Location Land of the free
This area of Andalucia in Southern Spain, known as the Costa de la Luz, is the land of the wild and the free with long sandy beaches and Atlantic surf, ruled by nature and the elements. Fortunately it has more or less escaped the overdevelopment so prominent around the coastlines of much of Iberia.
If you yearn for the simpler things in life, miles of unspoiled beaches, pure sea air, sand dunes, meadows of wild flowers, mountains and authentic villages this is the region to head for. Attracting artists, country lovers, wind and kitesurfers, the young, and the young at heart, there's an unruliness and romance about it. Since Roman times, smugglers and migrants have passed this way, disappearing into the mountains beyond and adding to the mystique of the region.
People are not the only travellers - this is the route of the bird migration from Europe to Africa and the largest National Park in Europe, Doñana. Head inland from the dunes and the salt flats and you will find a wealth of undisturbed flora and fauna, including the Natural Park of Alcornocales with its wild gorse, cork oaks after which the park is named, vultures and eagles.
Tourism and the holiday developments have given this area a boost in recent years, with golf courses, watersports and riding facilities to meet demand. The ancient trades of fishing and sherry production, horse and bull rearing continue alongside; it is a case of old and new prospering from each other.
This is the real Andalucia.
