SURFING & KITE SURFING

El Palmar is recognised as one of Europe's key surfing destinations, while Tarifa, a short drive up the coast, is known by windsurfers and kitesurfers the world over. The winter months tend to bring in bigger waves from depressions out in the Atlantic. There are opportunities for both hire and instruction, although this can vary throughout the year. El Palmar hosts at least one surf contest over the winter months, bringing a full on party in its wake.

Many surfers from northern Europe drive down here and park along the beach road, some staying for months on end. The Christmas holiday period sees a big influx with a lot of people in the water.
There are a lot of private chalets/villas in El Palmar and these are often let out via the specialist accommodation agencies (see links on Accommodation page)

For thos seeking english speaking surf lessons, surf schools and equipment hire please check out the information on the left of this page.

A 3 1/2hr walk from the area below the new windmills to the side of Vejer, up through Buena Vista and down entering the pine forests near Ambrosia and finishing by Caños de Meca.
This route offers fantastic views of the bay to the right of Cape Trafalgar and that to the left, the bay of Barbate. With clear weather you can also see across to Morocco.

CYCLING

Cycling tourism is gaining in strength in this area, especially through the winter months. There is a strong club road scene here, and also an outdoor velodrome in Chiclana - about 15-20km from Conil. The abundance of quiet country roads that stretch into the interior give excellent cycling routes. The terrain is mostly rolling hills with the benefit of spectacular scenery. Off road tracks range from the unmetalled through old Roman roads to droving tracks. These are excellent for exploring by mountain bike, and also lend themselves for those of you with cycle cross steeds. Most of the small villages have a bar or venta (inn) where you can load up on local dishes or just tuck into pastries and sandwiches.

The countryside is a lot greener than on the Meditteranian coast, however there is greater chance of rainfall from mid October to April. Normally, when it rains it pours, then usually clears quickly.

Some of the top pro road teams train in this area over the winter months so if its good enough for them......!