Costa de la Luz Route

Sunday

Light, magic and joy. That is, in essence, the Tacita de Plata, one of the oldest cities in the West. An intricate city of narrow streets open to the Atlantic ocean, where Baroque palaces and Indian buildings coexist in harmony with the exceptional modern architecture of the Parador. From the Tavira Tower, with its pioneering camera obscura, you will be able to see the city in all its splendour, including the cathedral, one of the best examples of the colonial glory of the city. The urban beach of La Caleta is its open and infinite horizon. Guarded by the castles of Santa Catalina and San Sebastián, its seafront promenade will remind you of the iconic Malecón in Havana. This welcoming city invites you to wander through its charming neighbourhoods and be seduced by its singular way of life. Don’t forget to write down the date of the carnival, the biggest festival of the region, in which the streets fill with comparsas, chirigotas (songs) and madness. You will also have the chance to have tapas and enjoy exquisite delicacies such as seafood, fried fish and the exclusive almadraba tuna fish. You can cross the Bay of Cádiz in a wonderful boat ride to discover El Puerto de Santa María or visit Sanlúcar de Barrameda, located in the mouth of the Guadalquivir river opposite Doñana, where you can taste some good manzanilla wine and experience the famous horse races on the beach during the summer.

Monday

On your way to Huelva, you need to make a stop in Jerez de la Frontera to visit one its famous wineries and try “the Andalusian sun in a bottle”. Since the protection of the National Park of Doñana obliges to turn to Seville, you can make a stop in this historical capital city (if you have the time) and see the Giralda and the Torre del Oro. Our next stop is Mazagón, whose golden sand beach next to a quaternary cliff stretches 10 km. Located in a heavenly space of unrivalled beauty, within the Natural Space of Doñana, is the Parador of Mazagón, in front of the ocean and on unspoilt beaches, within a leafy pine forest from where you can visit the National Park of Doñana and the El Rocío chapel. Around Moguer and Palos de la Frontera you will find a Columbian Route of Andalusian places relevant to the organization and realization of the first trip of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. Some spots worth visiting are the Monastery of La Rábida and the Muelle de las Carabelas, where you will find the replicas of the Niña, Pinta and Santa María and the House-Museum of the Pinzón brothers.

Tuesday

Heading west, we arrive in Ayamonte, the last stop of this route through the Costa de la Luz. This is a place to rest and relax, where you can admire the mouth of the Guadiana river, beaches as Isla Canela or Punta del Moral, stunning sandbanks, where the landscape and the surroundings are characterised by dunes. The Natural Park of Isla Cristina should be highlighted as well, a marshlands complex between the towns of Ayamonte and Isla Cristina. You can go for a cruise in the Guadiana river and, if you have time, visit Sanlúcar de Guadiana, where the first cross-border zip line is located, connected to the Portuguese town of Alcoutim. By the way, the Algarve is just a few steps away. If you were one of those people really moved by Platero and I, you need to visit Moguer, where you will discover the House Museum Zenobia and Juan Ramón Jiménez. Finally, keep in mind that the Jabugo ham and the shrimps from Huelva are two “musts” of your trip.