 Vejer de la Frontera is situated at 200 meters above sea level and is
just a few kilometers from the beaches of El Palmar, Trafalgar Bay or
Los Caños de Meca. Vejer itself is made up of 2 parts, the old medieval
quarter and the newer part of the town carefully designed in the style
of the ‘pueblos blancos’ of the region. Vejer has many monuments to
visit, flower filled courtyards to peer into & turreted walls to
see views from. Vejer is surrounded by large swathes of agricultural
land growing sugar beet, sunflowers and wheat with a lot of land given
over to the grazing of the local ‘retinto’ cattle. Vejer overlooks both
the Atlantic coastline and the ‘Las Breñas’ Natural Park a 5,000ha.
forest of pine wood running down to the coast and the ‘Marismas’
Natural Park a smaller nature reserve through which the Barbate river
runs and which is home to an important collection of birdlife. Both
parks have walking trails running through them and are perfect for day
walks. Vejer has many view points overlooking both the coastline &
the cork oak studded hills of the ‘Alcornocales’ Natural Park one of
Spain’s most important nature reserves.
A short walk away is the roman acueduct of Santa Lucia, with a water
supply that feeds the small lush valley nearby where avocadoes,
pomegranate & other semi-tropical fruits are grown.
A myriad of walking trails & wider cañadas (droving trails) run
through the local countryside. The terrain is hilly although not steep,
moderate fitness is required for cyclists wanting to ride to the
beautiful town of Medina Sidonia or to visit the fishing port of Conil
for example.
 Parque Natural de Las Breñas - Distance from Vejer: 5km.
Barbate’s cliffs and pine forests were declared a nature reserve in
1989. This park boasts one of the most spectacular cliff faces in the
province of Cadiz, the cliffs of Caños de Meca, which reach a height of
100m above sea level. The woodland extends right up to the clifftops.
Its pine trees were originally planted at the end of the last century
as a reforestation project to stabilise the sand dunes and prevent
their shifting inland. The forest consists principally of “umbrella
pines” accompanied by sabinas, junipers, a Mediterranean brushwood and
sandy soils, and is worthy of note for being one of the most diverse
and well-conserved of its kind on the Andalucian coast. The
inaccessibility of the cliff face and the shore below makes the cliffs
a favourite nesting place for seagulls. Kestrels, owls and buzzards are
some of the birds of prey most commonly seen within the reserve. The
mass of pine cones and their subsequent kernel extraction provide a
basic income for people from surrounding villages. Note: very few areas
of interest in the park are signposted however from the eastern end of
Los Caños the trails into the forest are easily identified and on the
Los Caños to Barbate road there are two car parks with trail maps
marked.
 Parque Natural de Las Marismas - Distance from Vejer: 5km.
Bordering the Las Breñas is the vast marshland a natural wetland fed by
the Barbate river. Flooding in the winter but dry through the summer
this is an important area for birdlife. There is a 5km. lineal walking
trail from Barbate to the foot of Vejer.
Parque Natural del Estrecho - Distance from Vejer: 30km.
Just a half hours drive from Vejer takes you to the westernmost part of
this fascinating nature area which stretches from Bolonia to Algeciras
along the coastline (18,000ha. of land and 9,000ha. of marine). The
pine forests and giant sand dune complexes of Bolonia and Punta Paloma
are a delight. With great views across the Straits of Gibraltar to
Africa this is one of Europe’s most important migration points. The
last census counted over seven hundred thousand birds belonging to 34
different species. Special mention should be made of the white stork,
honey buzzard and black kite. The Golden eagle, black stork, cinereous
vulture, lanner falcon, black-shouldered kite, Egyptian vulture, marsh
harrier, Montagu's harrier, Bonelli's eagle, Eleonora's falcon and
peregrine falcon are just some of the species to be found there. In
Bolonia the restored ruins of the Roman town of Baelo Claudio are well
worth a visit. You can walk all the way along the coast here on beach
and footpaths in both directions. From Bolonia there are trails to the
Celemin lighthouse and Zahara and eastwards towards Tarifa. Trails are
unmarked but easy to find.
 Parque Natural de la Bahia de Cádiz - Distance from Vejer: 30km.
The Bay of Cadiz Natural Park is best accessed via Chiclana and Sancti
Petri. The traditional salt-making activities in this area, together
with the action of the sea, wind and river sediments deposited over
centuries in the estuary have produced some unusual landscape shapes
both inside the area and in the zones bordering on the Park. The
landscape is basically made up of sandy beaches, marsh flats and salt
marshes.
It was declared a ‘Parque Natural’ in 1989, a ‘Special
Protection Zone for Birds (ZEPA)’ in 1993 and ‘Wetland of International
Importance (RAMSAR)’ in 2002. The Bay of Cadiz Natural Park has
protected lagoons, drainage complexes, sand dunes and pine trees. Its
location between the neighbouring Doñana National Park and the Straits
of Gibraltar make it a key area in the migratory system of many water
birds. The best way to visit this area is by motor boat or canoe. Drive
to the old fishing village of Sancti Petri (Chiclana) and from the
marina you will be able to organise a canoe trip through the wetlands
guided or on your own. While there why not canoe out to the island
castle of Sancti Petri just a short paddle offshore.
 One of the many pleasures of Vejer is its accessibility to local
beaches which are only 10 kilometers away while not being a ‘beach’
town. You can choose between the 12km stretch of fine sand at El Palmar
or a series of sandy coves where fresh water trickles on to the beach
through the sandstone cliffs at Cape Trafalgar. In fact this area is
famous in Spain for the ‘virgin’ quality of the beaches.
El Palmar - 10km. from Vejer.
Vejer’s closest family beach is a 12km. stretch of golden sand which
stretches from Mangueta beach to Conil crossing a stream and a river on
the way. The beach has two historic stone towers and a small settlement
with cafés and restaurants a few of which are open all year. The
southern & northern ends of the beach are only accessible on foot.
Famous as one Andalucia´s best surf beaches there are surf schools and
board & wetsuit rental is available most of the year.
Trafalgar Bay - 14kms. from Vejer.
The beaches here are overlooked by the imposing Trafalgar lighthouse.
The lighthouse stands lonely on a long spit of sand surrounded by dunes
and sea worn sandstone boulders.
Los Caños 15kms. - from Vejer.
The beaches here are narrower than most in the area but the high cliffs
provide shelter from the levante winds which occasionally blow. Well
protected from waves & currents and set in a natural cliff backed
bay this is a perfect family beach. The beach is flanked by the Breñas
Nature Park & the small resort of Los Caños.
Playa del Carmen, Barbate - 10km. from Vejer.
Barbates town beach is a great visit if you are looking for lots of
real local colour, simple beachside restaurants, showers and services
on the beach. Safe swimming, virtually no rip tide and only small waves
due to its protected position. Great for families.
Zahora beach - 12km. from Vejer.
An extension of ‘Playa de las Almas’ go here if you have kids as in low
tide the reef locks out the sea turning the beachfront into a huge
natural swimming pool. Follow the signs to ‘Zajorami’ from the Camping
Los Caños in Zahora. Beach bars and a couple of good restaurants in
season.
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