Where is Zahara de los Atunes?
Situated on Spain’s Atlantic coast, Zahara de los Atunes lies approximately 190 kilometres west of Malaga Airport and roughly 80 kilometres south of the area’s provincial capital, Cadiz.
What kind of place is Zahara de los Atunes?
Zahara de los Atunes is a small tourist town which has been developed around a sleepy tuna fishing village on Spain’s Costa de la Luz, or Coast of Light. Despite its beginnings, however, Zahara does not have a harbour, and instead, the fishermen haul their boats up on to the beach.
This part of the coastline represents one of the most beautiful and wild in all of Spain, and it is perhaps to avoid the more popular resorts of the Costa del Sol that many Spanish people choose Zahara as their favourite holiday destination.
What is there to do and see in Zahara de los Atunes?
Sitting on the Atlantic coast, Zahara tends to be a somewhat windswept location, which makes it a superb destination for surfers and windsurfers alike. The 20 kilometres of white sandy beach and the stunning surroundings are, however, enough to tempt any peace loving sunseeker.
In the village itself, you will find the ruins of the Castillo de las Amadrabas built by the Dukes of Medina Sidonia in the 15th century to protect the area from pirates. It was later used by local fishermen as a place to store their tuna fishing equipment.
As more and more hotels and villas have been built in the area, the range of facilities has vastly improved and there are now numerous bars and restaurants serving traditional dishes for you to choose from, with fish being one of the specialities. You will also find supermarkets, shops and two chemists in the village.
Despite having experienced some development, visitors to Zahara de los Atunes should not expect anything like the resorts of the Costa del Sol, as the village still remains a veritable haven of tranquility by comparison. If you book to be there at the beginning of August, however, you can experience the celebrations of the local summer festival.
What is there to do and see in the area generally?
If you come to Zahara for the watersports and want to hook up with other surfers, then the nearby village of El Palmar is the place to do it. Here you will find further restaurants and bars to try, as well as a few local shops.
Being so close to the town of Algeciras, as well as to the British colony of Gibraltar, it would be a pity not to take these in during the course of your stay. The famous Rock of Gibraltar with its caves and siege tunnels makes for a fascinating expedition. Algeciras, meanwhile, is not only worth a visit in its own right, with its strong Arab influence, but is also the starting point for a ferry trip to Tangier in Morocco and a day spent haggling in the market.