The south-western coast of Andalusia is named Costa de la Luz (Coast of the light) because it gets a bright and vivid sunlight throughout the year that bathes its surrounding towns, streets, whitewashed houses and beaches of golden dunes. The Atlantic Coast of the Light, in the provinces of Huelva and Cádiz, is a world apart from the Mediterranean resorts: for 100 km or more, there are scarcely any villa developments even at the growing resorts of breezy Tarifa, one of Europe's prime windsurfing locations. Costa de la Luz offers fantastic views down to Gibraltar and to the African coast.

The landscape of Costa de la Luz

The coast of Huelva and Cádiz corresponds to the Atlantic Ocean and is characterized by huge beaches of fine sand lined by pine groves. Inland you will find varied landscapes of fertile countryside, pastures vineyards and hidden villages.

Large cities in Costa de la Luz: Huelva and Jerez

Huelva is marked by Christopher Columbus, who started his travel to America from the nearby Palos de la Frontera. There you may still visit the monastery where he prepared his travel, alongside with a reconstruction of the port and the three famous ships.

Jerez de la Frontera is the hometown of the world-famous Sherry wine and the site of a renowned equestrian school.

Tourist attractions in Costa de la Luz

Doñana National Park is Spain's largest and most important nature reserve, home to a spectacular range of flora and fauna. Numerous species of migrant birds stay here during the breeding phase and then fly to Africa.

Sports activities in Costa de la Luz

There are ample opportunities and facilities for leisure activities like golf, kite surfing, windsurfing, boating and other water sports. Isla Cristina and Punta Umbría have well-equipped marinas and other water facilities. Matalascañas surrounded by the Parque Nacional de Doñana, is ideal for both nature lovers and those who simply look for relax.

Gastronomic characteristics of Costa de la Luz

Costa de la Luz gastronomy is typically Mediterranean with lot of fish, rice, vegetables, salads and fruits. The classic Andalucian wine is sherry – vino de Jerez – and is produced in the area west of the town of Jerez de la Frontera. It makes the perfect partner for tapas– and, like everything Spanish, it comes in a perplexing variety of forms.

The climate of Costa de la Luz

The weather is warm and sunny during the summer. Spring brings with it an explosion of flowers, fiestas and processions and even in winter, when temperatures seldom drop below 10ºC, the sun keeps shining faithfully.