Excursions from Sotogrande by Car
Five excursions - Gibraltar and Los Barrios shopping, the Ruta del Toro to Jerez, Tarifa and the beaches and villages of the Costa de la Luz, Castillar, Jimena and inland villages and the Costa del Sol.
Gibraltar and Los Barrios shopping
Driving west from Sotogrande on the Autovia A-7 coastal road, Gibraltar is a popular destination for shopping and sightseeing. Shopping is also popular in the shopping centres conveniently located off the A-7 near Los Barrios, where you will find stores such as Carrafour, Leroy Merlin, Media Mart, Vision Lab, Norauto, Mercadona and Decathlon. To visit the area best leave the A-7 at exit 112.
Ruta del Toro to Jerez
From Los Barrios you can choose to head inland on the Autovia A-381, known as the Ruta del Toro, to 88km Jerez de la Frontera. Built between 2004 and 2006, the autovia runs parallel to the former C-440 road, and passes through the the Los Alcornocales Natural Park. The old road passes the Bullfighter¡s hat, a rock formation and natural monmument. It is an interesting road with 24 viaductsand 5 green bridges (cut and cover tunnels). Watch for the speed camera on leaving the last tunnel in each direction>Worth a detour is Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de los Santos where the sanctuary walls are filled with exvotos from the faithful giving thanks for fullfilled requests. Popular villages to visit enroute are Los Barrios, Alcala de los Gazules and Medina Sidonia. Suggested cafe stops are Las Palomares service area at km 45 near Alcala and before reaching the sherry capital of
Jerez de la Frontera. You can also continue on to a
From Los Barrios you can head west on the A-7 motorway, which skirts the industrial and port city of Algeciras. Leaving Algeciras on the N-340 road, you can see Morocco on the left across the Strait of Gibraltar. Reaching Tarifa, the windy town, and turning north along the Costa de La Luz, passing the beaches of Tarifa, the turning for Bolonia and Roman Baelo Claudia, the turning for the seaside village of Zahara de las Atunes, the hill town of Vejer de la Frontera. The N-340 joins the A-48 and passes through the coastal town of Conil de la Frontera. The A-48 continues to San Fernando, where it splits for the city of Cadiz or Jerez de la Frontera.
Castillar, Jimena and inland villages
Driving inland from Sotogrande, past the International School on the A-2100 to Castillar de la Frontera. Popular locations to visit are the white villages of Jimena de la Frontera, San Pablo de Bucete, Cortes de la Frontera, Gaucin and either returning via Casares and Manilva or continuing on to Ronda.
Cost del Sol
Driving west from Sotogrande takes up along the A-7 Costa del Sol and the seaside resort towns of Estepona, Marbella, Mijas Costa, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Malaga.
Have a good trip!
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More excursions
If you want a break from the clamour and crowds on the Costa then explore Mijas, Alhaurin, Coin, Monda, Ojen and also Istan. The scenery is quite spectacular and the roads are well-travelled, yet… More →
One-Day-Itinerary to explore the countryside around the towns of Ronda and Gaucin. This route starts at San Pedro de Alcantera, just past Puerto Banus, and ends up just a few kilometres down the… More →
CAR HIRE
Hiring a car is best way to tour Andalucia. Travel with ease, stop where you want and enjoy the beautiful views!. We have a page about every village including things to see. Consult our general Car Hire page for car hire tips and advice on rental groups, insurance excess, young drivers, DVLA code, fuel policy and security, plus links to a range of car hire companies. Check out our specific car hire pages in each of our airport and main train station pages. Malaga Airport Car hire, Gibraltar Airport Car Hire.