Costa de la Luz
Swept by the refreshing winds of the Atlantic, the Costa de la Luz is the most western part of Spain and remains a mostly undiscovered destination for the modern tourist. Thankfully, the area has managed to remain virtually unscathed by mass tourism with no high rise buildings, overcrowded beaches and mass property development.
It is a place of outstanding natural beauty, featuring long stretches of white sandy beaches entirely unspoiled and backed by sheer rock faces, sand dunes, vast fields of sunflowers and dense pine forests. The coast takes its name “Costa de la Luz“ or “Coast of Light” from its magnificent sunsets and the brilliant white light and long hours of sunlight it enjoys during the summer months.
Spanning the two provinces of Cádiz and Huelva, it stretches from Punta de Tarifa in the Straits of Gibraltar to Ayamonte, which lies close to the border with Portugal. Popular towns favoured by the Spanish for their summer holidays include Cádiz, Rota, Chiclana and Tarifa. The latter has become a popular and trendy destination for kite surfers and windsurfers.
In recent years the area has grown in popularity due to a combination of its rugged natural beauty, tranquillity, Spanish charm and low property prices.
One of its many attractions include Spain’s largest national park, the Coto de Donaña which covers more than 500 square miles of marshland and dunes and is home to hundreds of species of native and migrating birds.
The area is often referred to as the “Spanish Algarve” as it contains many excellent golf courses, golfing facilities and hotels. Increasingly golfers who regularly visit the Algarve to play such well known courses as Quinta do Lago and Vale do Labo are visiting the Costa de La Luz which offers challenging golf courses and superior value for money.
An added bonus is the areas easy accessibility via Faro airport in Portugal and Jerez, Seville and Málaga airport in Southern Spain. Many low cost airlines now offer great value direct flights from Northern Europe to these airports.
Popular areas of new development include Ayamonte, Isla Canela and Nuevo Portil at the far western end of the province.