist flows from the Nordic region. But those of us who have found our way here (and keep coming back) think we have found a treasure – a genuine, friendly, and beautiful city, between mountains and the sea. A city that has so much to offer and shows its appreciation towards its winter guests in so many ways. After all, tourism is an important source of income alongside orchards.

If you would ask me today what the best thing about Almuñécar is, I would answer the proximity to the sea, to the mountains and the balmy evenings along the promenade or up in the old town. I can’t get enough of putting my shoes on and going for a walk or hiking in the mountains.

But on another day, I could probably answer the calmness, the pace of life, the balcony and terrace life, the feeling of just being able to be. Sit and enjoy the blue Mediterranean, feel the warmth of the skin, and a refreshing drink on the tongue.

And if you asked a third time, my answer would be the generous range of culture in Almuñécar and in Andalusia. Casa de la Cultura in our city is a phenomenon. If you like me are interested in history, there is so much to see and learn only in the province of Granada, not to mention the whole of Andalusia.

If you want to know more, I think you’d better come and see and experience with your own eyes and minds. You won’t regret it and I think you’ll also start thinking along the lines of BEFORE and AFTER Almuñécar became part of your life.

Marianne Kummel-Kunnas

KalliopejaRESOR

http://www.kalliopeja.fi/Kalliopejaresor

“This post is an unpaid collaboration with KalliopejaRESOR”