-
Alcalá de los Gazules is located 3 km from the A381 motorway between [wiki=b520448791180cb69b9c1221d7f33cc8]Jerez de la Frontera[/wiki] and [wiki=000c0cd4f7fedd4ed15c6fb149b0b74b]Algeciras[/wiki]. The nearest airports are at Jerez and Gibraltar, both less than an hour's drive away. There are four buses a day from Seville, Jerez, Cadiz and Algeciras. The nearest rail stations are at Jerez and Algeciras.
-
Alcalá de los Gazules is in the Alcornocales Natural Park, a vast area of woodland and rocky peaks that stretches across the eastern half of the province. There are numerous nature trails through the park and details are available from any tourist information office in the province.
Within an hour's drive of the town are the windswept cliffs and golden sandy beaches of the Costa de la Luz, the [wiki=c09d074a7b6b834894cbceba594d26ce]Bahia de Cadiz[/wiki] Natural Park with its flamingos and many other wading birds, the historic British colonial outpost of [wiki=672566a43483aa8212cb365658600b99]Gibraltar[/wiki], the ancient city of [wiki=33cb995aca7c6fc0f920a6428e1c6a3c]Cádiz[/wiki], [wiki=b520448791180cb69b9c1221d7f33cc8]Jerez de la Frontera[/wiki] with its sherry bodegas and thoroughbred horses, and the glorious mountain scenery of the [wiki=9a845cbed306ff0db2402fea1de763d9]Sierra de Grazalema[/wiki].
-
The Parroquia de San Jorge (church) is well worth a visit even if you are not religious. It feels untouched by time and contains many examples of historic symbolism - not least the great gilded statue of St George, the patron saint of the town, slaying his dragon.
There are numerous fairs and festivals throughout the year:
Carnaval (early March)
St George's Day (23 April)
Semana Santa (the week before Easter)
Summer Feria (5 days in late August)
Romeria de Nuestra Señora de los Santos (second week of September)
For further details see the town's official website[http://www.alcaladelosgazules.es/opencms/opencms/alcaladelosgazules/ocio/fiestas/].
-
If you are into bird-watching, come in April-May or September-October when millions of birds migrate between Europe and Africa. At any time of year you are likely see booted and Bonnelli's eagles, griffon vultures and lesser kestrels wheeling above the town.
Horse-riding is available at the Finca el Alamo[url=http://caballoselalamo.com/UKindex.html]]and at the campsite, Camping Los Gazules[http://www.campingsonline.com/gazules/index.asp?idlengua=3[/url]
Artists and photographers will find plenty to fire their imagination. The long summer evenings are especially good for landscape photography. A British-run residential art school, Painting in Spain,[url=http://www.paintinginspain.co.uk/]]offers tailor-made courses for individuals or small groups.
There are plenty of resources for cyclists, hikers and climbers in the Alcornocales and in the various other Natural Parks in the Province of [[Cadiz[/url]].
There are a number of excellent golf courses nearby including Fairplay Golf Hotel[url=http://www.fairplaygolfhotel.com/en/index.html]]at Benalup-Casas Viejas (20 km away) and Arcos Gardens[http://www.arcosgardens.com/site/index.html[/url] (40 km away).
-
There are no tourist gift shops in Alcala. However there are many little food shops where you can buy excellent locally-made produce: goats' or sheep's milk cheeses, honey, chorizos and delicious bread and cakes. The cheese factory shop on the Poligono la Palmosa (behind the gas station) is worth a visit, as is the tiny Horno de Luna bakery in Callejon Bernadino, near the Mercado de Abastos (indoor food market).
-
There are numerous restaurants catering for all pockets, and most of the bars will serve tapas at any time. Lunch is the main meal of the day, served from around 1.30 until 3.30, and a "menu del día" will give you a three-course meal and a drink for less then €10. Local specialities include game - wild boar or "jabali", venison, rabbit or partridge; hot gazpacho (soup thickened with breadcrumbs) and, in early June, tiny snails in broth (known as Caracoles). Fruit and vegetables are esentially seasonal; some, like wild asparagus or the fruits of the chumbo (prickly pear) are harvested from the countryside around the village. Visit the market on Wednesday or Saturday mornings to stock up, or just admire the quality.
NB:- you are not in a paella & sangria zone here!
-
Pale sherry or "fino" is widely available and consumed in large quantities by the locals at festivals, often watered down with lemonade when it is known as "rebujito". At the other end of the sherry scale is Pedro Ximenez, a very sweet, raisin-flavoured drink which is surprisingly good over ice. Tinto de verano (red wine and lemonade or soda with ice and lemon) is a refreshing alternative to beer on a hot day.
-
Hotel La Palmosa***, Área de Servicio La Palmosa (Ctra. Jerez-Los Barrios) A-381 km 45. 956-413364 (3 km from town centre)
Antigua Fonda[url=http://alcalagazules.com/],]Calle Sanches Flores 4, email: antiguafonda@yahoo.com - 956 420 648 (central location, English-run B&B)
Hotel San Jorge**, Paseo de la Playa, 11180 Alcala De Los Gazules - 956-413255 (central location)
Hostal Pizarro**, Paseo de la Playa 9 - 956-420103
Casa Rural Amatur, Avenida Puerto Levante s/n, 956-413005
Hacienda del Agua[url=http://www.haciendadelagua.com/ing/actividades.php[/url],]5 km from centre by the lake, eco-friendly cottages, lots of outdoor activities. Email: info@haciendadelagua.com - 956 420223
Camping Los Gazules[http://www.campingsonline.com/gazules/index.asp?idlengua=3[/url], Ctra. Patrite - 956-420486 (campsite + chalets, 5 km from town centre),
Seleccionar Destino
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic (ex. Zaire)
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
France, Metropolitan
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard and Mc Donald Islands
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle Of Man
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey Island
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Other Countries
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City State (Holy See)
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands, British
Virgin Islands, U.S.
Wallis and Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Spanish