| EXCURSIONS
CADIZ - 40 mins. Very historic port town
with ugly outskirts but really atmospheric old bit around the cathedral.
The geography is very confusing but well worth a park up and stroll.
MEDINA
SIDONIA - 30 mins. You can see this in the far distance
from Vejer, another white town on a hilltop, even steeper and sleepier
with incredible views from the summit. It's also a wonderful drive through
windy roads to get there, past fighting bulls in the fields. Turn right
on the N340 direction Algeciras, then it’s a turning on the left.
TARIFA -
This is windsurf city, but also a funky little town with good shops and
bars and lots of restaurants. There’s also a nice hotel, The Hurricanes
just before town which is a good base and they do excellent cheap lunches
and horseriding.
EL
PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA
- 45 mins. A
charismatic sea-side town, now a cool resort, great in the evenings, if
a little packed in high season. There's a lovely little fun fair for kids
but also great bars and restaurants for adults. Eat outside El Romerijo,
a famous sea-food place where lobster et al are served in paper and bits
go in plastic buckets. If you seek fun it's in Puerto.
SANLUCAR DE BARRAMEDA - 1 hour,
head for Jerez then it's signposted, incredible drive. The best sea food
in one of the most charming towns in Spain. The old town high up is crumbling
aristocratic. Bajo de Guia at the bottom is a wonderfully bedraggled beach,
with the best light and even better food. Drink Manazanilla the local
wine and get a table at Casa Bigote for the most amazing meal in all Spain.
You’ll need to book.
SEVILLE
- one and a half hours. The most ravishing city
of them all. If you have a day, then go to this high stepping, exciting,
romantic, cultured town. Be sure to take the AP4 motorway direction Cadiz. It can though
be painfully hot in the middle of summer.
DIRECTIONS FROM AIRPORTS.
JEREZ - Aprox 1 hour. From the airport you are heading in the direction of Cadiz. You want the AP4 motorway direction Cadiz. Do not take the A4, but the AP4 (P stands for payand is faster) . Make sure you dont carry onto Seville, there is a right turn for direction Cadiz AP4. (If you take the wrong road, get off at the next exit that says, cambido de sentido, ie change of direction.)
You're only on this road for about 15 minutes, when you will see signs for Algeciras , take that exit, no 101 and follow the road A48 to Algeciras-Malaga, do not go into Cadiz. After a while on the A48 you will see Vejer on the signposts. It is the next place after Conil. You will eventually see a big white sign for VEJER on a roundabout in cut out letters, on the right. Take that exit, round the small roundabout and up the winding hill to the very top, Vejer will now appear about half way up on your left. You will pass a public car park on your left.
Carry on up to the next roundabout, when the road veers round to the left, go with it, go thro the barrier that says except for residents, cos you are now a resident and you will come to a junction at the top. Go right, you are now on a little square (La Plazuela) with the hotel El Convento on your right. You go left, up a really steep hill (1st gear), carry on straight up, through the arch, then down a little to the end, turn right, then right again until you are on a little square in front of the church. Our house is right by here. There is a sign here pointing to El Castillo, take this road, carry on, past the other church on your right. Where the road narrows is our house, green door, number 6. This is home. Driving back down turn right past the church, carry down to the square, then sharp left which will bring you to where you can park. When you are walking out of the house back to the hotel El convento, you can take the left fork out of the house. This is much quicker, but this is quite impossible in a car to turn the sharp corner.
Carry on up to the next roundabout, when the road veers round to the left,
go with it and you will come to a junction at the top. Go right, you are
now on a little square (La Plazuela) with the hotel El Convento on your
right. You go left, up a really steep hill (1st gear), carry on straight
up, through the arch, then down a little to the end, turn right, then
right again until you are on a little square in front of the church. Our
house is right by here. There is a sign here pointing to El Castillo,
if the bollard is up take it down, and carry on, past the other church
on your right. Where the road narrows is our house, green door, number
6. This is home. Driving back down turn right past the church, carry down
to the square, then sharp left which will bring you to where you can park.
When you are walking out of the house back to the hotel El convento, you
can take the left fork out of the house. This is much quicker, but this
is quite impossible in a car to turn the sharp corner.
SEVILLA - When exiting the airport
follow the signs to Seville/Cadiz. At all times you are heading for Cadiz.
Once you get past Seville on the ring road you will eventually see signs
saying A4 peage, this is the toll road and you must take it, you will
need six Euros for the tolls, you will go through two tolls before you
see the exit for Algeciras N340, take this. Then the directions are the
same as from Jerez above.
GIBRALTAR. Obviously cross the border into Spain, then head straight up
towards La Linea (de la Concepcion), then San Roque. Very soon you will
see signs for Cadiz, this is what you are following. You will get onto
the N340, main road direction Cadiz, which you stay on all the way to
Vejer. When you reach Vejer, which is high on a hill on your left, go
past the first sign for the town, then the second. Eventually you will
see a big white stone sign for Vejer on a roundabout on the left, take
this all the way up and follow the directions as from Jerez.
MALAGA - Take the motorway N340
from the airport in the direction of Algeciras. This will soon signpost
for Cadiz, which is the direction you must follow. Near to Fuengirola
you will be offered the A7 Autopista Peage, toll road, take that all the
way until you rejoin the N340 at Algeciras, keep heading direction Cadiz,
until you reach Vejer. Ignore first sign to Vejer, until you come to large
white sound VEJER on your left on a roundabout. Take this and follow directions
as from Jerez.
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