Property and local area description
Holiday on the stunning, unspoilt Costa de la Luz, Cadiz
The Costa de la Luz is situated between Tarifa and Cadiz in the Atlantic province of Cadiz:
Here you will find white sandy beaches without the visits of massive tourism. (August apart.)
Along the beaches you will find the following places:
Tarifa:- a cosmopolitan town and a windsurfers paradise, From the port of Tarifa one can take the hydrofoil to Tangers or take a trip to sightsee dolphins and whales.
Barbate: wedged between the sea and a natural park of Umbrella Pines. This is a fishing village having a tunafishing port and modern marina
Caños de Meca, and Zahora, with their quiet, unspoilt beaches where you can take long walks, still in the lap of the charming, natural, pinewood park!
El Palmar beach is very popular with families, fishermen and surfers alike.
The beaches in summer offer the very popular beach bars which all compete in aesthetics and general appeal. Besides the usual fishing tecniques there are those who searh for octopus and shrimps among the rocks and cockles in the retreating tides.
Quiet Zahora, near El Palmar on the Costa de la Luz, Cadiz
Los Cortijos is in Zahora, a small,unspoilt, Spanish community,lying between the coastal communities of Los Caños de Meca and El Palmar. (Cape Trafalgar which is located at Caños gave it´s name to the famous Battle of Trafalgar). Zahora has it´s own primary school, grocery stores and variety of good restaurants.( Fish and meat dishes are the usual but there is a good pizzeria just minutes from los Cortijos and very popular vegetarian dish- falafel to be found at Caños. A few minutes walk from the finca there is the bar/restaurant Bar Savoy that includes a 3 course menu del dia for less than 10 euros. This bar has live music at week-ends). There is a bus service linking this quiet corner to the rest of the world.
Zahora has “desert island” beaches on one side and perhaps Europe´s largest sand dune to the other which is forested with umbrella pines and is now a protected Nature reserve.The surrounding area is farmland, principally crops and fields of the cattle particular to the area, Vacas Bravas and the impressive Retintos with their large shiny red/brown bodies and massive horns. It´s inspiring to pass these animals poised in the hot landscape with white egrets picking around there feet, maybe vultures circling above, and with fields of glowing yellow sunflowers contrasting wildly with the bright blue sea beyond. This is a nature lovers paradise. You can find: dolphins,giant turtles (washed up), mongeese, owls, nightjars,bea- eaters, snakes, cameleons, badgers, vultures,storks, amazing caterpillars, stick-insects etc,etc. We are on the migratory route –Africa-Europe and so enjoy the benefits of witnessing skies full of buzzards, storks etc.
At Los Cortijos we are aprox.10mins.walk to 2 very different but equally stunning beaches and aprox. a 10 min. beautiful drive from 3 very differing towns where one can sightsee,have some drinks and tapas with the locals and do the weekly shopping all in one. These towns have fresh- produce markets in the mornings:- There is the inland town of Vejer de la Frontera, a beautiful town with labyrinthian streets of white houses with beautiful patios of flowers and a typical Arab/Moorish atmosphere.This is perched high on a hill and commands impressive views both inland and out to Morocco. The other towns are Conil going north up the coast and Barbate to the south.
Los Cortijos is a place with it´s own individual character : a special place for special people, at walking distance from the beaches of Zahora and various bars and restaurants
The attraction of Los Cortijos (farmhouses) is the arrangement of rustic houses and apartments (all having their own individual character and style) which all share the large fresh, green garden where you can relax under the palm trees. Many of the cortijos have there own allocated private area too. There is no special luxury, they are just simple and rustic, decorated with taste and based on the idea that the people are the centre of Los Cortijos.
Expect a real break from your daily routine and way of life. “Spain is different”, Zahora is still an unspoilt haven and Los Cortijos will take you back to a simpler, more poetic lifestyle. Enjoy your break!.
Los Cortijos -a charming,collection of cottages around oasis-like garden.
Cortijo Terraza , No.1, has a cosy, covered porch, where one can sit and eat out-doors enjoying the climate. This leads to a salon/ kitchen that has a surprising little fireplace tucked under the stairs and a long chimney rising centrally to the spiralling staircase that takes you up and which opens into a light interesting room with beams and a high ceiling. A shuttered Moroccan window over the bed adds character to this pleasant space. A door opens onto a large south-facing terrace over-looking the garden and pool, where you can enjoy sitting outside, taking the sun, watching the glorious sunsets and experiencing the, star- studded milky- way and moon-lit nights. Back inside, you have an ample and interesting silver- grey marble bathroom , with shower .