From Barbate to Sancti Petri, A Drive in the Car

On a crisp clear morning in December it is easy to see why this coast is known as the Costa de la Luz. The bright, sharp, blue tinted light reflected from the vast Atlantic bathes the shore. It was so clear on this particular day that from Barbate it was possible to see the purple tinted Rif Mountains in Morocco.

Considering Barbate is only just over one hour away from Estepona, it is surprising how few people visit this part of Andalucia, which is a pity for it includes some of the finest beaches in Andalucia and a huge variation in coastal scenery. The main N340 by passes this coast so that to reach it you have to use the minor coastal roads, and Barbate is a good place to start. The whole stretch can be comfortably driven in a day.

Barbate itself is a modern town although there has been a settlement there since Roman times. Then, as now, the town depended on the sea for its existence. During Roman times it was one of a chain of places on this coast that exported salted fish products to Rome. The amount and importance of this coastal trade is only now being fully realised.

In or around AD 50 a Roman cargo vessel set sail from Cadiz. It was 30 metres long and could carry 400 tons of cargo. As it progressed down the coast towards the Pillars of Hercules it called in at various ports like Barbate, Baelo Claudia and Carteia to take on board amphora of garum, a fish sauce much prized by upper class Romans. The ship eventually sailed into the Mediterranean, calling at ports like Saltum (Castillo de la Duquesa) until the hold was full of over 1,200 amphoras. Unfortunately the ship sank just off the coast of Valencia where it lay until it was found in the year 2000. In November 2006 the first reports of its excavation were published. The origin, contents and age of the amphora were determined by the shape, type of clay and the wax and ceramic seals.

Today Barbate has a large modern fishing fleet and the whole area is renowned for its fish restaurants.

As you leave Barbate on the coast road west past the fish docks and marina you enter a wild stretch of coastal cliffs. Notice the fossilised sand dunes topped by pine trees as you enter the Parque Natural de la Breña. The road takes you to the top of the 100 metre high sandstone cliffs that are a feature on this part of the coast. If you have the time you can park in any of the recreation areas and take short walks through the pine woods along the top of the cliffs that are home to a number of sea birds. Underfoot are many low growing endemic species of flowers and, in winter, different and colourful types of fungi.

As you leave the Parque the road takes you down to Los Caños de Meca. This small, picturesque white village is almost deserted during winter, its main feature being the fabulous small beaches at the foot of small cliffs. Rocky ridges emerge from the cliffs and vanish beneath the waves. At any time of year this is a great spot for sea fishing.

Further east on a rocky promontory at the end of a sand spit you will see a lighthouse (see front cover). This is Cape Trafalgar. The lighthouse you see dates from the late 19th Century. The stone built watchtower that was there on the 21st October 1805 is hidden from view behind the later edifice. Drive out of Los Caños and you will see a smaller road on the left signposted Cabo de Trafalgar. This takes you across the sand spit from where it is only a couple of hundred metres walk to this historical spot. Just offshore was the scene of the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson, with 27 ships of the line faced a combined French Spanish fleet of 33 ships of the line commanded by Pierre Villaneuve. In this epic battle, the French/Spanish fleet were sailing south in line. Nelson flew his famous flag signal, "England expects that every man will do his duty", and attacked the line in two parallel columns, an unusual manoeuvre because, until they were amongst the enemy, the British ships could not bring any guns to bear whilst the enemy could pound the British with successive broadsides as each of their ships "crossed the 'T'". The tactic worked. Villaneuve was unnerved and ordered his combined fleet to reverse course so that he could get back to the safety of Cadiz. Due to lack of practise of combined fleet manoeuvres his whole fleet was thrown out of line and became easy prey for the British. During the battle the French and Spanish lost 3,243 dead and 2,538 wounded whilst the British lost 449 dead, including Nelson, and 1,241 wounded. 22 French and Spanish ships were captured whilst the English lost none.

Cape Trafalgar is also a good place to watch gannets diving and feeding on the shoals of fish that gather here attracted by the food brought along by two converging offshore currents.

Heading north now, the next town is Conil de la Frontera. Conil is a typical Andalucian white fishing village with narrow cobbled streets and tapas bars. It is becoming more popular with tourists as they discover the spectacular beach, brilliant yellow sand stretching as far as the eye can see. If you have managed to get this far without eating then Conil has a number of excellent cafes and restaurants overlooking the beach. As may be expected the fish is wonderful.

Leaving Conil the coast becomes much flatter as you approach the Parque Natural de la Bahia de Cadiz. This area of marismas, south of Cadiz, is home to thousands of waders, particularly in winter when the migrants are in residence. In Spring it is a riot of colour with huge numbers of flowering shrubs all existing in the salty, sandy soil. The squared off, shallow, salt pans are a relic of Phoenician times when they produced huge quantities of salt from this area. The old town of Sancti Petri, reached, literally, at the end of the road, is now largely abandoned. This fishing village is on a spit of land with the sea on one side and an estuary on the other. A couple of riverside restaurants provide the only distraction from the view of golden beaches, river estuary and sand dunes.

To regain the N340 and the road home, follow the signs across to Chiclana de la Frontera.