Rasa sepanjang tahun: mangga, avokado dan cherimoya di pesisir

The Costa Tropical is one of the few places in Europe where tropical fruit grows outdoors. Mangoes ripen in September, avocados from November, and chirimoyas (custard apples) through the winter. This guide shows the fruit year and what to check if you buy a finca, a country property, with fruit trees.

Why the coast can grow tropical fruit

Mountains run along the coast just inland and block the cold north winds. The land faces south and gets plenty of sun, so winters are mild: night-time lows are usually 3 to 6 °C, and the yearly average between Salobreña and Nerja is 16.8 to 19.1 °C. The chirimoya-growing area covers about 85 km of coast, from Motril to the Vélez river, west of Torrox.

The bigger risk for growers is summer heat, not winter cold. Summer highs reach 32 to 37 °C, and a very hot summer can make the fruit ripen early and small.

The year on the trees

The fruit year starts with mangoes in September. Different varieties follow one another until late November, so local mangoes are on sale for about three months.

Avocados start in November, and the main variety, Hass, is in season from about mid-November through the winter. Buy them from a farm gate in the valley: they will be riper and cheaper than in the supermarket.

Chirimoya has the longest season, usually until March. The flowers are pollinated by hand, one by one.

In spring comes the níspero, or loquat. It is picked from April, peaks in June and ends in July. Smaller amounts of papaya, lychee and passion fruit are also grown; their seasons vary by farm, so ask at the stall.

The chirimoya name, and how to spot it

The chirimoya from this coast has a protected name, «Chirimoya de la Costa Tropical de Granada-Málaga», a little like Champagne or Parma ham. It applies to fruit from fifteen towns, including Motril, Salobreña, Almuñécar, Jete, Nerja, Frigiliana and Torrox.

To carry the name, the fruit must be the Fino de Jete variety, of the top quality grades, picked by hand and packed within 24 hours.

Where to taste it

In season, buy at the town markets or at farm gates on the valley roads above Almuñécar and Motril; it makes a good Saturday morning. The Consejo Regulador is based in Almuñécar, and its website lists the approved packing houses. Ask the seller to show you the label.

Fino de Jete is sweet, slightly sharp, with white flesh and seeds set inside the segments. Eat it chilled, with a spoon.

If you buy a finca with fruit trees

If you buy a finca with fruit trees, the most important question is water. Sloping plots usually have drip irrigation and flat plots flood irrigation. Find out which system the plot has and where its water comes from.

Water shortages have limited new planting in some years, and the situation changes from year to year and from town to town. Ask what the water rules are now, not what they were.

Too much water is also a problem. A soil fungus called Phytophthora causes root rot in avocado and chirimoya trees, and it thrives in wet, heavy soil. A plot that floods after rain is a warning sign, not a bargain.