Older people often say, "People are crazy about avocados but don’t even know what the tree looks like." The disconnect between generations and the rural world stings for many, though fortunately in a positive way too. Some people feel that spark of curiosity to learn about the sector that feeds us, to understand the work behind the grocery basket, and in many cases, that itch sparks a burning desire to immerse themselves in or even move to this world that is so unfamiliar to many of them.

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It is no surprise that this kind of 'rural tourism,' focused as it is on getting to know the intimate beginnings of these processes, is so fashionable and makes visiting farms where products are grown a gift for those who take part. Getting to know the environment, taking a stroll, and, in passing, tasting the fruits from the land of the Costa Tropical is a temptation that is hard to resist. And in October (and until the end of the year), they are in peak season.

In everyday conversations in Granada, you also hear people say, "You're more typical of Granada than a cherimoya," a local aphorism referring to a fruit that fills the province’s kitchens every year, and increasingly, those of other regions as well. The cherimoya, or cherimoyo depending on where it is spoken of, shares the stage with other seasonal delights grown in the Costa Tropical. Not only are these foods deeply rooted in the local culture, but they are also nutritionally interesting products that attract thousands of consumers each year.

The cherimoya, mango, and avocado are the star crops of the Costa Tropical in October—their peak season—, and strolling through the farms that grow, care for and harvest them is one of the pleasures that increasingly draws nature lovers. Farms like El Edén, Matagallares, San Ramón, or El Pinero offer this type of tourism which, like visits to wineries or farms, is an ever-growing attraction for the curious or for those nostalgic for contact with nature.

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The Granada coastline offers unique conditions in Europe for growing tropical fruits. What other region can offer a subtropical climate with average temperatures of 20 degrees, about 300 sunny days a year, and, most importantly, be so ideally situated between the Mediterranean and the Sierra de Lújar and Sierra Nevada? This is why fruit is the golden blood running through the Costa Tropical’s veins. In fact, this area is the largest exporter of high-quality tropical fruit in all of Europe.

But this abundance of fruit does not stop with the most popular species mentioned. The coastal fields of Granada also focus on other exotic products like lychee, papaya, star fruit, kumquat, guava, or dragon fruit.

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