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Article by: Susie Kay info@costa-luz-properties.com Published: 08/12/2007

The Cadiz Province, Costa de la Luz, Andalucia, Spain.

The Costa de la Luz actually covers the length of Spain’s western coastal area from Gibraltar at the southern tip, to Huelva (up by the Portuguese border). ‘Costa Luz Properties’ are a British property consultancy here on the Costa de la Luz. We specialize in mainly the Cadiz Province, the coastal area between the Bay of Cadiz and the Doñana National Park, and also inland from Arcos de la Frontera to Ubrique. This is a territory which is still very Spanish and populated by charming friendly people.

The coast is stunningly beautiful with crystal clear waters and golden beaches, while inland has an extremely varied landscape ranging from flat lands and marshes covered with pine trees and brush, to majestic mountains and vast rugged areas stretching all the way south to the tip of the Peninsula.

From virtually anywhere in this region, you are within an hour’s drive of a large city, an airport, a golf course and a beach, and here although English is still a foreign language, it is spoken quite widely and therefore one can learn to speak Spanish at leisure and without pressure.

Below are brief descriptions of some of the villages in this area, the ones that we particularly like. There are however many more to be explored and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

►Arcos de la Frontera (Inland)

►Bornos (Inland)

►Cadiz

►Chipiona

►El Puerto de Sª. María

►Gibraltar

►Jerez

►Rota

►Sanlúcar

►Ubrique (Inland)

Arcos de la Frontera

Arcos de la Frontera has a population of around 30,000 and is split into two distinct parts, the old town or ‘casco viejo’ which leads down narrow cobbled streets (adorned with flower pots and window boxes) from the 15th century castle, the Santa Maria church and the San Pedro chapel, along the main street to a more present day area, where there are hotels, bars, restaurants, shops and a modern underground car park.

Just beneath the town is a large body of water emanating from the river Guadalete (with it's very own Sailing School) and it is here that one can find an array of fine townhouse developments being built in wide open countryside, with views of the lake and the surrounding hills. Arcos de la Frontera is approximately 30 minutes drive from the famous sherry producing town of Jerez de la Frontera with it’s international airport and network of motorways leading to virtually everywhere in Spain.

Bornos

Bornos is a delightful village lying on the borders of another large lake that grows from the river Guadalete, 182 metres above sea level and with a population of around 8,000. It’s tower “El Castillo de Fontanar” which was originally built by the Moors, was conquered by Fernando III in 1250 and given over to the rule of the house of Ponce de Leon and later to the House of Ribera in 1398 when it became a fashionable leisure area for the nobility and an important settlement for various religious orders. In the 17th century Bornos was governed by the House of Medinaceli and the family is still prominent in the area to the present day.

Although quite out of the way, Bornos has regular bus services to both Cádiz and Jerez, from where there is plenty of transport to the rest of Spain. Bornos is a lively village, with several bars and restaurants, a couple of hostels (‘pensiones’) and just out of town, one or two country guest houses (‘casa rurales’). The lake is often alive with swimmers, people racing their yachts and fishing and it has a lovely walkway, a type of promenade, along the water's edge.

Chipiona

Chipiona is a lovely town; population around 15,000; sitting right on the edge of the Atlantic, with small hotels (hostales) all along the front of the 3 golden beaches, the Playa de la Regla, the Playa Camerón/Tres Piedras and the Playa Cruz del Mar/Canteras. It has not, however been modernized to look like Benidorm or Marbella for example - and still has the quaint charm of a typically Andalucian resort. Fishing and sea sports are very popular here and there is a “Club Nautico” where in summer various sailing competitions and championships are organized.

Bus services to both Cadiz and Sevilla are regular and the village is within just 15 minutes drive of Sanlúcar de Barrameda to the north east and about the same distance from Rota to the south west. All around Chipiona you will find various roman relics and the impressive lighthouse was built during the years 139 – 140 a.d. to help the sailors navigate through the mouth of the river Guadalquivir. It is from this lighthouse, the “Turris Caepionis” that Chipiona first got it’s name.

El Puerto de Santa María

El Puerto de Santa María is a town of great interest. It is one of the best areas in Spain for fresh fish and seafood and you may enjoy shell fish ‘tapas’ all along the ‘Ribera del Marisco de El Puerto de Santa María’. Among the principal attractions of ‘El Puerto’ are the beaches. All with fine golden sand, and each one with its own characteristics. This area is a true paradise for water sports.

The ‘Parque Natural de la Bahía de Cádiz’ is just outside the town, a mass of cliffs, dunes and beaches with land so well unspoilt that it is considered practically virgin territory.

“Puerto Sherry” is the leisure port at El Puerto with over 1,000 yachts moored and probably 3,000 more in dry dock. Here you will find a cruising school, both submarine and sailing schools, a 300 bed hotel, a shopping centre and a fishing village all just waiting to be explored. El Puerto de Santa María has about 68,000 inhabitants and a miriad things to do, amongst which are a ‘Parque Aquatico’ (Waterpark), the Casino 'Bahía de Cádiz', a number of good restaurants, flamenco clubs and discos, not to mention the famous ‘bodegas’ and a large sports complex featuring a swimming pool, tennis courts, paddle tennis, squash and a gymnasium.

Rota

This town sits on a promontory jutting out into the Atlantic and not far behind it lie two of Andalucia's many national parks, the 'Bay of Cádiz Nature Park' and the 'Doñana Parque National'. Rota is a town of two extreme contrasts. The old town at the tip has almost a medieval atmosphere complete with a beautiful castle and church, and ‘old style’ housing along narrow cobbled streets. Then downtown is a more modern area with much tourist appeal, dozens of bars and restaurants and three large beaches (on both sides of the town) with a leisure port built between two of them.

At the entrance to Rota is the Spanish naval base, established in the 1950's during the Franco era which is also home to several American servicmen.

Please understand that these are not all of the villages in this beautiful Province - but there is no more room in this article. If you would like to know more about the area in detail, just drop us a line at info@costa-luz-properties.com.

 

External Article Link: http://www.property-partnership.com/overseas-property-guides/overseas-property-guide.cfm?id=94

Article Link: http://www.property-partnership.com/overseas-property-guides/overseas-property-guide.cfm?id=94

Please contact the author at info@costa-luz-properties.com for more information.