We spent a wonderful week on the Costa de la Luz for our summer holiday and loved the buzzing, lively vibe without the hordes of international tourists. Full of long, sandy Atlantic beaches, hilltop towns and stunning Moorish architecture, it’s a favourite with Spanish tourists and there wasn’t a strip of high rise hotels in sight. This area has understated beauty and there’s nothing pretentious about it. Basing ourselves just outside of Chiclana, a few minutes walk from La Barrosa beach, we were able to explore lots of great beaches and towns from here.
Playa La Barrosa
On the first night we wandered down to the seafront with its promenade lined with restaurants. Popular with Spanish tourists, the restaurants don’t fill up until around 9-10pm. We were sat there in an empty restaurant at around 7pm whilst families were just arriving at the beach for a swim. With sweltering temperatures, we soon joined them and the kids ended up in the sea after dinner.
Stretching for six kilometres, you could always find a secluded spot on the white sands, backed by dunes. Watersports are on offer as well as play areas and volleyball pitches to keep the kids entertained. From trendy beach bars with chilled out tunes to more casual menus and ice cream parlours, you’ll find it all here.
Chiclana
Very much a typical working Spanish town with locals going about their daily chores. There is a great market where we picked up some bright red, fresh tuna for dinner and the best morning snack of churros con chocolate at one of little kiosks – the kids went for the chocolate stuffed version for a full sugar hit.
Playa de Sancti Petri
Another beautiful wide sandy beach which felt very uncrowded and had sweeping views across the estuary. On our last night we booked a table at Chiringuito Bongo. Right on the beach, this laid back restaurant with a DJ was the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset and the orange sky filled with kites and the sails of the boats bobbing on the water.
Playa de los Caños de Meca
This long, wild and unspoilt beach with a laid back, bohemian feel is ideal for a relaxing day playing on the soft sands. Surrounded by cliffs, it can be reached by a set of wooden steps down with sweeping views across the azure waters. There isn’t much here in the way of facilities which adds to its charm, but we stopped in a cool beach bar with a chilled, hippy vibe going on, selling healthy salads and smoothies as well as fresh paella. Along the main street there was a great craft market where we picked up some art prints.
Vejer de la Frontera
One of the most stunning white-washed hilltop towns in Andalucia, it is instagram heaven. The maze of narrow streets with a Moorish atmosphere are great to just wander through and the spectacular views from the top stretch for miles. We found a lovely cafe hidden in one of the tiny streets selling refreshing granitas with lots of fruity flavours to choose from. There is also a beautiful palm tree lined plaza with traditional ceramic Andalucian frogs, which spout water out to form a fountain. Vejer de la Frontera is also an excellent place to find little artisan shops.
Cadiz
Offering the warmth and excitement of Andalucía, Cadiz is full of charm and mystique. The centre of the city is almost entirely surrounded by water but doesn’t have that gritty feel of some other Mediterranean ports. The old city with its Arabic forts and watchtowers, is Moorish in appearance and lures you into its narrow, cobbled streets. These lead you to the main square, where the cathedral is mesmerising. Cádiz’ yellow-domed cathedral combines the beauty of both baroque and neoclassical architecture. A walk to the top of the cathedral’s Torre del Reloj rewards you with beautiful views of the white washed buildings below with a golden glow from the midday sun.
The myriad of winding streets surrounding the cathedral have such a vibrant atmosphere, and the children loved watching the musicians playing and flamenco dancers performing in the Plaza Catedral. After stopping for an empanada (pastry filled with tuna and vegetables) which are a favourite with the kids, we headed to the north-western border of the island like city and stumbled on Parque Genoves with its sculptured trees, palms, flowers, water cascades, ducks and play area. With views over the sea, benches to relax on and a garden café, it was a welcome retreat from the scorching sun and hustle and bustle of the energetic city life.
The city also has an excellent choice of beaches which again are much appreciated if travelling during the summer months. Playa La Caleta is a small beach and closest to the old historic town on the far end of the peninsula located between Castillo de Santa Catalina and Castillo de San Sebastián. The Playa Victoria beach is also popular, particularly with locals. Backed by a long promenade, it has a lively atmosphere and many bars and restaurants to choose from. Both beaches have been awarded a blue flag for high standards of cleanliness and excellent facilities.
Jerez
Jerez epitomises the rich history, heritage and architecture of the area and is the home of sherry, tapas, horses and flamenco. What I loved about Jerez is you can experience all this without the crowds that descend on the more well-known cities nearby. You’ll even find the town goes eerily quiet in the afternoon whilst locals are having their siesta. Perhaps the star attraction is the Alcazar de Jerez. This stunning 11th and 12th century Moorish palace is an excellent example of an Almohad fortress. The mezquita (mosque) was transformed into a chapel but still retains its fountain and arches. The peaceful, Islamic style gardens with fragrant flowers, water fountains and geometric shapes are a joy to wander around. The Palacio Villavicencio built over the Almohad palace ruins provides wonderful views of the city from its camera obscura.
If you need to rest your tired, hot feet, a horse and carriage ride around the city is a great way to appreciate the architecture and pretty plazas. It felt quite appropriate given the history and tradition of horses in Andalucía and the sound of the hooves on the quiet afternoon streets was delightful – the children thought this was a brilliant way to see the city. This underrated city is a joy to visit whilst in the region and will certainly impress with its alluring air.
Fam Full of Wanderlust 