El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto, as it is known locally, is a lively, chic little resort on the Bay of Cadiz. It has an attractive coast of beautiful bays with flat golden sands that are deserted for ten months of the year. There are many ancient buildings in the old town, including the house where Christopher Columbus lived. The fish restaurants of El Puerto are famous all over Spain. Try eating in one of the freidurías, where fried fish takeaway is said to have been invented long before it became a staple English dish. Romerijo is the best known freiduría with two huge shellfish emporiums and a restaurant on the promenade. You can either queue up for paper cones full of fish to eat outside at picnic tables or order your meal on the terrace. El Puerto sits in the 'sherry triangle' and it is worth visiting one of the many bodegas to see how sherry is produced. Visits can be arranged to Grants, Osborne, Terry or other smaller cellars. 
There are three small museums in El Puerto, or you can take the ferry (the 'vaporcito') across the bay to the historic city of Cadiz, where there are five museums. They range from the history of the city to antique handmade dolls. El Puerto is where the Spanish go on holiday: you will not find any hotels built along the sea front, it is not commercial and very little English is spoken. So, if you would like to see the 'real' Spain, come visit us at Villa Poquito. For more information on the area and for property purchase and holiday rentals, see http://www.spaincostaluz.com/. |
