Guide to Costa De La Luz

Beaches

Many a stellar sweep fringes Spain's coastline, and the Costa de la Luz has got its fair share of beauties. Zahara de las Atunes is one of the best beaches in the Cadiz province, with feather-soft sands melting into crystal waters. In fact, the waters are so clear, it's the ideal place to slip on mask and snorkel for a closer encounter with the sealife.

Another one to look out for on the Cadiz side is Conil de la Frontera, a long sandy sweep backed by Bronte-style cliffs. Over on the Huelva side, meanwhile, you've got the all-seductive Isla Cristina. Its claim-to-fame is eight sun-drenched kilometres of soft golden sands that the Spanish love to spend their holidays lazing on. In fact, this great sandy snake is so long there's something to suit every type of sunseeker, whether you're after footprint-free sands or a stretch that's spot on for surfing. Look one way and you've got the sparkling sea. Look the other and you've got forest-fresh pines, perfect for a shady stroll when the midday sun reaches melting point.

There's tranquil Islantilla, too, whose sands are peaceful enough to make a monk feel at home. Or perhaps you'll choose the island of Isla Canela, right by the Portuguese border, whose blissed-out beaches will have you barefoot and bronzing in nanoseconds. And then there's Matalascanas, a wide, busy number that's about as near to carnival-like beach culture as you'll get on this sleepy Spanish coast.

Eating out

• Forget Brit bars and all-day breakfasts, this is eating out, Spanish-style. First things first, if the mere thought of ocean-fresh fish dishes is enough to get your belly rumbling, you'll find plenty of appetite-pleasers in these parts.
  
  Pick a table at one of the harbour-side cafes that barnacle the coast and watch as your lunch arrives by boat. Crab, lobster, sardines, sea bass – you'll find it all here, smothered in just about every lip-smacking sauce you can think of. Isla Cristina, Ayamonte and Punta del Moral have got some sensational fish restaurants, while El Puerto de Santa Maria is the place to feast on plump, juicy prawns washed down with ice-cold glass of wine.
  
  Seafood aside, the Costa de la Luz has got a pretty impressive specials menu, too. Get stuck into a bowl of authentic gazpacho. It's a tomato-based soup with a twist – it's served chilled. For a real gap-filler, order fabada, a rich bean stew. And try Spain's famous rice dish, paella, too. It's so good you just know it's come from recipes that have been whispered down through generations.
  
  Of course, tapas joints are ten a penny in these parts, springing into life around lunchtime. Polish off plates of Serrano ham and sardines while you sip a cool glass of fino. Tarifa, Zahara de los Atunes, El Rompido – wherever you go, you'll trip over authentic tapas bars down every backstreet. Pull up a chair – at the bar if you want to do it properly – and get grazing.
  
  
• La Albahaca, Seville If you're really looking to push the boat out, head for this gem. Dine al fresco among the sweet-smelling orange trees. Or stay inside the converted palace that's been kitted out with antique furniture and fine art.
  
  
• Arte Y Vida, Tarifa For a moon-lit meal that comes with a large helping of romance, this beachfront restaurant's a star choice.
  
  
• Delgado Restaurant, Cadiz If you're on the hunt for seafood to sing about, get yourself along to this place. There are plenty of meat and veggie options if fish dishes aren't your bag.
  
  
• Restaurant Francisco la Fontanilla, Conil de la Frontera A top choice if you're looking for a sea view served with food so good you won't want it to end.
  
  
• Bar Juanito, Jerez de la Frontera Looking to nibble your way through some seriously good tapas? Then we suggest you give this place a try.

Nightlife

• Bars and clubs that boom through the night are a scarcity in these parts. The Costa de la Luz does nightlife very much in the slow lane. Evenings are all about sunset strolling. Letting your nose lead you to seafood restaurants for a starlit bite. And scoping out backstreet tapas bars abuzz with chattering locals.
  
  That said, surfers have injected a little funk into the Cadiz stretch of coastline. Tarifa, for example, really cranks up after dark. What this place lacks in size it more than makes up for in personality, with a sea of bars and clubs bouncing flamenco music and modern beats round the old town.
  
  Zahara De Los Atunes takes a similar vibe but whittles it down to village scale. Pull up a pew on an outdoor terrace and glug a few glasses of vino in the soft and oh-so-flattering candlelight.
  
  Over in the Huelva region, meanwhile, Isla Cristina makes for a good night out with its colourful fish restaurants and characterful watering holes. Here, topsy turvy streets link bloom-peppered plazas. Weave your way through them and see your path lit up with bars and restaurants whose charms you'll be powerless to resist.
  
  
• Garlochi, Seville If you can't get to the city in time for Easter's Semana Santa celebrations, make a point of popping into this place. Decked out with Virgin effigies and sparkling silver artefacts from the annual festival, its house cocktail is the interestingly titled Sangre de Cristo, or Blood of Christ.
  
  
• Cafe del Casino, Seville This faded fabulous watering hole is a cocktail-quaffer's dream, all Art Deco mirrors and chandeliers a-shimmering.
  
  
• La Ruina, Tarifa Hit the dancefloor at this happening nightspot that draws clubbers siren-like from all over town.
  
  
• Casa Manteca, Cadiz This tapas joint is the real deal, luring bullfighters and flamenco dancers for decades.
  
  
• La Buena Gente, Jerez de la Frontera For an authentic flamenco show, this place is a polka-dot paradise guaranteed to raise a smile.

Shopping

If you're serious about spending, there's only one place to head – those hot, sultry streets of Seville. In this city, shopping's not just a simple past-time, a way to lose time on a Saturday afternoon. It's a serious business. An art form that requires military planning die-hard shoppers would have you believe.

Stroll down smart Calle Sierpes alongside fashionistas with big retro sunglasses perched on their nose, and let the window displays work their magic on you. This is the heart of the shopping district that spans Plazas Nueva, Magdalena, Encarnacion and San Francisco. You can get your hands on everything here, from designer togs and big-name bags to high street fashion and flamenco fans.

Don't miss the old gypsy quarter of Triana. It's where they make all those lovely tiles that cover bars, hotels and churches. The twice weekly flea market's well worth a rummage, too. And if you want a souvenir that screams Spain, get yourself a mantone. These be-tassled triangular shawls are a flamenco dancer's must-have.

Away from Seville, Cadiz is another hot pick for a spot of retail therapy. Most of the shops are shoe-horned into the historic quarter and in the neighbourhoods of Candelaria, San Francisco and San Felipe. The market's unmissable, with its fresh-from-the-net fish and fruit so ripe you wonder if it's real. Talking of markets, Tarifa's got a great one. It's an indoor affair with enough temptation to give Harrods' food hall a run for its money. The town's a dream come true if you're into surf gear, too, with a mish-mash of funky surf shops crammed into Barrio Nuevo in Calle Batalla del Salado.