Towns of the Region

Chiclana is a traditional Andalucian town located south of Cádiz. It is a busy town with a market and lots of shops in the narrow streets of the centre. It is a few kilometres inland and has two small beach resorts, La Barrosa and Novo Sancti Petri which are popular because of the long sandy beaches, water sports activities, golf club and marina. The picture on the left is of the promenade on the banks of the river Iro which flows through the town. More......

Sevilla, with its Cathedral, the whitewashed houses of the old Jewish quarter and the Torre de Oro on the banks of the Guadalquivir;

Jeréz is famous for its sherry bodegas, flamenco music and the Royal Equestrian School. Its narrow, during the numerous ferias and festivals, particularly Semana Santa (Easter Week) and La Feria del Caballo.

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir is an ancient port, an old fishing town , and renowned for the horse races along the beach in August.

Cádiz has been in existence since 1100 B.C. when it was built by Phoenician traders. The mix of successive cultures, Greek, Roman, Arabic is in evidence in the Cádiz of today. The Carnaval in February is the most famous in the region.
The Bay of Cádiz hosts many sailing events and competitions. Arcos de la Frontera , perched spectacularly on a cliff top is the entry point to the Sierra de Grazalema and the Pueblos Blancos, the ‘white villages’ which are a popular tourist route.

El Puerto de Santa María is a lively, bustling town, located 20 minutes across the bay from Cádiz at the mouth of the Guadalete river. Jeréz is just 20 minutes to the North of the town. There are 22kms of coastline around the town, with several long beaches and little sandy bays.

The town is an important fishing port with numerous tapas bars and restaurants clustered along the river offering a wide range of seafood and shellfish. ‘El Romerijo’ is one such restaurant which sells fresh seafood by weight – you choose how much you want at the counter and it is served at your table.

The town centre boasts a castle (Castillo San Marcos - photo) where Christopher Columbus stayed before sailing to the Americas, an imposing Cathedral, a tree-lined Alameda, one of the oldest bullrings in Spain and a lively indoor market amidst the narrow streets of the old district.

The town is famous for producing sherry and you can visit one of the bodegas, Osborne or Caballero perhaps.

There are plenty of activities in El Puerto, concerts, festivals, art exhibitions and, of course, its Fiestas. These include Carnaval in February, Semana Santa, the Easter week processions, The Spring Festival – celebrating the ‘fino’ wines of the region, the Virgen del Carmen fishing festival and International Sailing Week, a series of prestigious sailing competitions in the Bay of Cádiz.

Costa Ballena is a modern resort with 4 kms of sandy beaches and sand dunes. It is a purpose built golfing and leisure resort with gardens, lakes and an 27 hole 72 par golf course designed by José María Olazábal. The golf club has a bar, restaurant, shop, gym, sauna, golf school and equipment hire and the course ranges over 100 hectares. The climate and environment are ideal for a golfing and leisure holiday.

Costa Ballena is close to the old town and seaport of Chipiona, on the mouth of the Guadalquivir. The town boasts a marina, the tallest lighthouse in Spain and plenty of seafood restaurants and bars. Carnaval, in February, is the biggest fiesta in the town. More......