Costa de la Luz
Encyclopedia
The Costa de la Luz (ˈkosta ðe la luθ, "Coast of Light") is a section of the Andalusian coast in Spain facing the Atlantic; it extends from Tarifa
in the south, along the coasts of the Province of Cádiz and the Province of Huelva, to the mouth of the Guadiana River.
A popular destination for vacationing Spaniards, in recent years the Costa de la Luz has become more popular with foreign visitors, especially the French and the Germans. Increasing urbanization and tourism
-oriented development of parts of the coast have had economic benefits, but these trends have also ignited fevered real-estate speculations and some environmental degradation
.
Aside from the beaches and the sunshine, there are ample opportunities and facilities for leisure activities, like fine dining, golf
, kitesurfing
, boating
, and other water sports. The Costa de la Luz is especially noted for the beauty of its protected natural reserves and a number of first-rate natural attractions. Among them are: the Doñana National Park
, where endangered species, such as the Spanish Imperial Eagle
, also known as Adalbert's Eagle (Aquila adalberti), and the Iberian Lynx
(Felis pardina), can occasionally be sighted; the picturesque Bay of Cádiz
; the steeply-pitched shorelines of the southern section of the Andalusian coastline; the salt marshes of Barbate
and the seaside cliffs at La Breña (both within the La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
); and the sprawling wetlands at the mouths of the rivers Tinto and Odiel
, where there is a profusion of water fowl and, in season, other migratory birds, including storks and flamingos.
Among the towns, cities, and beaches of most interest to a visitor to the Costa de la Luz (in order, from northwest to southeast) are: Ayamonte
, Isla Cristina
, Lepe
, El Portil
, Punta Umbría
, Matalascañas
, Sanlúcar de Barrameda
, Chipiona
, El Puerto de Santa María
, Cádiz
, Chiclana de la Frontera
, Conil de la Frontera
, Zahara de los Atunes
, Los Caños de Meca
, Vejer de la Frontera
, Bolonia, and Tarifa
.
Other places along the coast, of somewhat less touristic interest (again, in order, from northwest to southeast), are: Isla Canela
, Islantilla
, La Antilla
, El Terrón, Cartaya
, El Rompido
, Mazagón
, Rota, Puerto Réal
, San Fernando, and Sancti Petri
.
A further facility of nterest is the atmospheric research station El Arenosillo
, where sometimes rockets are launched.
The Costa de la Luz has a rich history that dates back to the twelfth century BCE. Cultural attractions include Baelo Claudia
, the well-preserved ruins of a small Roman city; Cape Trafalgar
, where, in 1805, in sight of this promontory, the English admiral, Horatio Nelson, defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet; and La Rábida Monastery
.
At the Rábida Monastery in Palos de la Frontera
near Huelva
, Christopher Columbus
sought the aid of the Franciscan
brothers, hoping to enlist them as advocates for his scheme to launch a voyage of discovery. They introduced Columbus to a wealthy local seafaring family, the Pinzón brothers, who eventually prevailed upon Ferdinand and Isabella to listen to Columbus's pitch for support. With royal patronage and the collaboration of the Pinzóns, Columbus was able to secure his three ships as well as local crews from the Huelva area. In fact, there is a persistent belief that Columbus settled on his final westward route after speaking to a local sailor named Alonso Sánchez
.
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
in the south, along the coasts of the Province of Cádiz and the Province of Huelva, to the mouth of the Guadiana River.
A popular destination for vacationing Spaniards, in recent years the Costa de la Luz has become more popular with foreign visitors, especially the French and the Germans. Increasing urbanization and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
-oriented development of parts of the coast have had economic benefits, but these trends have also ignited fevered real-estate speculations and some environmental degradation
Environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife...
.
Attractions and recreation
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, and other water sports. The Costa de la Luz is especially noted for the beauty of its protected natural reserves and a number of first-rate natural attractions. Among them are: the Doñana National Park
Doñana National Park
-Conservation:In 1989 the surroundings of the national park were given more protection when a buffer zone was declared a natural park under the management of the regional government. The two parks, national and natural, have since been classified as a single natural landscape.In 1994 UNESCO...
, where endangered species, such as the Spanish Imperial Eagle
Spanish Imperial Eagle
The Spanish Imperial Eagle, Iberian Imperial Eagle or Adalbert's Eagle is a threatened species of eagle that only occurs in central and south-west Spain, adjacent areas of Portugal and possibly northern Morocco, although the latter is disputed...
, also known as Adalbert's Eagle (Aquila adalberti), and the Iberian Lynx
Iberian Lynx
The Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus, is a critically endangered species native to the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe. It is one of the most endangered cat species in the world. According to the conservation group SOS Lynx, if this species died out, it would be one of the few feline extinctions...
(Felis pardina), can occasionally be sighted; the picturesque Bay of Cádiz
Bay of Cádiz
The Bay of Cádiz is a body of water adjacent to the southwestern coast of Spain. It touches the following municipalities in the province of Cádiz: Cádiz, San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Rota...
; the steeply-pitched shorelines of the southern section of the Andalusian coastline; the salt marshes of Barbate
Barbate
- External links :** - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía*...
and the seaside cliffs at La Breña (both within the La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park is a natural park on the coast of the province of Cádiz, Spain. The park includes marine and terrestrial ecosystems.An area of the natural park has been planted with pines to control the spread of sand-dunes....
); and the sprawling wetlands at the mouths of the rivers Tinto and Odiel
Odiel
The Odiel River, River Odiel, or simply Odiel is a river in the Atlantic basin in southern Spain, more precisely in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. It originates at Marimateos in the Sierra de Aracena at an altitude of above sea level. At the Punta del Sebo, it joins the Rio Tinto to...
, where there is a profusion of water fowl and, in season, other migratory birds, including storks and flamingos.
Among the towns, cities, and beaches of most interest to a visitor to the Costa de la Luz (in order, from northwest to southeast) are: Ayamonte
Ayamonte
Ayamonte is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 18,001 inhabitants.-Location and history:...
, Isla Cristina
Isla Cristina
Isla Cristina is a city and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2009 census, the city has a population of 21,324 inhabitants....
, Lepe
Lepe
Lepe is a Spanish town in the province of Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is situated near the Portuguese border. According to the 2009 census, the city has a population of 25,886 inhabitants.-Economy:...
, El Portil
El Portil
El Portil is a well-known tourist centre, located six kilometers away from Punta Umbría, in the Huelva province. El Portil was declared a Centre of National Touristic Interest in the 1980s. Situated approximately 640 km away from Madrid by highway, on the Atlantic Coast, the area is an area...
, Punta Umbría
Punta Umbría
Punta Umbría is a town and municipality in the province of Huelva, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia.The Punta in its name comes from the long point going out to the sea from the beach....
, Matalascañas
Matalascañas
Matalascañas is the name of a beach and resort within the Municipality of Almonte, Huelva Province, in southern Spain. It is known for having an ancient upside down tower on the sand...
, Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Sanlúcar de Barrameda is a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. Sanlúcar is located on the left bank at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River opposite the Doñana National Park, 52 km from the provincial capital Cádiz and...
, Chipiona
Chipiona
Chipiona is a town and municipality located on the Atlantic coast in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to the 2009 census, the city has a population of 18,583 inhabitants but this amount increases greatly during the summer holiday period. The town covers an area of 332kilometres...
, El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
, Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, Chiclana de la Frontera
Chiclana de la Frontera
Chiclana de la Frontera is a town in southwestern Spain, in the province of Cádiz, near the Gulf of Cadiz. The area is a fertile region, with much agriculture, including vineyards...
, Conil de la Frontera
Conil de la Frontera
Conil de la Frontera is a town on the Atlantic coast in the southern part of Spain, with around 21,000 inhabitants.It has six beaches: Playa La Fontanilla, Playa El Roqueo , Playa Fuente del Gallo, Playa Punta Lejos, Playa Cala del Aceite and Playa los Bateles. Playa los Bateles is the longest and...
, Zahara de los Atunes
Zahara de los Atunes
Zahara de los Atunes is a village on the Costa de la Luz of Spain in the province of Cádiz and the autonomous region of Andalusia.It has Barbate and Tarifa very near by and has excellent beaches. In the town there are a variety of restaurants, cafes, hotels, an outdoor cinema, and a scenic church....
, Los Caños de Meca
Los Caños de Meca
Los Caños de Meca is a small seaside village to the east of Cape Trafalgar on the Costa de la Luz of Spain. It is part of the province of Cádiz and the autonomous region of Andalusia....
, Vejer de la Frontera
Vejer de la Frontera
- Gallery :-External links:* * * * http://www.360cities.net/image/vejerplaza...
, Bolonia, and Tarifa
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
.
Other places along the coast, of somewhat less touristic interest (again, in order, from northwest to southeast), are: Isla Canela
Isla Canela
Isla Canela is a small island located south of the town of Ayamonte, in Andalusia, Spain. The mouth of the Guadiana River is next to the island, and Portugal can be easily seen from Isla Canela. The island is a popular Summer resort thanks to its beaches.Isla Canela is a growing resort with hotels...
, Islantilla
Islantilla
Islantilla is a seaside town located next to La Antilla, between the municipalities of Lepe and Isla Cristina, in Andalusia, Spain. Islantilla belongs to a tourist region called "Costa de la Luz". Huelva is an urban center close to Islantilla....
, La Antilla
La Antilla
La Antilla is a beach resort within the municipality of Lepe, in the province of Huelva, a part of the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain. It has between three and four thousand year-round residents, but its population increases to about 70,000 in the summer. Frequented mainly by Spanish...
, El Terrón, Cartaya
Cartaya
Cartaya is a spanish locality and municipality in the province of Huelva . In 2010 had 18,415 inhabitants. Its surface area is 226.4 km² and has a density of 81.34 people per km²....
, El Rompido
El Rompido
El Rompido is a coastal borough in the municipality of Cartaya which is situated in the province of Huelva. El Rompido was founded sometime in the 1500s. El Rompido is situated in the mouth of the Río Piedras...
, Mazagón
Mazagón
Mazagón is a beach town in Spain near Huelva....
, Rota, Puerto Réal
Puerto Real
Puerto Real is a seaport in southern Spain, in the province of Cádiz and the autonomous region of Andalusia. , it had a population 40,667....
, San Fernando, and Sancti Petri
Islote de Sancti Petri
The Islote de Sancti Petri is a small barren island belonging to the municipality of San Fernando, Cádiz in the province of Cádiz and the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain...
.
A further facility of nterest is the atmospheric research station El Arenosillo
El Arenosillo
El Arenosillo is the name of a rocket launch site for suborbital rockets for atmospheric soundings, located near Mazagón in Spain. It is located in the province of Huelva in southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalucía....
, where sometimes rockets are launched.
History
Baelo Claudia
Baelo Claudia is the name of an ancient Roman town, located outside of Tarifa, near the village of Bolonia, in southern Spain. Lying on the shores of the Straits of Gibraltar, the town was originally a fishing village and trade link when it was settled some 2,000 years ago...
, the well-preserved ruins of a small Roman city; Cape Trafalgar
Cape Trafalgar
Cape Trafalgar is a headland in the Province of Cádiz in the south-west of Spain. It lies on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the Strait of Gibraltar...
, where, in 1805, in sight of this promontory, the English admiral, Horatio Nelson, defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet; and La Rábida Monastery
La Rabida Monastery
La Rábida Monastery is a Franciscan monastery in the southern Spanish town of Palos de la Frontera, in the province of Huelva and the autonomous region of Andalucia...
.
At the Rábida Monastery in Palos de la Frontera
Palos de la Frontera
Palos de la Frontera is a town and municipality located in the southwestern Spanish province of Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is situated some from the provincial capital, Huelva...
near Huelva
Huelva
Huelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 149,410 inhabitants. The...
, Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
sought the aid of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
brothers, hoping to enlist them as advocates for his scheme to launch a voyage of discovery. They introduced Columbus to a wealthy local seafaring family, the Pinzón brothers, who eventually prevailed upon Ferdinand and Isabella to listen to Columbus's pitch for support. With royal patronage and the collaboration of the Pinzóns, Columbus was able to secure his three ships as well as local crews from the Huelva area. In fact, there is a persistent belief that Columbus settled on his final westward route after speaking to a local sailor named Alonso Sánchez
Alonso Sánchez
Alonso Sánchez was a fifteenth-century mariner and merchant born in Huelva, Spain, on Andalusia's Atlantic coast...
.