Costa de la Luz - Real Spain
Conil de la frontera
Conil is a picturesque seaside village, located on the Costa de la Luz, in the Cadiz province of Spain. It is a typical Spanish fishing village, with white walls and streets - a Pueblo Blanco.
The sea plays a large part in its history. The town itself is perfectly situated between soft woodlands and golden stretches of coastline. Places where fields actually reach the coast line, a rare site on the Med. No high rise buildings spoil your view. This is the area traditionally used by the Spanish for holidays meaning that conservation and planning laws are being inforced.
There are around 18,000 people living in Conil. The town has 362 bars, restaurants and cafes, along with an impressive 16 kilometres of beach. Although the town itself is reasonably small, there is no shortage of accommodation. Here, you will find plenty of places to stay: hotels, apartments and hostels. Although, it is becoming increasingly more popular with tourists, it's not a typical tourist destination. You will not find rows of souvenir shops, or be charged tourist prices for drinks. Like any normal town, you will find all types of businesses here: chemists, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, medical centres etc.
It gets windy here. When the strong Levante wind arrives, the beaches can literally turn into, what looks like, an Arabian sandstorm. Although quite beautiful, it puts some people off. However it is often exaggerated by locals. Its what most in the UK call bracing except on the odd day it goes wild just a few days in the year. In a lot of ways, this is a good thing. It means Conil will not turn into another Fuengirola or Torremolinos.
The locals refer to the wind endlessly. It seems to dictate their every move and is the reason for every thing that goes right as well as wrong. It's bright here too. In Conil, we get over 3200 hours of sunshine a year. Costa de la Luz literally means Coast of Light. The intense blue skies and bright white sands can be dazzling, especially in winter with the low sun (don't forget your sunglasses!). This is a major attraction, especially for visitors coming from gloomy Northern Europe.
This is a friendly and relaxed place with a laid back atmosphere, superb cuisine, and of course, water sports Conil has some excellent beaches cleaned every day by the big tides and big Atlantic roller. However it is still safe for children to bath almost all of the time.
Real or secret Spain
This is not another Brit Ghetto. Would you like to avoid those fake British Pubs and Cafes along with the hoards of lobster skinned yobs dressed in their latest football shirts? This is not Blackpool or Brighton by the sea.
The Costa de la Luz comprises of 300km of coastline, the southernmost in mainland Spain on the Atlantic side, stretching from Ayamonte, on the border with Portugal to Punta de Tarifa in the Straits of Gibraltar. It incorporates two provinces of lower Andalucia, Huelva and Cadiz and several nature reserves of national importance such as the Doana National Park. This wide expanse of unspoiled land makes it a nature lovers paradise.
Miles of sandy, unspoiled beaches and nature in its purest form are the main attractions of this part of Spain. It has yet to succumb to the mass tourism and building boom of its neighbour, the Costa del Sol. As the upsurge in demand for housing along this coast rises, it is evident to see that the area will continue to attract visitors and residents alike, but for the time being, the peace and tranquility remains intact. Local government are already putting into effect, plans to protect the area and to stop the illegal building that has all but destroyed other areas.
Bird life along the coast is quite unique and Tarifas long, sandy beach is host to many rare sea birds. At La Janda, a wetland north-west of Tarifa is home to wintering cranes in great numbers. The whole area is home to Griffin Vultures and Eagles who glide on the warm thermals, looking for food. White storks and egrets are common sights and during the summer, several species of rare butterflies are in evidence. The plant life of the is also of great importance with many flowers and plants being found here that cannot be seen anywhere else in Spain. The Costa de la Luz is also famous for its sunsets.
Inland you have the famous white hill towns like Medina Sidonia and Alcala de los Gazules, both historic and beautiful. A few miles inland you have the thriving city of Jerez famous for the sherry Bodigas and the famous Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art is worth a visit with one of their popular horse displays. The school is located on Avenida Duque de Abrantes, to the north of the centre of town. See their website for opening times and prices. Next door is the Sandeman bodega which welcomes visitors. (Tel 956 312 995 or Email). Jerez importance in the equestrian world is evident by the number of bronze statures in the town. Within Jerez, you must visit the restored 11th century Alcazar and Arab Baths.
The list goes on and on. When I first came to Spain 10 years ago I visited one of the favoured resorts of the tourist on the Med. It was my idea of Hell. A few years later I came to this area and now I live here, as to me, this is heaven on earth.