One of the most touristy parts of Spain is the area south of Cádiz and Huelva, called the Costa de la Luz. Its location, the southernmost on the Iberian Peninsula, and its magnificent climate have made it a magnet over thousands of years for Tartessos, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs. There are many attractions on the 124 miles of the peninsula’s finest and most golden sands. If you are going to spend your family holiday on this coast, we guarantee that you will not be bored, since it offers you a multitude of family activities and is the ideal destination for a holiday with children, with great possibilities for entertainment for all ages. Family holidays on the Costa de la Luz are the favourite of little ones, and quite right too.
Cadiz
Routes on horseback
The routes on horseback are excellent activities to get in touch with nature and enjoy the beauty of the area in a different way. The excursions and routes done on horseback surprise the visitors due to its charm, and they always leave with fantastic memories of this experience they can enjoy with the family, a partner or with friends.
Visit Entre Ramas Aventura
Entre Ramas Aventura is a forest adventure park located in the forest of Roche. Zip lining, bridges, Tarzan vines, flying cars, spider webs and many more surprises to enjoy a great day in contact with nature and fun guaranteed.
The activities you can enjoy at Entre Ramas include a tour around the trees, carrying out different activities such as zip lining, suspended bridged, Tibetan bridges, etc., within a natural and safe environment which caters for all safety measures, as the guests are permanently monitored by a specialised team. The visitors receive basic training that will teach them how to use individual protection equipment (harness and lanyards) which will then enable them to safely move with complete autonomy through the bridges and games located on the trees at different heights.
Sighting of Cetacean
The sighting of cetaceans is an activity that all the family can share, specially recommended for children, which involves going out sea to spot and identify the whales and dolphins which live and swim the Gibraltar Straight. This unique site, recently awarded the title of Natural Park, features three species of dolphins: Short-beaked common dolphin, Striped dolphin and the common bottlenose dolphin, living with the Long-finned pilot whale.
The beauty of this activity located in the southern extreme of Europe is indescribable: the animals surround the boats, get curious with the passengers and play with the prows.
Practise surf (or learn how to do it)
Conil has fantastic beaches to practise surf, such as Los Bateles. If you love to run the waves, your board and the neoprene suit, or you have always wanted to learn, this is the ideal place to do so. There are many surf academies offering courses for all levels, including the necessary equipment.
Eat tapas, a culinary destination in itself
The famous shrimp tortilla or fried fish are some of its specialties, as well as seasoned potatoes, dobladillos, morena en adobo and one of the best tapas in Spain.
Touring Cádiz’s wineries
Andalusia is the land of wines. Our community has an outstanding enological culture, which is why wine is so present in our gastronomy. More specifically, one of the best, if not the best wine in Spain, is made in Cádiz. It is no surprise that the wine with the oldest Denomination of Origin in the peninsula is produced in this area. Therefore, Cádiz province is called the cradle of Andalusian wine.
This is why it is sacrilege to visit the Cádiz Costa de la Luz and not take a guided tour of one of its wineries. We know that choosing which winery to visit is no easy task. But worry not, we recommend you visit the mythical Barbadillo or Tío Pepe – González Byass Wineries or the famous Osborne Winery, among others.
Zoo botánico de Jerez
Jerez has one of the most important zoological collections in Andalusia. It is located in ancient gardens and contains around 1,300 different animals (over 200 species) from all five continents. www.zoobotanicojerez.com
Children’s City of Jerez
Children’s City will offer you the ideal chance for your child to have fun by learning, and for you to relax. At this leisure park for little ones, you can enjoy free supervised attractions, festivities, workshops, camps and much more. You can also do communions, birthdays, christening, whatever you want. It is the perfect place for your children to have a ball.
Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art
The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is a dressage institution located in Jerez de la Frontera. This school is very famous for its exhibition “How Andalusian Horses Dance,” an impressive, beautiful show you cannot miss. While the importance of this centre is the great work it carries out to maintain and preserve the prestige of horse riding, maintain the Spanish race of horses and much more.
Holy Week in Cádiz
Holy Week in Cádiz is a special time. Seeing the different fraternities during their state of penitence walking through the streets of the old town is, along with the carnival, one of the city’s most meaningful times. It is no surprise that its Guilds and Fraternities are the owners of a rough and incalculable artistic and cultural heritage that in those days became a fabulous open air museum.
15 things you should know about Holy Week in Andalucia
Cádiz Carnival
Cádiz is undoubtedly where the most jocular and fun carnival in Spain is celebrated, since compared with the spectacle of other carnivals, the Cádiz one vibrates with the irony and causticity of its chirigotas, or carnival choirs. It is also here where each corner, alleyway and square hosts improvised performances where comparsas groups, quartets, chirigotas and choirs fill the atmosphere with humour and pasodobles. Indeed, here visitors have to come in costume and not just any old costume, since the locals are true masters of making and creativity.
Cadiz Carnival, a unique event to enjoy the ‘art’ of Cadiz
El Vaporcito de Cádiz
El Vaporcito is quite the institution in Cádiz. El old Vapor del Puerto is now a catamaran that connects Cádiz with Puerto de Santa María, making it a great option for enjoying Cádiz Bay. The ideal thing is to take a boat very early to tour the Puerto de Santa María, enjoy a hearty serving of fried fish with a good wine or cool beer and anchor up again. A top plan.
Huelva
Visit the National Park of Doñana
Outside the reserve in Doñana, you can visit different places such as the Palacio del Acebrón, built during the seventies which currently works as a visitor centre. Another place to visit is the Dune Park of Matalascañas and the Sea World Museum.
For those who love hiking, we recommend visiting the Centre of El Acebuche, which features the bird observatory located on the lagoon which bears the same name.
Ways to discover Doñana National Park
Catching sunsets
There’s an unforgettable moment in the coast of Huelva that is worth the visit: the sunset. To witness this very special moment, we recommend the Matalascañas lighthouse or the terrace at the Ayamonte inn, observing how the red disk slowly descends next to the international bridge. Since the sun sets on land during summer, we can either watch out for punta de la Canaleta in Punta Umbría, or on the marshes of Odiel.
From El Terron to Casita Azul
When you spend your holidays with the family at fishing environments this is a must. First: El Terrón, a town where the trucks unload fishing equipment due to the large amount of fishing vessels. And second: La Antilla, where the buildings share the landscape with more than 40 trammel boats stranded on the beach.
Some curious visitors stop by Islantilla Shopping Centre to have a drink at the first 100 Montaditos of the chain and the first brewery La Sureña, open to the public. However the real attraction should be the library-bar El Principito.
To enjoy the beach without any problems, we recommend Casita Azul (Isla Cristina) beach, an old forest house, today nature’s interpretation centre: pines, dunes, The Path of the Chameleon and the beach bar La Gola, where you can taste a fantastic dinner.
Enjoy the day fishing
Sport fishing is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and educational family activities we can find in the area. Mackerel and melva fishing in Costa de la Luz can be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
For those who love to practise this sport in this area, we just need to say, what are you waiting for?
Holy Week in Huelva
In Huelva PROVINCE, as in the rest of Andalusia, Holy Week is one of the most deeply rooted festivities in its culture. It is no surprise that there are Guilds and Fraternities with a rich and ancient heritage. The oldest processions (the Vera Cruz ones) date back to the first half of the 16th century, appearing in Ayamonte, Moguer, Aracena, Hinojos… If we are talking about Huelva Holy Week, we have to talk about the Guilds that have a dawn procession on Holy Friday: “El Nazareno,” “Misericordia” and “El Perdón.” In Huelva province, the Ayamonte week of passion, classified as a Festivity of Tourist Interest, is particularly important.
El Rocío Procession
El Rocío is the most famous procession in Spain and the one with the most devotees. It is a festivity whose path goes through Doñana National Park up to the hermitage of the village of Rocío and is usually done on foot, on horse or in a carriage. Once in the village, the locals will wait, making merry until dawn, which is when the ‘jump of the railings’ and the procession of the ‘White Dove,” as the Virgin of El Rocío is colloquially known, starts.
Cartaya Karting
If you are also an adrenaline addict and you want to do something fun and suitable for all the family, the Cartaya Kartdrome is for you, since you can enjoy all the options to do your favourite sport with all the guarantees of comfort and safety.
Aquopolis
Aquopolis is ideal to enjoy with all the family. The little ones will be part of many adventures at the many attractions specially designed for them and where they will have their first contacts with water. They will never forget this day where they will play and splash in the water very safely.
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Fuerte El Rompido
Fuerte Hoteles is the perfect accommodation option if you decide to visit the Costa de la Luz. The chain has establishments in Conil and El Rompido from where you can enjoy, in addition to its amenities, the best of each part of the Andalusian geography. Its 60 plus years’ experience are the best guarantees to dedicate your time to discovering these virgin and heavenly beaches of the Costa de la Luz.