The
Andalucian region is known to many
as "the bridge between two
continents" and has been coveted
by many cultures since the earliest
periods of history. Translated
as the 'Coast of Light', the region
encourages its visitors to leave
the hustle and bustle of the other
Spanish coasts to appreciate the
natural beauty of Spain.
The Atlantic shoreline of Cadiz
province has many wild and windswept
beaches, with its strong winds
making Tarifa the foremost windsurf
site in Europe. Considerable stretches
of the coast are particularly noteworthy
for their diversity of wildlife,
including the extensive Bahía
de Cádiz Natural Park, covering
the beaches and wetlands of Cadiz
Bay and the Estrecho Natural Park
along the Strait of Gibraltar.
The historic walled city of Cadiz
is built on a Peninsular jutting
into the Bay of Cadiz which s a
natural park. The city of Cadiz,
has a remarkable history which
is worth exploring and at one time
was the capital of Spain. Don’t
miss the opportunity to see the
city and its 18th century cathedral,
the old quarter, the San Felipe
Neri, which housed the Spanish
parliament when it approved the
1812 Constitution, and the Santa
Cueva Chapel with its paintings
by Goya.
Chiclana has beautiful beaches
and is also notable for its extensive
salt flats. Just off the coast
is the island of Sancti Petri with
its 13th century castle. For golf
enthusiasts, don’t miss the
the Seve Ballesteros-designed course
at Novo Sancti Petri. South of
the golf at Sancti Petri, a ragged
coastline is dominated by coves
and cliffs often backed by pine
forests. The best are located just
to the north of the fishing town
of Barbate and are protected in
the Cliffs and Pinewood of Barbate
Natural Park. Continuing along
the coast, we soon reach Tarifa
the windsurfing capital of Europe.
Its best wind and kite surfing
beaches to the north are called
Playa Los Lances and Playa Valdevaqueros.
Huelva is one of the least visited
regions in Andalucía but
nevertheless has many unique places
to explore. Bordered by Portugal
to the west and Seville province
to the east, the Huelva region
is reachable within one hour of
the airports of Faro (Portugal)
and Seville. Huelva is probably
best known for its Parque Nacional
de Doñana, one of Europe's
most important wetland areas with
incredible wildlife. West of Huelva
is the busiest and most established
resort Punta Umbría. It
has magnificent beaches, a lively
nightlife in summer and a great
choice of restaurants. Further
west is the smaller resort of La
Antilla and the tiny fishing village
of El Rompido, overlooking the
Paraje Natural Marismas del Río
Piedras y Flecha del Rompido.
The popular Isla
Cristina with
its fine sandy beaches and famous
port is an ideal place to start
your exploration of the Costa de
la Luz. There are several golf
courses within easy reach, and
Playa d'Santiago is the resort's
golden sandy beach. Isla Canela
lies by a wonderful 7 kilometre
stretch of golden sand where the
hotels have been tastefully developed
in the local Andalucian style.
The new marina is the centre of
a low-key nightlife with other
entertainment options centred around
the local hotels.
The once fishing port of Ayamonte is located in the most western
zone of Andalusia. Also serving
as a border with Portugual, for
beach lovers Ayamonte offers some
of the finest white sandy beaches,
such as Isla Canela and Punta del
Moral. Golfers will not be lacking
with the re-knowned 27 holes of
Islantilla Golf Course minutes
away.
|
