Taking a Break La Barrosa Style

For the last month we have been staying in the south of Spain enjoying the winter sun. We stayed in La Barrosa is situated about 30 kms from Cadiz and 6 kms from Chiclana de la Frontera.

We chose this area as it was a reasonable priced at $600 Aus for the month. We booked the two bedroom apartment in a resort complex through Airbnb. It also had a lovely balcony where we could sit and enjoy the winter sun and even though the pool area was closed it gave a nice tropical feeling.

La Barrosa is purported to be one of the best beaches in Spain and it lived up to its reputation. The apartment was an easy 15 minute walk to the beach and it was very popular on weekends where many locals spent the afternoon wandering along enjoying the views. The sunsets especially were beautiful to see although once the sun went down it got quite cold.

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There are heaps of cafes in the area, many were closed for the winter but we found enough open that we could enjoy a drink by the sea in the sun. Our favourite though was on the road to the beach, Cerveceria d los Oliva. It had a lovely outdoor area with some tables giving you a view down to the beach. The staff were friendly and welcoming every time we went, even knowing our coffee order within a few days and greeting us with big smiles. The food was reasonably priced and always good, their specialty of Costillaje Iberico a Horio (slow roasted seasoned lamb) simply melted in our mouths. We only had one serving and shared it with a salad and there was plenty.

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More photos from La Barrosa

The other reason we chose this area was it was easy to explore other towns nearby although public transport was limited. Where we stayed there is an hourly bus and another within walking distance that left 30 minutes later. To get to Chiclana fares were 1.45 euro however there is a swipe card that saves you a bit however we could not seem to locate one. We used the buses to get around for two weeks while Michele’s Mum was visiting. It is adequate although frustrating as often the connecting buses left just as we arrived into Chiclana meaning we had to wait up to an hour for another bus depending on our destination.

The most frequent buses are to Cadiz and they leave half hourly from Chiclana and it takes about 30 minutes to get there costing 3 euros each. We spent a few days in Cadiz, it is a wonderful place to wander around with lots of interesting history. We walked around the coastline and the views are stunning with a couple of old forts you can walk out to and look around.

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More images of Cadiz

Across from the bus station in Cadiz is the ferry port, from here you can get a ferry across to El Puerto de Santa Maria or Rota. The day we went we ended up at Rota, the ferry ride is well worth the 5 euros. The views back across Cadiz are spectacular and it is a nice to see the area from the sea. Rota is a lovely place, more stunning beaches and a lovely little town to explore and wander around.

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More photos from Rota

Chiclana is a nice place to visit for a day as well, great markets to get fresh fruit, veg and meat. Being the festive season there was lots of decorations around and we also got to see the Reyes de Magis Parade which is held on January the 5th. It is hard not get caught up in the excitement with the kids all hyped up trying to fill their shopping bags with sweets that are thrown from every float as it passes.

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More photos from Chiclana

We also spent a day in Conil, buses leave from Chiclana regularly and it is a beautiful old town and stunning beach with cafes dotted along to enjoy a sunny day.

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More photos from Conil

Jerez de la Frontera is a bit more of a challenge to get to with the need to get a bus to San Fernando (this takes ages as it goes through the town before getting to the train station. (We think time wise it may be better to go to Cadiz and then get the train from there). Jerez has lots to do unfortunately for us everything was closed when we went but we hope to return one day.

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More photos from Jerez de la Frontera

If you have access to transport, Vejez de la Frontera is worth visiting. Visiting by public transport it is challenging but doable. It is one of the stunning Andalusian white towns, set high on a hill as you approach it looks amazing. The town itself is very hilly to walk around but quite quaint. The centre of town has the most beautiful tiled fountain with seating around it where you can enjoy both the sun and the views. The roads are very narrow and steep so we recommend you park on the edge of town and walk. There are also beaches nearby and you can follow the coast road back to La Barrosa.

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More photos from Vejez de la Frontera

Gibraltar is also a great place for a visit if you have transport, it is a 1.5 hour drive to visit this 6km country situated on a rock. This British Colony has an interesting history being gifted to Britain in the 1700s it is like stepping into England for a day We decided to take a taxi tour up to the Rock, for £22 per person it gave us transport, entry onto the Rock and also entry into St Michael’s Caves (limestone caves) and the Great Siege Tunnels. We also stopped to see the views across to Morocco and of course to see the Apes of Gibraltar (a type of Macaque monkey). You can walk up if you are keen but this made it easier and took just over an hour. We were told it was cheap to shop here but we found it quite expensive for the things we needed. It was nice however to have a fix of fish and chips and an English breakfast to see us through till we get back the UK next May.

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More photos from Gibraltar

So where to from here….we leave on Sunday to visit Seville for two nights then Morocco so if you have any tips please let us know.

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