Situated on the Costa de la Luz and belonging to the region of La Janda, this picturesque village of Cadiz is the ideal place to enjoy the good fried fish during the summer. Conil has an infrastructure prepared for the tourism and thanks to its situation near the Atlantic coast and its proximity to the capital city, it’s the chosen destination by thousands of tourists every year.
They have found remains that date the first human presence in the area of Conil back to the prehistoric period, although the city was founded by the Phoenicians who made use of the proximity to the sea for fishing and trading. The arrival of the romans gave importance to Conil as it was part of the Via Herculean and also joined the cities of Cadiz and Malaga.
The fall of the roman empire and the arrival of the barbarians sank Conil into darkness until the arrival of the Arabs in the year 711. During the Muslim kingdom throughout the whole al-Andalus they permitted the freedom of cult, mixing Christians, Jews and Muslims in a pacific coexistence where the culture, the art and the advances were the main objective.
During the year 1265, Conil was conquered by the Christians, who added “de la Frontera” to its name as it separated the Christian kingdom from the Muslim. The well-known Tower of Guzman was built in the late 13th century to defend the city in case of attack.
After the conquest of al-Andalus there began to be territorial disputes between important families of Conil, this, added to the abuse of the nobles to whom the lands were adjudicated after the conquest, brought a deep crisis and discomfort that ended up in confrontation, although the situation did not resolve and the lands are still today in the hands of the same families.
Fishing and agriculture have always, since long ago, Conil’s economic engine, however as from the 20th century the tourism began to gain importance, it’s the municipality where many Spanish families and from other places in Europe decide to spend their holidays during the summer.
Another of the things that you can do while you visit Conil is enjoy its rich gastronomy:
The traditional procession of the Virgen del Carmen, escorted by sailors, means in summer the beginning of a wide range of festivities that ends in September with the Fair of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes, patroness of the village. The deeply-rooted Romeria de San Sebastián (pilgrimage to and festivities at the local shrine of St. Sebastián) takes place in January 20th and is followed by the Carnival, Easter Week and the Crosses of May, filing the streets of this town of rich Muslim heritage with wonderful aromas and colour.
Tuna Week in June, the Colorado Spring Festival in which horses and gastromy take a lead role, and the Hogueras de San Juan fill out Conil de la Frontera's very comple calendar of festivities.
14 kilometres of stunning white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, noteworthy for their cleanliness and tranquillity, surrounded by nature, create a special atmosphere that charms every tourist who decides to visit them.
The beaches in this part of Cadiz are characterized by fine white sand in contrast to other beaches on the Andalusian coast. In Conil you can find all kinds of beaches along its 14 kilometres of coastline; from open beaches to small coves where you are practically alone and where you can practice nudism if you wish.
The beaches closest to the town are:
Los Bateles
Facing the town of Conil is situated this beach with promenade and parking area, although it is usually difficult to park the car for the months of July and August, so you will probably have to walk.
La Fontanilla
Width size beach with all the amenities, such as showers and paper bins or hammocks.
Fuente de Gallo
Uncrowded beach that usually disappears under water at high tide.
Cala del Aceite
Of average occupancy, the beach has a special form that largely avoids the hassle of the eastern Levante wind.
The beaches of Conil are divided into East and West, from the fishing port to the Urbanization of Roche, being the western beaches rocky coves that are accessed through cliffs.
Many of the beaches of Conil are difficult to access and are often chosen for the practice of naturism. Other coves which are more easily accessible are usually crowded during summer weekends.
To get to Conil from Malaga we must take the Mediterranean motorway to Algeciras, we continue bordering the coast and we head towards Tarifa from where we’ll continue along the N-340 until reaching Conil passing by Vejer de la Frontera. You can hire a car in Malaga with GPS if you need help to get to Conil from Malaga airport.
Km. |
|
Cádiz |
41 |
Algeciras |
94 |
Arcos de la Frontera |
75 |
Barbate |
26 |
Chiclana |
18 |
Grazalema |
131 |
Jerez de la Frontera |
54 |
La Línea-Gibraltar |
111 |
Medina Sidonia |
39 |
El Puerto de Sta. María |
42 |
Rota |
64 |
Sanlúcar de Barrameda |
61 |
Tarifa |
67 |
Ubrique |
101 |
Vejer de la Frontera |
16 |
Zahara de los Atunes |
36 |
Sevilla |
140 |
Córdoba |
279 |
Granada |
386 |
Málaga |
222 |
Madrid |
694 |
Barcelona |
1.270 |