Costa de la Luz property - Andalucia property for Sale

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Costa de la Luz

If you like wide beaches of fine golden sand you will not be disappointed by those of the Costa de la Luz. From Ayamonte right on the border with Portugal at the mouth of the river Guadiana, to Tarifa on the southernmost tip of the peninsula where Tangiers and the Rif mountains of Morocco are clearly visible across the Straits, the unspoilt beaches backed by pinewoods extend for mile after mile.

The resorts along this coast are infinitely more laid-back than those of the other costas, which were “discovered” much earlier. The Spanish knew about them of course and, although they now attract many British and other northern Europeans, they still have a more Spanish feel. Between the salt marshes and the sea lies the famous Coto Donana National Park, Spain’s largest wildlife reserve, home to the Iberian lynx, imperial eagles and in the spring, hundreds of flocks of breeding birds. Nearby, you can also witness the amazing spectacle of the Romeria del Rocio, Spain’s wildest and most colourful pilgrimage, in which thousands of people dressed up and travelling on horseback and in decorated ox-carts from all over the south converge at Pentecost on the small village of El Rocio.

You are also well placed for extravagant carnivals, with the city of Cadiz staging one that is hard to beat. Its February parades, lasting a whole week, bring almost the entire population out onto the streets every night in colourful costume and celebratory mood. Cadiz’s history goes back some 3,000 years, with waves of occupation by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors contributing to its history. Surrounded by water, it has, not surprisingly, always been a seafaring and naval city. Its narrow streets and alleys are fascinating to explore and the sheer quantity, variety and freshness of the produce on display in the fish market is a wonder to behold. The interior of this part of Andalucia has spectacular historic towns like Arcos and Vejer de la Frontera as well as numerous smaller villages such as those on the popular Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos. The whitewashed villages, many perched on hilltops with castles to defend them, are charming and picturesque and well worth exploring. Roman ruins have been discovered in this area too, in particular the town of Baelo Claudia, near Tarifa.

Chiclana is a beach resort close to Cadiz which, until recently, was mostly frequented by the Spanish, but now attracts a fair number of British visitors and residents who have discovered the beautiful sandy beaches of the area.

Alginet

Just south of Valencia, Alginet could be just the place for those who appreciate small-town life but like the idea of a “night on the tiles” in the big city, because the town has a direct Metro link to Valencia. But the town is well served with a variety of shops, banks, restaurants and bars, as well as a pleasantly old-fashioned little Mercat Municipal.

Macizo del Caroig

Pick up the A-35 motorway that passes Alginet and fifteen minutes later you could be in the Vale de Navarres, or the Labyrinth of the Full Moon, as the locals call it. The long valley rises into the Macizo del Caroig, one of the region’ largest national parks and an important one for rural pastimes, everything from climbing, mountain biling, canoeing, fishing, trekking, horse riding and swimming, to leisure walk and studying the profusion of cave paintings that go back to Neolithic time. Near Bicorp, the northernmost of the valley’s villages, is the Cueva de la Arana (the Spider’s Cave) which houses one of the most important collections of prehistoric cave paintings in Spain. At Quesa, the second off last village, Los Charcos, The Ponds, is a delightful recreation area, with a kiddies’ playground, picnic areas and barbeques set alongside tinkling waters and calm shallow ponds inhabited by shoals of small fish and the occasional fat frog.

Xativa

Skip over the motorway, to the lovely city of Xativa, a gem of a place with one of the most delightful castles in the region watching over the city from its hilltop eerie. The long, thin castle with thirty towers and four fortified gateways makes you aware of just how massive an undertaking it was to build such a structure in such an incredible place. Its sympathetic renovation included fountains, orange groves and herb gardens that perfume the area and give you an idea of what life was like in a major garrison town centuries ago. It was the first town in Europe to manufacture paper, during the Moorish time, and even today in Morocco paper is still known as xativi.

Alcossebre

Further south, Alcossebre is an creasingly favourite destination for British homebuyers, with its long sandy beaches and lack of high-rise apartment blocks.