Conil de la Frontera is one of the famous ‘white villages’ in Andalusia, Spain.
A picturesque, typical whitewashed Andalusian fishing village, Conil has 14 kilometres of fine sandy beaches… and it has one of the sunniest climates in Spain!
If you yearn for the ultimate relaxing, de-stressing, miles of endless dune-backed beach destination just head for the Costa del Luz, which reaches from the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea down to the River Guadalquivir, in southern Spain.
Leave Málaga and bustling Costa del Sol behind, carry on straight past Gibraltar towards Tarifa and you’ll find yourself in an entirely different land bathed by the crisp Atlantic Ocean with a backdrop of green pine groves.
Even in the height of the summer, the vast white beaches of Cadiz province remain marvellously uncrowded. This is the aptly named ‘Coast of Light’ or ‘Costa de la Luz’ in Spanish.
I encountered this luxurious eco-friendly hotel in Conil, on the internet – the three-day offer directly after a bank holiday ‘puente’ was definitely not to be missed!
The white low-storey Andalusian style edifice reminiscent of a luxurious Moorish residence, has the most incredible cliff top views. We were shown into a spacious suite with a large west facing veranda overlooking the subtropical gardens and from here at dusk we could gaze across the wide bay towards a crimson and gold hued sun setting into the Ocean.
My husband, Juan, and I immediately made for the exhilarating golden sand beaches, which tend to be breezy, and headed off towards the village of Conil, a cluster of white houses topped by an ancient castle turret.
Still a secret ten years ago, Conil de la Frontera is rapidly becoming popular with summer visitors who transform this haven into Andalusia’s laid-back version of Ibiza…
A picturesque village with winding, narrow streets flowing with hippy stalls and partying on the beach till dawn –I promise to check this out for myself–, outside the peak summer season Conil is beautifully peaceful.
The historical old-town, fishing harbour, tapas bars, pavement cafés around the main plazas, and a couple of excellent ‘chiringuito’ beach restaurants, are principal attractions.
Next morning we drive over to the Marismas y Pinar de Barbate marshlands, alongside rural meadows dotted with homesteads and the occasional horse. The feeling of slipping back in time was heightened when we surprisingly chanced upon a dirt lane that led to the Trafalgar lighthouse.
On October 21, 1805 the British Armada, led by Admiral Nelson defeated the Spanish-French fleets off this point in the famous Battle of Trafalgar. The ‘faro’ commands a fantastic view which we enjoyed whilst battling against an incessant wind, seemingly inherent to all lighthouse headlands.
Ostensibly there are sunken wrecks today and maybe treasures hidden on the seabed off Cabo de Trafalgar.
Sheltered by the Cape and well off the beaten track lies Los Caños de Meca. Perched on pine clad cliff tops, this sleepy village has beautiful beaches protected by the cliffs and is fast becoming fashionable with summer surfers.
Immediately to the east, we wound up the road into the pinewoods of Barbate. This protected natural parkland is marked out with a number of walks and the spectacular views which, even from the car, are especially breathtaking. This area is considered to be one of the best preserved parts of the Andalusian coastline.
Ancient watchtowers stand on the towering cliffs – which provide nesting grounds for teeming colonies of birds – overlooking the sea where local fishermen still use the traditional almadraba technique to catch tuna, laying walls of netting to trap the huge fish.
Barbate is a town which has grown up around a fishing industry which goes back to Roman times. The lengthy promenade borders the sandy beachfront from the River Barbate estuary to the unspoilt beaches of Playa Bolero which extend for miles.
Our next stop was the village of Zahara de los Atunes, a small windswept fishing village with an interesting atmosphere. There are a number of small hotels, hostels and beach cabins besides several pleasant restaurants.
We came across a typical tavern in a side street and hopped onto wine barrel seats with the intention of having something light to eat. I just had to try the scrumptious fresh tuna steak which turned out to be a rather larger platter than I had envisioned.
Juan and I spent a while on the beach lazily propped up against one of the tiny gaily painted boats which sheltered us from the windblown sand.
A stunning wilderness, 20 kilometres of unspoilt sandy white beaches stretch as far as Cape Gracia. The beaches continue in succession reaching towards Tarifa…Playa de los Alemanes, Playa de Valdevaqueros and Playa de los Lances – brilliant surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing territory.
It was time to get back to our smart hotel in Conil, for a walk round the gardens before running up to shoot photos of the sun setting over the Atlantic sea from our balcony.
I decided to check out the hotel’s spa centre and had a brisk swim in the indoor pool – it was late autumn, a bit chilly for the grandiose outdoor swimming pools – and a relaxing few minutes in the Jacuzzi before getting ready for a banquet of an evening meal which we didn’t really need but enjoyed just the same!
Situated to the south-west of the province of Cádiz, on the Costa de la Luz coastline, Conil de la Frontera combines the beauty of the Sierra de Grazalema ‘white towns’ with the charm of an Andalusian fishing village.
Distance to Cádiz 40 km, Algeciras 8O km, Gibraltar 98 km; Jerez airport (65 Km), Sevilla airport (140 Km).
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