The beaches of the Costa de la Luz, form an arch from
Gibraltar and
Tarifa next to the
Costa del Sol of
Malaga province, to
Ayamonte at the mouth of the Guadiana River, which is Spains border with Portugal.
The most outstanding features are the long, Atlantic facing, sandy beaches and coastal reserves backed by pine woods and sand dunes punctuated by small fishing ports and modern resorts . The beaches, towns, hotels, holiday properties, beachbars, campsites, restaurants and golf resorts of the Costa de la Luz have been made popular by cheap flights to
Sevilla,
Gibraltar and Faro airports.
Costa de la Luz Cadiz
Continuing south from the
Costa del Sol,
Sotogrande is the first main tourist resort; a 20km stretch from the Mediterranean Sea into the foothills of Sierra Almenara, with views of the sea, hills, cork forests and golf fairways.
La Línea de la Concepción, just a few km south, has the international airport of
Gibraltar adjacent, and
Algeciras, across the bay, has ferries to Africa. Below windfarms,
Tarifa is set on the southernmost point in Spain, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, just 14km from Africa. Ferries run from the port to Tangiers in Morroco, taking 45 minutes. It is notoriously windy here, and stretching 90km north to the busy Bahia de Cadiz undeveloped beaches attract windsurf and kitesurf enthusiasts.
Outside the main tourist centres of
Tarifa,
Zahara de los Atunes,
Barbate,
Los Caños de Meca,
Vejer de la Frontera and
Conil de la Frontera there has been little development, though it is lively in the high season. These areas are perfect for windsurfing, while underwater fishing is also popular in the crystalline waters off the numerous beaches: Los Lances, Bolonia, Punta Paloma, de la Plata, Valdevaqueros and Torre de la Peña. The more remote stretches of sand tend to be naturist areas.
Cádiz city, one of the oldest cities in Europe, is surrounded by the sea on all sides, connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land 8km long separating the Bay of Cádiz, a large natural harbour, from the sea. The region`s busy industrial area and port has allowed other towns on the shores of the Bay of Cádiz to thrive:
Rota,
Chiclana,
El Puerto de Santa María,
Puerto Réal,
San Fernando are all vibrant centres close to good beaches: Playa La Barrosa in Chiclana de la Frontera, Playa La Victoria in Cádiz, Playa de Levante and
Valdelagrana in El Puerto de Santa María and Playa de Camposoto in San Fernando.
North of Cadiz city numerous golf courses, marinas and beaches are found around
Chipiona ,
Sanlúcar de Barrameda and
Bonanza at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, opposite Doñana National Park, Spain’s most important Biological Reserve and close to popular Bajo de Guía beach.
Costa de la Luz Huelva
Huelva’s Costa de la Luz goes from the mouth of the Guadalquivir River; opposite Cadiz province, to the mouth of the Guadiana River; the border between Spain and Portugal. The Atlantic ocean is colder than the Mediterranean further east and popular for windsurfing and other water sports. This area features a series of spacious white-sand beaches where water, dunes and pine forests meet.
The eastern corner of Huelva province is largely uninhabited due to the Cota de Doñana Nature Reserve, 40km of unspoilt, undeveloped coastline, marshes and sand dunes - an area of outstanding natural beauty - accessable from the beach resorts of
Matalascañas or
El Rocio,
Hinojos or
Almonte, inland. Doñana National Park is an ideal place for lovers of nature and water sports.
Huelva city, the provincial capital, is an ancient port surrounded by marshes, water and sea. A bustling, lively place with a unique and captivating atmosphere; rich in history and relatively undiscovered. The coast around Huelva City is dominated by the industrial activity of its ports and marinas on the estuary formed by rivers Odiel and Tinto. Inland from the city are
Palos de la Frontera and
Moguer, on the banks of the Río Tinto estuary in surroundings of wheat fields, fruit orchards and olive groves.
20km east of the Huelva city´s industrial coast is the resort of
Mazagón. Stretching west from Huelva city estuaries to the Portuguese Algarve are numerous resorts, golf courses, marinas and beaches at
Punta Umbria,
Laguna del Portil,
El Rompido,
La Antilla,
Islantilla, Punta del Moral,
Isleta Canela and, on the border
Ayamonte.