|
|
|
|
Pueblos Blancos
Other picturesque Cadiz fixtures are the white towns or Pueblos Blancos along the coastline. From the area in Tarifa towards the Cadiz city proper, quaint white towns like Arcos de la Frontera, Chiclana de la Frontera and Vejer de la Frontera attract many tourist and real estate investors because of its pristine locations: white washed houses nestled on hilltops, with a front view of the ocean and the lush mountains as a perfect backdrop. Many of these white houses usually crowd around an ancient building or castle, adding to its allure and beauty. The term de la frontera which frequently follows as a suffix for the white town name, refers to the town s border position in history.
|
 |
Pylons of Cadiz
Within Cadiz City, there are 2 pylons that serve the electrical power line that crosses the Cadiz bay. A bizarre construction that started out of the limitations of the times, the Pylons of Cadiz is now one of the popular sights to see in the city. Known for its unconventional structure -- one narrow grid steel framework, and a crossbar on top that serve as the conductor -- these pylons were built when steel factories in Spain could not produce large steel frameworks and importation was not possible because of the bans instigated by the regime of military leader Francisco Franco . Both pylons completed construction in 1955 and stand at 158 meters in height.
Sherry Towns
Cadiz Province is known for its sherry wines. The strong sun in the area gives an extra sweetness to the grapes used to make sherry, thus its distinction from other types of wines. Many of this fortified wine producers are nestled in the so-called Sherry Triangle bordered by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, San Lucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria.
San Lucar de Barrameda , which lies on the northern tip of the Sherry triangle, is known for its manzanilla wine, characterized by a faint salty taste due to its directly seaside environment. The old port town of Puerto de Santa Maria is known for a locally produced sherry called fino described to have a very light and dry texture. Jerez de la frontrera is where the term Sherry originated, when British wine merchants could not pronounce the word Jerez. Many of these merchants from the Sherry triangle still produce and trade these sherry wines up to the present. Their wine manufacturing sites, more popularly called bodegas, offer guided tours through the production complex and a well-awaited wine tasting session afterwards.
|
|
Costa de la Luz
The city of Cadiz is a long coast that lies on a peninsula that is part of the Spanish coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean. Dubbed the ‘Costa de la Luz’ or the Coast of Light, Cadiz boasts of kilometers of immaculate white beaches, glorious sunsets and quaint seaside villages. Part of Costa de la Luz belongs to the Huelva Province, towards the border between Spain and Portugal; the rest belongs to Cadiz province.
Among Cadiz City’s popular coastline neighbors, there’s San Lucar de Barrameda in the north, whose white golden sands front the Guadalquivir River. Ten kilometers south of San Lucar is the village of Chipiona which used to be a traditional spa resort. It has several lovely beaches: La Ballena, Regla, Tres Piedras and the Cruz del Mar.
The small village of Rota which is the site of the American Naval base established in the 50’s, has a total of 16 kilometers of beach including La Playa de la Costilla and Punta Candor - awarded the blue flags by the European Union signifying its high standards in beach cleanliness and facilities. The town of El Puerto de Santa Maria is home to the beach of La Playa Puntillo where tourists can enjoy tasty food with good Manzanilla wine.
Down south of Cadiz City, across the coves and cliffs of Novo Sancti Petri and Roche, is the village of Conil de la Frontera and El Palmar Beach. There is also Los Caños de Meca with its famous Cape Trafalgar that protects the town beaches. The town of Barbate is a short trip down the cape. Barbate has relatively gentler winds and is a popular site for local tourists during summer months. It is home to the miles stretch of beach called La Playa del Boltero. The windswept village of Zahara de los Atunes follows next, which offers unspoiled beaches stretching towards Cape Gracia. Playa Bolonia further down south is located in the small isolated town of Bolonia - home to the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia. Tarifa, which is on the southern end of Costa de la Luz is popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing with its 10 kilometers of white sandy beaches that face the waters where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet. The beaches called La Playa Los Lances and Playa Valdevaqueros are the best kite and windsurfing sites, giving the town of Tarifa the title of ‘Windsurfing Capital of Europe.’
|
|
|
|
|
