Touring the Costa de la Luz The cities dotting the coastline of Costa de la Luz remember a more peaceful time. Some reflect upon their African influences, while others were great ports giving respite to weary travellers.
The Monasterio de Santa María de la Rábida, the Palos de la Frontera and the Convento de Santa Clara, beckon history buffs interested in Christopher Columbus. The monastery, surrounded by magnificent botanical gardens full of exotic plants, is worth visiting for its museum detailing the discovery of the New World and Columbus's life.
Tarifa, the southernmost town in Europe with close proximity to Morocco has a decidedly North African influence with ethnic gift shops and restaurants. The old town is dominated by a castle with fantastic views over to Africa.
Conil, a delightful maze of cobbled streets with a multitude of shops and eateries, comes alive after dark. The main square, with its striking clock tower is the centre of excitement and some nights it plays host to music festivals or dance performances.
Ayamonte, at the coastline’s most western point, is a picturesque riverside port village. Narrow cobbled streets and whitewashed houses, ancient churches give a wholly Mediterranean feel to it with golden sunsets almost every evening. | Kite Surfing in Costa de la Luz Her sister beaches on the Mediterranean are calm while strong breezes and good waves make the Costa de la Luz ideal for adventurous water sports.
Tarifa is a surfer’s paradise: ten kilometers of fine white beaches and spectacular views of the Rif Mountains of Africa across the water. Its wild coastline attracts surfers and nature-lovers alike. Windsurfing, and the more extreme kite surfing are the main attractions here.
If you can already water ski, then wakeboarding might capture your imagination, and you should adapt pretty easily. This coastline has the perfect year-round climate and surroundings to learn or improve your wakeboarding skills.
For something completely new and different (and, for most of us, a spectator sport), catch a game of Bossaball – a combination of volleyball, trampoline and football set to Latin music.
The superb beaches are the region’s hallmark: Isla Cristina, a huge beach with fine golden sand, dunes and pines; La Antilla, a golden beach and a picturesque seaside town that comes alive at night; Matalascanas, wide, busy, and very crowded, and a great place to socialize; Zahara de las Atunes, one of the best sandy beaches in the Cadiz area, with waters that are clear and turquoise blue, and great for snorkeling. |
 Nature in Costa de la LuzAmple opportunities exist for the more “traditional” leisure activities for holidaymakers. Tennis, golf, water sports are all easily available. However, Costa de la Luz’s geography puts it in a unique position for lovers of nature.
To the north, the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park offers a landscape full of contrasts, with gently rolling hills and wooded valleys gradually giving way to dramatic rocky outcrops on high peaks. There is a rich and varied wildlife with plenty of chances to spot birds of prey or hearing woodpeckers in spring. With an extensive network of footpaths and centuries-old drovers' tracks, many now signposted and marked on walking maps, it's easy to explore the Sierra on foot.
In the south, the Strait of Gibraltar is a key point of passage for raptors, storks and other birds migrating between Africa and Europe. At migration times, a staggering variety of birds can be seen in the Estrecho Natural Park: herons, storks, flamingos, spoonbills, honey buzzards, golden eagles, ospreys, kingfishers, nightjars, owls, cuckoos, warblers and wagtails, among many others.
After seeing the birds in Estrecho Natural Park head back to your villa in Costa de la Luz and put your feet up and enjoy the view. Relax and recuperate from a long day of windsurfing and kite surfing in Tarifa. We hope you enjoyed reading through our Costa de la Luz Tourist Information Guide. May your holiday be everything you want and more! |
