Towns of the Costa de la Luz - Barbate
Barbate on the Costa de la Luz (Coast of light)
Barbate is a town in the province of Cadiz (Andalusia, Spain), located on the Atlantic coast in Andalusia, between the villages of Vejer and Tarifa, 1 hours drive from Cadiz capital and Algeciras and 2 from Seville. The nearest airport is in Jerez.
The beautiful town of Barbate has grown from its humble beginnings as a fishing village dating from the Roman times to what it is today, a modern costal town with a population of 20,000.It is also the famous site of the battle of Trafalgar.
Although it lacks the charm of the traditional whitewashed towns and villages in Andalucia, this modern town attracts a great number of Spanish visitors each year. It is quite often called Barbate de Franco because the ex-dictator spent many summers here.
Its modern square Plaza de la Inmaculada; with the Town Hall on one side and the ancient Church of St. Paulino and the old town contains some beautiful buildings.
The beaches of this town like many along the coast are stunning and unspoilt, The towns main beach is called Playa del Carmen and there is a 2km promenade from the River Barbate to the Marina. The beaches to the north of the Marina are very quiet even in the summer and to the south of the River Barbate estuary you will find the beaches Playa del Botero which run for miles although many people are put off by the Military Zone Keep Out; signs
Barbate is absolutely ideal for sport lovers and especially for the lovers of water sports, There are aqua-parks, zoos, theme parks and nature centres Go-karting, jeep safaris, ballooning, mountain biking;all very near.
There are some good restaurants in the town as well as a host of bars offering a wide range of dishes and a lively atmosphere.
The are two protected areas in the here, to the north you will find a vast area of stunning pine forest and beautiful beaches and to the south you will find marshy salt-flats of the Parque Natural de la Brena y Marismas del Barbate.
There are 3 main festivals in the town 23rd June:Verbena de San Juan; Local crowds gather on the beach at night to burn images of local or national celebrities and notorious politicians. 16th July:Feria del Carmen; Saint Carmen is the patron saint of Fishermen and also of the town so this festival has particular religious importance for the town. Gran Sardina ;Festival of the Great Sardine; takes place in the fishing port.
Barbate Official site
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