Key political figures and musicians among winners of 2026 Almuñécar tourism awards

This year’s event, which will take place in El Majuelo Park, will bring together a wide variety of figures, ranging from the president of the Andalusian regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, to the journalist Lourdes Maldonado and Almuñécar-born singer Camin, alongside professionals, companies and organisations from the worlds of culture, music, gastronomy, agriculture and tourism.

The mayor of Almuñécar, Juan José Ruiz Joya, said that these awards provide an opportunity to “publicly recognise those who, in a wide variety of roles and fields, have contributed and continue to contribute to the progress of Almuñécar and La Herradura”.

“Tourism isn’t built solely on infrastructure or promotional campaigns. Behind it all are people, professionals, businesspeople, associations and institutions who believe in it, look after it, promote it and help to make it better every day,” the mayor added.

The councillor for tourism, Beatriz González Orce, highlighted the diversity of the awards. “The experience our visitors take away with them is shaped by many different aspects and that is precisely one of the great things about these awards,” she said.

González Orce explained that the awards recognise “those who welcome and look after our visitors, show them around our local area, showcase our agriculture, keep our traditions alive, enrich our culture and cuisine, and promote the names of Almuñécar and La Herradura beyond our borders”.

The Almuñécar-La Herradura tourism awards, now in their 23rd year, will have as their central theme ‘Destination Almuñécar – La Herradura’, featuring a journey through the municipality’s more than 3,000 years of history, its cultures and its people, as well as musical performances and various screenings focusing on the award winners.

 The 2026 award winners 

Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla will be honoured in a personal capacity for his commitment to Almuñécar and La Herradura, his close institutional ties and his support for the municipality and its residents.

Finca San Ramón, represented by its manager, Rita Galiana Callejón, will receive the award in recognition of its agritourism project and for introducing visitors to the agricultural landscape and subtropical crops of the Costa Tropical.

The journalist Lourdes Maldonado will be honoured for her personal and family ties to La Herradura and for the way she promotes the destination, drawing on the relationship she has maintained since childhood.

La Herradura-based choir ‘Cosas Nuestras’ will be recognised for its 18-year history and for its work in keeping Andalusian music, traditions and popular culture alive. Camin will also receive the Lorenzo Javier Campoy Mingorance award for his career and influence in urban music and for bringing his roots and the name of Almuñécar to new audiences.

The gastronomy category will be represented by Fernando Méndez Parra, manager of Bahía Gelato, in recognition of a business career built on in-house production, hard work and innovation, which has made his ice-cream parlours a landmark in La Herradura.

In the hospitality sector, the award will go to Tania González Montoro, deputy manager of the Hotel Ibersol Almuñécar Beach & Spa, for her professional career spanning more than two decades and in recognition of the role of local talent in tourism.

Music will also take centre stage with Juventudes Musicales de Almuñécar, recognised for its track record and contribution to the town’s cultural life, the promotion of young talent and the raising of Almuñécar’s profile abroad through music.

Recognition will also be given to Esther del Castillo Gomariz, manager and co-founder of Almusalud, for her almost three decades of service, her deep roots in Almuñécar and her contribution to the range of services available in the town. From La Herradura, Mari Nieves de Haro Sánchez, manager of iHouse La Herradura, will be honoured for a decade of professional service and for her close relationship with those who choose La Herradura not only as a holiday destination but also as a place to live.

The TUK TUK Almuñécar tourism initiative, spearheaded by Francisco Chacón McWeeny and Bernardo García Vallejo, will receive the award for offering a unique way to discover the municipality. The traditions of the Valle Tropical will be represented by the Brotherhood of the Virgen Madre de Torrecuevas, in recognition of its work to preserve deeply-rooted celebrations such as the festivities of the Virgen Madre and the Romería de San Isidro.

Francisco Muñoz Moya, better known locally as ‘Paco Almuñécar’, the driving force behind Almuñécar Día a Día, will also be honoured for his selfless work in promoting, via social media, the landscapes, traditions, celebrations and everyday life of the municipality both within and outside Spain.

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