Description and Characteristics:

The mango is a fleshy fruit, tasty and refreshing, and is also known as the "peach of the tropics." It is currently recognized as one of the three or four finest tropical fruits.
This fruit crop is grown in intertropical zones of the world. Of these areas we can highlight the Granada and Malaga Coast.
As a curiosity, mango was introduced to the American intertropical area by the Portuguese and Spanish between the XV and XVI Centuries.
The mango is a medium-sized tree, 10-13 m high. Its trunk is more or less straight, cylindrical and 75-100 cm in diameter, the bark is a grey-coffee colour with longitudinal cracks. The crown is dense and widely oval or globular. The leaves are alternate, irregularly spaced along the branches, are smooth on both surfaces, shinny dark green on the upper side and yellowish-green on the other side.
The length of the leaves is between 10 and 40 cm long and about 2-10 cm wide. The fruit is a large fleshy drupe. Indian type mangoes are monoembryonic (with one stone) and the majority of the cultivars are of this type.  Generally poliembrionic mangoes are used for grafting.  Their weight varies from 150 g to 2 kg. Its shape also varies, but is generally ovoid-oblong, noticeably flattened, rounded or obtuse at both ends, between 4-25 cm. long and 1.5-10 cm wide. The color can range from green, yellow and different shades of pink, red and violet. The flesh or pulp is yellow or orangey colour, juicy and tasty.
The mango cultivars can be grouped into three main groups according to the location selection: Indian, Indochinese and Philippine and cultivars from Florida. Mangoes grown on the Costa Tropical are those from Florida, among which are: Tommy Atkins, Irwi, Lippens, Osteen and Keitt.
As far as climatic requirements are concerned the mango is more susceptible to cold than avocado and is more resistant to winds. The mango thrives well in a climate where the temperatures are the following:

• Slightly cold winters (minimum temperature of 10ºC).
• Slightly warm springs (minimum temperature above 15ºC). 
• Warm summer and autumn.  
• Slight variations between day and night.  

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
The mango fruit is a valuable dietary supplement, it is rich in vitamins A and C, minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants, and low in calories, fat and sodium.
Due to its high content in acids (malic, palmitic, p-coumaric and myristic), vitamin C and, especially, because of its high content in vitamin A, mango is a good antioxidant, capable of neutralizing free radicals and providing the organism with a defensive power against cell degradation. Mangoes are very effective against cancer given their vitamin content.
Areas where mango is grown in Motril: Hillsides of Minasierra, Panata, Montecastillo and higher hillsides around Puntalón. Currently cultivation of this crop in greenhouses is increasing in different parts of the municipality.