Costa de la Luz
Why go?
So where exactly is Andalucia’s ‘coast of light’?
The maps will tell you it stretches from Gibraltar to the
Portuguese border while the Spanish will tell you it runs from
Algeciras to Sanlucar de Barrameda, though many claim it ends in
the west at Cadiz. Whatever its boundaries, it comprises almost
continual beach - miles and miles of golden sands. Only around Los
Canos de Meca, to the north of Bolonia, are there a few rocky
coves. And if property speculators have been eyeing up the area,
they can forget it: since 2004 the hillsides and coastline have
been incorporated in the natural park that stretches all the way to
Barbate. So development is off the menu for good.
Tarifa, a mix of the run-down and the ultra-cool, is the most
happening place on this stretch of the coast. Thanks to its exposed
position, it is the windsurfing capital of Europe. And its winding
Old Town is a delight.
If it’s history you’re after, there’s more in
Bolonia. A massively important shipping centre in Roman times
– hence the ruins - its beautiful arc of sands are lined with
restaurants serving ocean-fresh fish: hake, sole, snapper, bass,
grouper, clams, langoustines, squid. Jerez boasts wide streets,
gothic architecture and sherry - and the region also takes in some
of the westerly pueblos blancos, those famous whitewashed
hilltop towns: dramatic Arcos la Frontera, pretty San Roque and
fashionable Vejer la Frontera, whose 17th- and 18th-century houses
wrap themselves exquisitely around a fabled Moorish castle.