Western Andalucia's Best Beaches and Resorts
Spain’s Costa de la Luz is a Secret Kept by Spanish Travelers
May 19, 2009
At the Straits of Gibraltar, that narrow water passage between Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean Sea ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins. The Atlantic coast was developed later, and profited from the example of earlier Mediterranean beach areas to the east, choosing a lower profile instead of high-rise hotel blocks.
Tarifa is for Windsurfers
At the southernmost tip of the Spanish mainland, the beach at the charming old town of Tarifa is a magnet for windsurfers. Around it are beaches that are never crowded, quite possibly because of the wind that blows incessantly, except in August. In the hills behind lie some of Andalucia’s picturesque White Towns – the closest to the coast is Vejer de la Frontera.
Beaches and Cliffs of Trafalgar
Not far west of Gibraltar is the craggy Cape of Trafalgar, whose beaches are separated by high cliffs. Beyond that point, most of the way to the Portugal border is lined with miles and miles of soft white sand, beaches that are bathed in an average of 300 days of sunshine each year. Leave the coastal road to find Caños de Meca, surrounded by a natural park. The cliffs behind its white beaches are topped by pines, and the town is a relaxed and casual place that’s rarely crowded.
Jerez for Sherry, Horses and Flamenco
Jerez de la Frontera is best known for fine sherries, but the attractive small city has other charms – namely as the home of both Gypsy flamenco and of the Andalucian “dancing” horses. Watch the latter perform at the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and check the schedule at the Centro Cultural Flamenco Don Antonio Chacón for performances of authentic flamenco. Several bodegas offer tours that explain the production of fine sherries. Golfers will want to play the 18-hole championship course that Jack Nicklaus considers one of his best designs, at the nearby Barcello Monte Castillo Resort.
Doñana National Park UNESCO Site
Another wine town, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, is known for Manzanilla sherry, and for its seafood restaurants that sit on the beach at the edge of the delta where the Guadalquivir River meets the sea. Ferries leave from there to take visitors to the wild Parque Nacional Doñana. The 3½-hour trip includes guided walks into the park, so precious a wildlife habitat that it has been names a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Beaches in the Center of Cadiz
Beaches line the isthmus that connects the ancient city of Cadiz to the mainland, and extend right into the city itself. The local favorite lies between two little defensive forts, Santa Catalina and San Sebastion. The region’s major port, Cadiz exudes charm and is best known for its carnival in mid-winter, when the whole town explodes into a frenzy of food, music, dance and parties.
Matalascañas, at the other side of the large national park, is the beginning of 25 miles of unbroken beach that extends all the way to Mazagon, a low-key resort with beautiful beach backed by pines, south of Huelva. Matalascañas itself has a more international air than the rest of the coast, except for Rota, where there is an American Navy base. Apart from those, the Costa de la Luz beach towns are almost entirely Spanish.
Getting to the Costa de la Luz
Seville’s San Pablo Airport is served by regular flights from Madrid, where there are non-stop connections to New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami and Washington, DC, on Iberia Airlines. Trains from Seville go to both Jerez and Cadiz.
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