Costa De La Luz, the 90 km coast between Cadiz and Tarifa in Andalucia in Spain offers beautiful, unspoilt and rugged coastal landscapes, including plenty of clean, white sandy beaches to stroll upon. There are also lots of nice towns and villages to explore. A popular area for Spanish holidaymakers over the years, who tend to know a thing or two about the attractions of their own country, this area is one of the underdeveloped gems of the Spanish coast. Expect the atmosphere to be more fiesta than siesta in the summer months as the Spaniard families kick into town.
Old fashioned Spanish white town set atop a rocky hill. The oldest area of the town is still partly walled with narrow winding streets reminding you of its Muslim roots. The town includes a charming central square where you will also find the tourist information office. Other sights include a gothic church, a small museum and the inevitable castle which provides fine views from its battlements.
Famously this fishing and canning town, which still hosts a vast tuna fleet, turns into a lively tourist resort in the summer. Can be a good base from which to explore the rest of the region or just somewhere to relax and sample the lively nightlife and good fish restaurants.
Once a popular hippy retreat it still retains a certain laid back charm. The town covers a series higgledy piggledy sandy coves and is scattered beneath a pine clad hill just 12km west of Barbate. The rest of the coastline is made up of spectacular cliffs. There are several popular campsites and lots of good bars, often with live music.
Once a major tuna fishing village but now an increasingly popular and fashionable summer resort. The village has an old fashioned feel of cobbled streets but the main attraction is the 12km long beach. There are some good open air restaurants and plenty of accommodations to choose from.
A small village near Zahara offering a fine sandy beach, ideal for windsurfing. It's a very pleasant place with cockerels wandering around and the ruins of an old Roman town - Baelo Claudia - to explore.
An attractive and friendly tourist town which is a major destination for windsurfers. The beaches provide spotless white sand and good waves. You can rent and buy used and new surf gear here. The surrounding countryside of green rolling hills is also pleasant; as is Tarifa's historic old town, which reveals some impressive historical sights, including a majestic castle among its many attractions. Other sights to see include the town's thriving market, the 15th Century church of Iglesia de San Mateo, and a small museum at the castle. A popular destination in the Costa De La Cruz, Tarifia is also a bird watcher's paradise due to its location on several migratory routes.
Tarifa was once a Roman settlement but takes its name from a Muslim warlord - Tarik ibn Malik - who led the Islamic invasion of the Spanish peninsula. Muslims built the 10th Century castle to defend the town against African and Norse invaders. Pirates in this area are believed to have extracted a fee from ships wishing to pass from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean through the straights of Gibralter and as a result it is commonly believed this town provides the origin of the word tariff, ie price or payment. The town became a Christian settlement in the 13th Century.
Organised activities in the region apart from windsurfing and bird watching include diving, walking, caving, mountain biking and horse riding. There are also several fighting bull farms in the area to visit. Horse riding is also very popular with several hotels in Tarifa renting out horses with guides. Boat trips, including whale watching trips are also possible.
