Almayate is situated close to the much larger town of Torre del Mar. It has three different areas, Almayate Baja which is on the beach, hidden from view by sugar cane, amongst which can be found bars and restaurants. Here you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Jamaica or some shanty town except the sand is grey! The inhabitants are artistic and slightly eccentric as can be seen by their monuments and rock paintings. There is even a bonsai nursery hidden away behind one of the bars. For beach lovers there are two campsites one of which is for naturists who can be seen strolling naked along the shore soaking up the rays. Their chiringuito is for naturists only and if you arrive there with clothes on you will be asked to leave, textiles are not allowed and if you persist in walking on their part of the beach with anything on except your birthday suit you will be greeted with slow hand clapping until you leave. But don´t worry, if you are a textile there are plenty of other beaches and chiringuitos where everyone will be happy to see you comfortably dressed in bikini or shorts.
Almayate pueblo is on the other side of the coast road and here you can find restaurants, banks, shops and a school. There are huge craggy rocks above which tower one of the few remaining Osborne Bulls which can be seen from miles away. The main focal point of interest in the town is the 16th century church of Santa Ana with its attractive bells.
Almayate was the main farming area in the Vélez-Málaga area during the Nasrid period where the most common agricultural system was irrigated crops. It was the only village that was granted a privilege for settling less than a league away from the coast after the conquest of the Catholic Monarchs, so it became known as the Seguro de Almayate.
Higher up and across the motorway is Almayate Alto where there are many farmhouses and new villas with spectacular views of the coast.