Costa de la Luz known as Coast of light. Its on the west of the coastline of Andalucia which faces the Atlantic. It is separated into 2 Costa de la Luz Huevla province and Costa de la Luz Cadiz province. Heulva province section runs from the River Guadiana, which separates Spain from Portugal, to Guadalquivir River, which separates the provinces of Huelva and Cadiz. Tourists have recently flocked to the area, staying in one of the many Costa de la Luz Villas or Costa de la Luz Apartments
The Cadiz region runs from Guadalquivir River to Tarifa. It has a rich history and was originally settled by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Iberians then the Carthaginians where Hannibal used Cadiz for his conquest of southern Iberia. Then came the Romans and then the Vigoths and in the 8th century the Moors. Alphonso X of Casteille ousted them from Cadiz in 1262.
The beaches have finer sand than Costa del Sol and lower temperatures due to the strong winds coming in from the Atlantic. Making it a favourite of wind surfers etc. It has about 300 days of sun annually and average of 11 hours per day during summer and 5 hours in winter. Humidity is roughly about 70%. The temperatures are in the high 20’s in summer and rarely drop below 3c in winter. It gets about 3 days of rain and is very rare to rain at all in summer. The sea temperature averages about 21c in June and October and 25c in August. The sea temperature is often warmer than air temperature.
The Donana National park is on the east bank of Guadalquivir River at the esctuary with the Atlantic Ocean. It has great diversity of biotopes of lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrubland and marquis. It is home of 5 threatened bird species and one of largest Heronries in the Mediterranean region. With more than half a million waterfowl use it as winter ground.
The Estecho national park is southern most protected area in Europe and became in 2003. Its stretches along the coast for 18 931ha from Gracia in the west near Bolonia natural Monument and the Playa de los Natural area.
It meets both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, where they meet at the Strait of Gibraltar. The park’s maritime area is exceptional for it’s biodiversity, with over 1900 species of marina flora and fauna recorded. There 18 different types of habitats ranging from mobile sand dunes, cork oak woodland and offshore-submerged sand banks.
The city of Cadiz has a had a long history and is the oldest city in Western Europe with records suggesting the city was inhabited 3000 years ago. The city projects into the sea and has strong ties with African continent where adventurers and merchants came and opened the new world of the Americas.
Heulva has a many pretty plazas at the centre plus historical monuments and a wealth of seafood bars and restaurants with it’s bustling port. Isla Canela is a small island to the south of Ayamonte near the mouth of the river Guadiana. You can see Portugal from the island across the river. The island has its own golf course.
