Warning: beach lovers ONLY

I have been loving life now that the weather is FINALLY warming up- its warm enough to enjoy some beach time, but not warm enough to wear a bikini, so I’m out there in my long pants and cardigan. The best part has been exploring new beaches, which I have been doing every weekend. 

Costa de la Luz

The Costa de la Luz is the coast that I live on and it extends from Tarifa, the southern most city in Spain, up past Cadiz and into the province of Huelva. (This is not to be confused with the Costa del Sol, which is the coast that goes the other direction from Tarifa.) The Costa de la Luz is slightly less touristy than the Costa del Sol, but is still very popular for water sports like kitesurfing, boating, surfing, and also contains natural parks that are good for camping and hiking. It has very diverse terrain, with mountainous forests suddenly becoming beaches, all right next door to a deserty, sandy area covered in weeds- also next door to another beach… Basically, whichever type of terrain you prefer, you can find it in Cadiz- and best of all, you can find it next to a beach. I will run through a few of the beaches that I have enjoyed in the Costa de la Luz so far..

Playa Victoria

Playa Victoria, Cadiz. Of course, I have to start with the beach I live on. I live on Playa Victoria, which is one of the best sections in Cadiz. It is a long stretch of beach in the wealthier part of town that is completely packed during the summery and touristy months. I say ‘summer’ very loosely, because up until the end of December people (including me) were out there enjoying the sun. The street that runs along the beach is full of cafés, restaurants, and pubs that become completely filled with well-dressed people when even the least bit of sun is out. My favorite day on my street is a sunny Sunday afternoon when all the people come out to eat in the outside patios and take walks by the beach (with their equally well dressed kids- the ones I mentioned in an earlier blog post).

The ferry I took to from Tarifa to Tangier

Tarifa. The southern most city of Spain is known as the kite- surfing capital of the world, and with good reason: it is one of the windiest places I have ever experienced. I haven’t spent time on the beach of Tarifa, but I went through through the city to catch the ferry to Tangeir, Morocco. I hear the beach is amazing, and hopefully one day I will have a story to tell about kite-surfing.

Caños de Meca- look closely to see the surfers

Los Caños de Meca, Conil. This is know for being the “hippie” beach, but after being there I would describe it as the “hippie-surfer” beach… or to clarify even further, the “hippie-surfer-nudist” beach. I love the feel of the area, which is not quite deserted but also not quite touristy. There are surrounding little towns that are slightly run- down and mostly consist of places to rent surfboards and wooden shacks to have a drink or something to eat, with a few cheap but pleasant looking hotels nearby. There is only one way to the beach: to actually reach the sand you have to climb down ancient looking rock steps and pass through a stone structure that seems like it was there since before time. To fit in well here requires one of the following: dreadlocks, wetsuits, or your birthday suit. Like I said, think hippie-surfer-nudist.  

La Cala del Aceite, near Chiclana. I have saved the best for last! La Cala del Aceite felt to me like more of a virgin beach than the others, because there are literally no buildings or parking lots within miles. It is surrounded by a cliff and red rocks that jut out from the cliff which you can sit in and around. If you sit in just the right spot, it is easy to imagine being alone on a deserted island. This is what I loved so much about this beach- the feeling of being completely secluded yet surrounded by such beauty. This one deserves two pictures:

La Cala del Aceite view from ocean

La Cala del Aceite view from rocks

Sancti Petri. This beach reminds me most of all of the South Carolina beaches because there are small sand dunes that have small palms and grasses growing on them, and the sand is very white. The unique feature here is the close up view of a castle in the middle of the ocean! There was a castle built on a piece of land that has since been surrounded by water, and all that remains is the castle smack dab in the ocean. I think during tourist season they take people out to visit the castle in boats. 

Sancti Petri Beach with castle in the background