| The Spanish coastline meets the Mediterranean Sea | | | | August when most take their holidays. The Atlantic |
| and is not tidal. Right? Well, most of it. There is an | | | | swells, whipped up by the winds, flatten, leaving an |
| area of Spain to the east of Gibraltar that fronts | | | | uncrowded, unspoilt area ideal for a relaxing holiday. |
| onto the Atlantic Ocean and is very different to the | | | | The winds have no doubt discouraged developers |
| rest of Spain's coast. | | | | from building many hotels, apartment blocks and |
| A coastline of fine white sand that runs for some 50 | | | | holiday villas, so unfortunately the opportunity to rent |
| miles, where the beaches are never crowded, and | | | | self catering accommodation is small. Instead the |
| there is little in the way of development. It sounds | | | | Spanish themselves take their holidays here and keep |
| too good to be true. So what's the catch? The wind. | | | | the secret from the rest of us! |
| But read on. | | | | The region is divided into two by the River |
| The Costa de la Luz, which translates as the Coast | | | | Guadalquivir. To cross the river requires a long trip |
| of Light, is one of the finest coastlines in Europe, yet | | | | inland to Seville, so holidaymakers staying on the |
| the area in sparsely populated compared to the rest | | | | Costa de le Luz tend to remain either to the |
| of Spain's coastal strip, and has been ignored by both | | | | south-east or north-west of the river. |
| developers and visitors. This is a shame, because the | | | | Most foreign visitors favour the south-eastern half. |
| area has a secret. | | | | Starting from the Gibraltar end, places of interest |
| The Costa de la Luz stretches from Gibraltar in the | | | | include Tarifa which is reputed to be the surfing |
| east to the border with Portugal. The coastline meets | | | | capital of Europe; the fishing port of Barbate; and the |
| the Atlantic and the wave action has resulted in a | | | | Barbate National Park. The historic walled city of |
| finer sand and cleaner beaches. Average | | | | Cadiz is well worth a visit, as are the costal villages of |
| temperatures are milder than the rest of Spain, which | | | | Canos de Meca, Conil de la Frontera, Rota, Chipona |
| can be a blessing in the peak of the summer. | | | | and Sanluca de Barrameda. |
| Two strong winds, a westerly known as the | | | | Visitors to the north-western part of the Costa de la |
| Poniente, and an easterly called the Levante, rip | | | | Luz are more likely to have driven over from |
| across the shore making this area a wind surfer's | | | | Portugal. |
| paradise, but a nightmare if you want to sunbathe on | | | | There is an airport at Jerez de la Frontera and the |
| the beach. However, I said there is a secret, and | | | | cheap airlines have started to fly into the region. |
| that is the winds die away to a breeze in July and | | | | Ryanair has a service from Stansted. |