Casas Karen

The Costa de la Luz is full of wonderful towns and villages just waiting for you to discover. We have outlined a handful below, but more detailed information, including ideas on places to eat and drink, is provided in our in-house manuals.

Los Caños de Meca

Caños has it all: golden beaches, cliff-top walks and the famed 'Playa de las Cortinas', where freshwater springs fall from the cliffs above. Although a relatively undiscovered stretch of the Atlantic coast in low season, Caños’ sleepy bars and cafés spring into life in the high season and it becomes quite the party town.

The lighthouse on Cape Trafalgar divides the bay of Caños from the open water of the Atlantic and marks the spot of the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It was here that Admiral Nelson finally met his end, though he rallied for just long enough to know the battle had been won. Today, it is a popular place to watch the sun go down.

The beautiful Parque Natural de la Breña y Marismas de Barbate extends from the coast all the way up to Barbate, and up to the old town of Vejer, and is pleasantly shady for walking. The umbrella pines (Pinus pinea) here are considered to produce the finest pinenuts in the world.

Waterfalls and springs: To find the Las Cortinas falls, continue east along the coast from the beach at Caños. After clambering over the rocks and passing some beautiful secluded coves you will see the falls on your left above the cave (about 30 minutes to one hour´s walk). Warning: only attempt this walk when the tide is going out, otherwise you may get stuck.

Cape Trafalgar Lighthouse: This lighthouse is a must-do for spectacular surrounding beaches but beware the strong undercurrents on the Cape. At low tide there’s plenty of fun to be had exploring the rock pools.

Surfing: The area is renowned for good surfing, kite and windsurfing. The best spot for launching is at the western end of the 'Urbanización Playas del Estrecho' apartments on the sea front. Snorkelling is also popular here. The reef just off the Los Caños beach has plenty of fish.

Warning: Do not swim too far out to sea or too close to the lighthouse. There can be strong undercurrents even when the water appears to be calm.

Vejer de la Frontera

Nestled between the Sierras and the sea, this beautiful “pueblo blanco” (white village) stands at 190 metres above sea level, giving exceptional views across the old county of La Janda, the Atlantic Ocean and the distant mountains of North Africa.

The town dates back to pre-Roman times and counted Phoenicians and Carthaginians among its past residents before Moorish forces took it by storm in 711. The distinctly Moorish character of the place endures in its solid walls, majestic arches, steep narrow streets and white-washed, flat-roofed houses.

During the five centuries of Islamic rule the town was known as Bekkeh and until the 1960s, many of the women continued to wear the cobija (a black, floor-length veil that covered everything but the eyes). Vejer was finally reconquered for the Christians by King Alfonso X the Wise in 1264.

Main sights: you can easily lose a morning or afternoon exploring Vejer, taking in the Iglesia del Divino Salvador, the castle, the Jewish Quarter and the Plaza de España.

Eating and drinking: Vejer is probably the foodiest town in the area with lots of different options for eating and drinking, much of it Moorish influence.

Beaches: El Palmar is the nearest beach to Vejer with low lying dunes and a handful of decent chiringuitos (beach bars), chill out lounges and restaurants.

Conil de la Frontera

Once seen Conil is rarely forgotten thanks to a pair of storks who nest on the ancient lookout towers in the town. It is a quiet, sleepy kind of place off-season, though it can get very busy in the summer. It’s a beautiful place to wander the beaches of Roche, which are distinguished by their red cliffs.

Ceramics: Conil is a great place to buy local handmade products – especially ceramics. For a wide range of local Andalucian pottery, head to El Colorado, in the outskirts of town. Look for the “Ceramica - Viveros” on both sides of the main N340 road , about 3km from Conil, heading in the direction of Cadiz.

Zahara de los Atunes

Zahara has fine white sand beaches and crystal-clear blue seas with excellent breakers if you like to frolic in the surf. Its name means ‘blossom of the tunas’ because of the sheer number of fish that used to pass through here.

It later became a prison, nicknamed ‘El Palacio’ by locals, where the Spanish writer Cervantes (he who penned Don Quixote) was said to be imprisoned. His novel ‘La Fregona Ilustre’ (the Illustrious Map) inspired many of the names of the bars and streets in the village. Piracy through the seventeenth and eighteenth century pretty much finished the fishing business, which moved to less exposed Barbate.

Today, this pleasingly local feeling Spanish town has bags of atmosphere and is a great place for a day on the beach.

Walks: From the Camarinal lighthouse you get superb 180º views extending from Tarifa to Cape Trafalgar and across the water to North Africa and Morocco’s Rif mountains. From here you can walk on to Bolonia (the site of the impressively preserved Baelo Claudia roman ruins). It takes about one hour through the pine forest and 2.5 hours along the coast.

Barbate

If you’re looking for a taste of the old Costa de la Luz, head to the little fishing village of Barbate. It was an important port even back in Roman times and continues to be very important for blue fin tuna today, much of which is exported to Japan. Aficionados can visit the fish auction in the harbour early each morning, while the Mercado de Abastos, in the centre of town is considered the best in the area for fresh fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables. The town is also famous for its salazones (salt cured fish).

Beaches: The main beach in the town is the Playa del Carmen, which has a lively promenade to stop for an ice-cream. The Playa de la Hierbabuena (meaning mint) is on the other side of the harbour and has natural springs and fabulous cliffs full of nesting birds.