Activities
Whether adventure or simply relaxation - here you will find just the right thing!
Nature
Walks & Hikes
To the east of our houses in El Palmar, about 10 minutes away by car is the village of Canós de Meca. At the end of the village you will find a parking lot. There begins the Parque Natural de la Breña and the Marismas del Barbate next to the Cape of Trafalgar include five protected ecosystems: sea, dune, pine, marshland and cliffs. Along the pine-covered cliffs that rise up to 100 meters in the Tagus of Barbate, there are routes for walks and hikes that offer spectacular views of the Strait of Gibraltar. Rosemary and lavender are just two of the scents you will encounter. The tourist office in Barbate has more details for you.
Another well-documented area is the Alcornocales Natural Park, which has a very distinctive flora and fauna. The cork oaks, from which the park takes its name, are peeled every seven years, revealing their velvety, copper-colored trunks. Silver poplars, myrtles, ash trees and alders, as well as Mediterranean shrubs, provide shelter for the mongoose, otters and wild cats. There is a visitor center in Alcalá de los Gazules.
Sports
Biken
Discover the beauties of the landscape by bike. Already in January/February and in late autumn until November there is a suitable climate for a cycling vacation. Mountain bikers will find a myriad of routes on flat dirt roads through this beautiful and wild landscape.
This is a great way to discover the area. You'll ride through cork oak forests, on routes through dunes, past meadows of wildflowers and fields resplendent with sunflowers. Rent a bike in Conil and explore the town, or head to La Breña Nature Park near Cape Trafalgar.
But there are also more difficult mountain routes here.
Nature
Birdwatching
The bird migration crosses the Strait of Gibraltar from Africa to Europe and in spring and autumn on the way from Gibraltar to Huelva the Costa de la Luz. This is exactly the time when ornithologists rent our villas on vacation to observe nightjars and owls, bee-eaters, swifts and griffon vultures.
For a trip to Coto Doñana, Europe's largest nature reserve, it is worth planning a day, but you need to book early. There, you will be driven around in a Unimog bus to observe the wild animals. The area is mainly wetland and marshland, where more than 250 different bird species have been recorded. Late February and mid-May are the best times to observe the birdlife. The Alcornocales Natural Park and the Natural Park de la Breña are other interesting areas for nature lovers.
Riding
What could be more beautiful than riding along a kilometer-long golden sand beach to the rhythm of the waves or through pine groves into the open countryside inland. In Conil you will find riding schools and stables where you can rent horses to fulfill this dream. Montenmedio, near Vejer de la Frontera, has become the center for international dressage, show jumping, cross, country, rodeo, harness and eventingcompetitions. Here you can also learn to ride and participate in training courses of all levels.
Sports
Golf
When it comes to finding a golf course in this area of the Costa de la Luz, you are spoiled for choice. Due to the competition, the prices are more reasonable than on the Costa del Sol. The closest course is Montenmedio Golf & Country Club, which is considered one of the most beautiful golf courses in Spain and is not far from Vejerde la Frontera. In the immediate vicinity is the Benalup Golf Club. Both are 18 holegolf courses. In Novo Sancti Petri or in Chiclana de la Frontera, the 18-hole golf courses Club de Golf Campano, Santi Petri Hills Golf and La Estancia Golf as well as the Real Novo Sancti Petri Golf Club with a total of 54 holes are recommended. The Montecastillo course in Jerez de la Frontera is particularly elegant and has hosted the Volvo Masters a few times.
Action
Adventure Sports
On the Costa de la Luz there are all kinds and forms of adventure sports to get the adrenaline rush you need. In El Helechal, Bolonia, you can improve your rock climbing skills and fight for your life hanging from a ledge - this is the real "rock mania". The mountains of the San Bartolo area offer 250 routes between 10 and 80 meters. Barranquismo or canyoning is another extreme sport - here you go down the canyons and gorges. Learn scuba diving in Tarifa. Experienced paragliders, who always pay attention to the wind forecast, fly up and down the beaches to get a bird's eye view. Montenmedio Country Club offers a multi-adventure activity program: take one of the 4x4 excursions or a trip into the dunes on a quad bike. Train your skills of climbing, abseiling and with the rope bridges. On the estate you can go hunting or prove yourself in archery.
Souvenirs
Shopping
Seville is the Mecca for the shopping enthusiast. The main shopping center is the square between Plazas Nueva, Magdalena, Encarnación and San Francisco, with Calle Sierpes street as the focal point. The clothing and home furnishings stores are elegant and chic. Seville is known for its ornate tiles and glazed ceramics, terracotta pots, and leather goods. Be on the lookout for handicraft products that you can use as gifts. A special treat on vacation is visiting markets and sampling local dishes. Seafood is the specialty on the Costa de la Luz, and you'll be spoiled for choice at the market in Cadiz and Puerto de Santa María. Buy vegetables and fruits grown in the gardens near the market: plump peaches and soft figs, delicious strawberries and oranges, huge tomatoes and peppers. Taste the wine of the region, especially finoand manzanilla sherry.
Sports
Water sports
Whether kitesurfing, windsurfing or surfing - guests come from all over the world to enjoy water sports on the Costa de la Luz. The miles of white, fine sandy beaches, the wind and the waves provide the best conditions for this. El Palmar, where Villa Parra and Villa Luz are located, is an excellent surfing spot. Especially because of the long white sandy beach and the excellent breaking waves (beachbreak) El Palmar is very popular among Spanish tourists from the inland and among surfers. The beach is considered the best beach break in Andalusia. For kitesurfing, go to Cape of Trafalgar and Caños de Meca in Poniente (west wind) and to Conil de la Frontera in Levante (east wind). In Conil there are training schools and in stores specialized in kitesurfing you will find the necessary equipment. There are fewer windsurfers and kitesurfers on the Conil coastline than in Tarifa.
Nature
Whale watching
From April to October, you have the opportunity to join firmm on research cruises. Observe the fascinating marine mammals during a two-hour excursion or join one of the one- to two-week courses to get to know the whales and dolphins of the Strait of Gibraltar and their habitat better.
