Costa de la Luz

Endless fun in the appropriately christened, Costa de la Luz (Coast of the Light) © Michelle Chaplow
Endless fun in the appropriately christened, Costa de la Luz (Coast of the Light)

Costa de la luz (cadiz) destinations

Appropriately christened the Costa de la Luz (Coast of the Light), the Atlantic shoreline of Cadiz province have many wild and windswept beaches, with its strong winds making Tarifa the foremost windsurf and kitesurfing site in Europe.

Considerable stretches of the coast are particularly noteworthy for their wealth of wildlife, including the extensive Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park, covering the beaches and wetlands of Cadiz Bay; the Estrecho Natural Park along the Strait (Estrecho) of Gibraltar from Algeciras to Bolonia, including a significant marine section; and the Breña and Marismas de Barbate Natural Park, the coastal cliffs and pine forest between Los Caños de Meca and Barbate as well as Barbate´s saltmarshes.

Being so close to the Strait of Gibraltar means that the province is an ideal place for birdwatching during periods of migration between Europe and Africa, and whale watching. The age-old practices of almadraba tuna fishing is practised on this coast.

Destinations

Tarifa sits at the southern-most point of mainland Europe, where the Med meets the Atlantic. Just 14km across the Straits of Gibraltar at its narrowest point, the town enjoys spectacular views of… More →

Sanlucar de Barrameda is delightful small town situated at the northern tip of the sherry triangle and is home to the first beaches of the Cádiz side of the Costa de la Luz. The first beach (i.e.… More →

El Palmar is located 5km north of Vejer and is the Surf capital of Andalucia. Unknown by non-Spanish visitors until recently, El Palmar is becoming more popular for its laid-back atmosphere and… More →

The modern beachfront development of Urbanisacion Roche is located on the Costa de la Luz, between the coastal conurbations of Novo Sancti Petri and Conil de la Frontera. It is about 15km… More →

Barbate is a town of some 20.000 people on the Costa de la Luz, 40km north of Tarifa. This modern town, (often called Barbate de Franco because the ex-dictator spent… More →

Like so many towns in Andalucía the approach to El Puerto de Santa María along the main road is lined with garages, industrial plants and run down buildings. Keep going and cross the River… More →

Caños de Meca is a small, unspoiled community on the windswept but stunning Costa de la Luz. Deep in the Parque Natural del Acantilado, Caños de Meca has beautiful beaches, backed by cliffs and… More →

Rota, an ancient town, stands at the extreme north of the Bay of Cádiz in a privileged position. The town opens out to the Atlantic and behind are two national parks, the Natural Park of the Bay… More →

Baelo Claudia, near Tarifa, is one of Andalucia´s most significant and well-preserved Roman archeological sites. The extensive ruins are situated on the Costa de la Luz, some 15km north of Tarifa… More →

Zahara de los Atunes is one of the most charming, and fashionable, towns on the Cadiz Costa de la Luz. With a stunning beach, boasting crystal-clear waters and golden sand, Zahara's main advantage… More →

Bolonia is a small isolated ex fishing and farming village on the Atlantic Costa de la Luz 20km north from the surfer paradise of Tarifa and 20km south of… More →

The original Sancti Petri was a small tuna-fishing village located on a spit of land on the Atlantic coast near San Fernando, where the Cadiz peninsula meets the mainland. On the southern side, it… More →

Just inland from the coast Chiclana sits on a small hill overlooking the marismas (salt marshes). The town dates from 1303, when King Fernando IV of Castille gave the land to Guzman El Bueno, the… More →

Sitting on the coast in the far west of the province of Cádiz, the pretty town of Chipiona lies at the mouth of the Guadalquivir river, only 52km from the city of Cádiz itself, Chipiona dates back… More →

Appropriately christened the Costa de la Luz (Coast of the Light), the Atlantic shoreline of Cadiz province have many wild and windswept beaches, with its strong winds making Tarifa the foremost… More →

The town of San Fernando, often referred to as La Isla del Sur (the Island of the South), is not actually an island but a small peninsula, set within the stunning setting of the Bay of Cadiz.… More →

Atlanterra, in Cadiz province, is an exclusive urbanisation situated 30km north of Tarifa (and within the municipal boundry) but access is by the only road leading south from the small fishing… More →

If you are exploring the N340 Costa de la Luz coast road, you'd be wise to make time for a wander around Vejer. This classic white village on the hilltop is well worth a visit. It is actually 10… More →

Much of the municipality forms part of the Natural Park of the Bay of Cadiz. This environmentally protected region is an ornithologist’s delight, being a permanent home to a wide variety of birds… More →

Conil is a small, lively beach town to the south of Cadiz, and near inland Vejer de la Frontera. It has a great atmosphere in the evening, with plenty of good tapas bars and excellent nightlife.… More →

PARKS

Encompassing a 10,522ha flat landscape of sandy beaches, marshes, salt pans, freshwater lakes and tidal inlets, as well as the two natural areas of Isla del Trocadero and the Marismas de Sancti… More →

Created in 1989, the Breña y Marismas de Barbate park is Andalucia's second largest coastal reserve and has one of the most spectacular stretches of rocky cliffs along the Andalucian Atlantic… More →

Created in 2003, the Parque Natural del Estrecho is the southernmost protected area in Europe. It is made up of a long stretch of coastline covering 18,931ha from Cabo de Gracia in the west near… More →

Hotels and Holiday Rentals

If you want unspoilt, wild beaches, the Costa de la Luz is for you. From the trendy wind and kite-surfing spot Tarifa, this Cadiz coast stretches to the Guadalquivir river estuary is a haven of… More →

If you want unspoilt, wild beaches, the Costa de la Luz is for you. From the trendy wind and kite-surfing spot Tarifa, this Cadiz coast stretches to the Guadalquivir river estuary is a haven of… More →

 

Map of the 8 Provinces and the Coasts of Andalucia

Map of the 8 Provinces and the Coasts of Andalucia
Map of the 8 Provinces and the Coasts of Andalucia

 
© Michelle Chaplow On a clear day you can see right over to Africa from the Costa de la luz
On a clear day you can see right over to Africa from the Costa de la luz