MARÍA ANDRÉS & SARAH HEBERT - CADIZFORNIA
Cadiz coast feels to me like a natural playground to enjoy watersports. You can windsurf, kite and SUP in totally flat waters, but also on long and perfect waves. We have amazing slalom and freestyle spots where we sail most of the time on our own! Beautiful rivers, quaint fishing villages, forests or just flowery fields with nothing but cows around – the surrounding scenery is equally stunning. This is the story of a road trip in my homeland with my good friend Sarah Hebert and a spot guide to show you just what a special part of Europe this coastline is.
Words María Andrés & Sarah Hebert //
Photos Antonio Ceballos, Fura Photography & Zai Aragón
Sharing special moments with others is what makes me happy and Sarah Hebert is someone who I love spending time with. Sarah has been through so many adventures in her life that she can tell you stories that leave you breathless! Like crossing the Atlantic Ocean or SUP’ing the Amazon! – she is a brave and inspiring person to be around. This is why I have longed to bring her to my home and show her how amazing our coast is and how many activities we can do – as she said at the end of the trip – “I could not imagine how beautiful and wild this coast is!”
Depending on the season you come in, you will find very different landscapes, but always hypnotic ones. In spring you can windsurf with your freeride gear on long sandy beaches or pass through green fields, all full of flowers and a bright blue sky. In summertime the country will be dry and yellow, with a special flavour that can remind you of Van Gogh paintings. Even in summer, you will be able to find some quiet places to cruise around, and if you like to walk around in the villages for dinner, tapas, or going out, summer is the best season to do it!
As for the wind – an easy and practical rule that works pretty much for all spots is when the Levanter wind is strong, the more you drive to the north, the less strong it is. In Tarifa, if it is too windy for sailing, maybe Caños is ok on a 3.7 and Cortadura perfect for a 4.2 for example. So if the wind is too strong, there should always be somewhere more to the north where you will be able to sail. Sarah only came for 10 days and as our trip was planned a month before, she did not come on a forecast, even so we were on the ocean every single day! From beautiful, flat freeride sessions, just cruising around to a great wave session, I was glad she could ride in all my favourite spots. Here is our selection of the top places to go!
PUNTA CANDOR: Waves.
Best conditions: South wind storms.
Level: All levels.
Punta Candor happens more during the winter in south storms, being the only place where it is not messy and onshore. It can get really nice, clean and big waves. Really good for jumping, with an easy inner zone and an outer reef to jump and surf.
VALDELAGRANA: Slalom/Speed, Formula, Waves.
Best conditions: Slalom- Levanter (E), Formula -Poniente (W), Waves – S-E when storm or big swell, but doesn’t happen often.
Level: All levels.
Valdelagrana is a great place for light wind Slalom, Formula or Freeride when it is Poniente wind or thermic wind, which happens almost every afternoon from spring to fall. Popular with a lot of good level windsurfers for training. The best conditions are in strong Levanter (E), you can sail parallel to the coast on mega flat water, almost touching the sand with your hand! If you want high speed, this is the spot!
CORTADURA: Good Waves Side off.
Best conditions: Levanter (E) or E-S, with W swell.
Level: All levels or intermediate. Except when big waves.
In Cortadura Sarah and I had a great session!! Sailing on nice waves with all the local riders around giving it all! It was pretty windy and challenging, but still beautiful waves in front of the long Cadiz city beach. Sand dunes along the beach, some ruins and the colourful houses and fort together with the Cathedral makes for a very interesting landscape. Cadiz is a very old town, with a rich culture that you can see on the architecture and monuments. The museum and the city centre are definitely places that are worth a visit!
SANCTI-PETRI: Freestyle and Slalom.
Best conditions: Tide dropping, wind direction doesn’t matter.
Level: All levels.
The little village and the island of Sancti-Petri with the Castle are magic spots! This place has lived through some different cultures. During XII B.C. the Hercules temple was built on the island. Some historians say that Hercules himself was buried under the temple, where many sailors have offered their sacrifices over the years. It is said that Julio Cesar visited the temple to be blessed before a mission. Nowadays you can still feel that history and energy around. And like every special place, there are also some legends… like those who say Atlantis is submerged there! Today, the village is very peculiar and interesting, with ruins from an old fishermen’s village, some “chiringuitos” (tapas like bars) to eat fresh fish right in front of the river, a windsurfing club (my club!), a little port and beautiful paintings of whales and tunas on the walls of the ruins.
Sancti-Petri has lately become a secret freestyle paradise in the south of Spain. Many of the top PWA freestyle riders have spent winters training here. With the tide going down, no matter what wind direction, you will find the flattest waters ever! There are many channels and sand islands around that emerge in low tide so that you will always be able to sail parallel to the coast with offshore winds… it is just so perfect! The water is unbelievably flat, with stunning colours and different options to choose from if you want to have chop or train one tack or the other.
Cruising the channels past the small fishing boats and the sand islands emerging in low tides is amazing. Early in the morning it is quiet and peaceful. Sarah and I sailed in crystal flat water, under the red sunset light, watching the seagulls standing on the sand islands emerged in front of the Castle. The water gets so flat when the tide is going down that your board feels like it is flying! It is a very cool experience and a funny noise! You can sail really fast in very light winds and Sarah was so stoked to see how flat it can be!! We had a blast on our freeride gear sailing really close to each other at high speed in this strange and special landscape.
For slalom, it is also really nice, as there are many buoys, so you will always have something to jibe around! And if it is too flat and easy, you can sail out of the channel to the open ocean. We went along the coast way to the north and then to the south. Heading north you can go to Cadiz town, just point to the huge new bridge marking the north, it is not that far, and the coast is wild and sandy, with scenic sand dunes around and sometimes you can even get nice waves to wave ride on the way. And… for waves, it is not a secret, but not very well known! When there is no swell but mega strong Levanter, there are nice waves in front of the island with the castle! Good jumping, surf and maybe only 5 people out!
LA BARROSA: Freeride/Slalom or waves.
Best conditions: Poniente (W) or N-W, and W swell.
Level: All levels.
Going to the south you can follow the red cliffs of La Barrosa Beach, and windsurf as long as you want, passing in front of Roche or Conil, both of them beautiful and sometimes with amazing waves and pretty much no one else sailing! We sailed way to the south along the red coast, doing a beautiful slalom downwind, jibing in front of the cliffs, with our friend and photographer Zai walking through the pine forest on top of the cliffs taking photos of us. It was a mystic orange and foggy sunset behind the castle, and there was some swell already coming that started to break on the outer reefs! The wave sailing in La Barrosa can be tricky as you don’t have a lot of wind close to the shore sometimes, but when it works, it can be really good and the outer reefs offer a lot of potential for extreme conditions!
CONIL: All disciplines.
Conditions: Best is with Levanter, but can be sailed with more directions. Swell from the W.
Level: Intermediate. When big waves – advanced. Not the best for beginners, too offshore.
The landscape around the river is stunning, and the sailing along the coast and in front of the river is equally beautiful. Levanter wind is side off, so it can be super flat and the sailing can be very nice for slalom, freestyle and speed. It is actually one of the best freestyle spots in the region. It can be mega windy in Conil, so for speed as well it is a great place. You can also find nice and long waves to surf down the line. Waves can be powerful and hollow when it is a big swell. Conil is a typical Andalusian fishing / white house village, with little roads to get lost in and find fresh fish, tapas and beer to chill with in the afternoon.
EL PALMAR: Super waves!
Best conditions: Wind from the N, NNW or S-W, and swell from the W.
Level: High.
Going more to the south you find the famous surf spot of El Palmar. This is one of my favourite places. It doesn’t happen very often, but it is definitely the place to go with N wind (or NNW) and W swell. Big and nice breaks all around the beach. The North wind is side off from the right, and the waves can get big and powerful. It is a sandy beach, except next to the tower. Getting out can be tricky because of powerful white water, but once you are out, the waves are beautiful, with long sections. Also sailable is E-S, but this does not happen very often. Along the coast are plenty of surf schools and bars and chiringuitos (tapas like bars) for having a good coffee and healthy food. And every Sunday at sunset you can see live bands at “El Cartero” for free. Definitely a place to be on a Sunday! and a perfect end to a good wave riding session.
CAÑOS DE MECA: Waves, and not only with Levanter!
Best conditions: Levanter (E) with W swell or just strong wind, or Poniente (W) wind (NW is also ok), with W swell.
Level: Intermediate to high.
Caños de Meca (and not “Caños de La Meca” as most of the tourists say, ha ha) is probably the most famous spot for wave riding in Cádiz.
With strong Levanter its potential for jumping or surfing is well known, and you can sail Caños pretty often every Levanter, you just need it to be strong enough to arrive to Caños. With Levanter, you sail in front of the apartments and with swell it can be perfect waves with side shore wind. Can get super crowded on weekends and in summer. My favourite wave riding conditions in Caños is wind from the W (Poniente) and W swell which is side off with clean, long waves from the light house to the apartments. We did not sail Caños this trip, but this beach has been the best playground for me during the last two winters. The water is clear, the light house and the mountain make a unique backdrop, the sun shines and you feel like you are in Maui! And probably the most crowded day in these Poniente conditions will be 12 people!
ZAHARA: Waves and no one else!
Best conditions: Wind from the North or Levanter, and swell from the W.
Level: Intermediate to high.
In Zahara you have two different spots. One is located on the military zone and is called Retín. It is just in the middle between Zahara village and Barbate. This place is really nice with Levanter wind (side off from the left) and swell, the landscape is beautiful and normally there is no one else around. But sometimes there is a fence and you can’t really find a good place to park. The other spot is just in front of the river to the right, next to the village. With north wind it is side off from the right, quite light close to the shore, but the wave riding can be awesome! And again… just a few friends sailing here. The parking is easy and it is a sandy beach!
BOLONIA: Freeride, slalom and waves.
Best conditions: Levanter (E) and for waves, swell from the W.
Level: All levels.
From Barbate to Tarifa (the point most to the south) the coast is quite wild and beautiful. Long sandy beaches alternate with little hidden coves, natural pools, cliffs, sand dunes and pine woods. Bolonia is probably the most special of our beaches. You can find white sands that end with a huge dune that climbs over the mountain and pines and right on the side of the Romanic ruins of Baeloclaudia, where, in summer, you can enjoy live music or a play at the old theatre, watching the moon reflect on the sea right behind the stage! An absolutely amazing and unique experience that you will never forget.
The sailing in Bolonia goes from flat, easy beginner’s conditions to amazing nice and powerful waves. The place has big grass zones for rigging, nice chiringuitos (tapas like bars) and parking. So it is a great place to go with friends and family. Sarah and I had beautiful Poniente sailing in Bolonia with our freeride/slalom gear. Sailing along the sandy coast, with the cows walking along the shore, the huge sand dunes upwind and the hill that separates Tarifa from Bolonia to the south. Clear water, bohemian atmosphere and wild coves all the way to the south. A magic place, and a magic afternoon! When wavy, just in front of the parking place you can wave ride, but most of the time it is a close out, but if you sail to the first rocky point on the left or more to the left all the way upwind until Piedra Morena, you can be very surprised with the perfect waves you’ll find! Clean, powerful, with different sections…you can get amazing days in Bolonia! The only thing negative I can say, is that it can be VERY crowded on the weekends or in summer time. To Sarah it was the most beautiful place to windsurf in this area, together with Sancti-Petri!
TARIFA: Freeride, slalom, waves.
Best conditions: Levanter, Poniente or N-W.
Level: High.
Once in Tarifa, the coastline is very similar to Bolonia, with the sand dunes on the north (built up because of the Levanter winds) and a long beach to the south with the Atlas Mountains of Africa right in front of you. In some periods of the year you can find nice lagoons along the beach. In Tarifa you have as many options as you like! The coastline has different orientations, so you can get the wind more side shore, offshore or onshore as you wish and you can find nice waves or the flattest waters, depending on your preference. To get to know where to sail in Tarifa you will not have any problem, as it is so well known and everyone can normally help guide you.
In the main though with Levanter winds in Tarifa you can wave ride in Rio Jara or Valdevaqueros and you can freestyle in mega flat water at Balneario or la Duna (but la Duna will never be that flat). With Poniente winds you can freeride and slalom pretty much everywhere, and with W-N, you can have really nice side shore wind wave riding in Arte y Vida or Hurricane. But Tarifa in summertime can be very annoying and dangerous because of the kiters, so don’t go close to a kite zone, most of them are learning and out of control! Be aware also of the wind, it can drop suddenly and also be careful of the tankers travelling at 20 knots! The Moroccan coast is a really attractive view, but too far to approach without a security boat!
CELEMÍN LAKE: Powerful freestyle and slalom when almost no wind anywhere else!
Best conditions: First days of Levanter, when it is still too light at the coast.
Level: All levels.
We also have some picturesque lakes to visit. Around Arcos de la Frontera, Castellar or Benalup you can swim or cruise on your SUP on the foggy waters during the mornings in a very mysterious atmosphere. At some places you can also camp and explore, taking your time, walking and paddling, discovering all the local fauna and trying the tasty “tapas” from the “ventas”. Celemin Lake is not the only one, but is my favourite, as when Levanter is still super light everywhere else, you can freestyle here on a 3.3 or 3.7 full power!! ha ha. And the landscape is stunning – green and flowers all around and with cows… a very different place to sail. In summer it is mostly dry yellow fields with huge sunflowers everywhere! And you can park just 1 metre in front of the water. A must visit place.
WHERE TO GO FOR WAVE RIDING
Along the coast there’s many spots to wave ride when there is swell, just choose your spot depending on the wind direction.
N wind + waves: El Palmar, Zahara (NN-W is also ok).
N-W wind + waves: Arte y Vida, La Barrosa.
W wind + waves: Caños de Meca (N-WW is also ok).
S wind + waves: Punta Candor, or try Valdelagrana.
S-E wind + waves: Valdelagrana, Cortadura, Conil, El Palmar.
E wind + waves: From South to North; Rio Jara, Valdevaqueros, Bolonia, Zahara (Retín), Caños, Cortadura (the windier it gets E wind (Levanter),
the more to the north you have to drive to get less wind / sailable conditions.)
E strong wind + no waves: Caños, or Sancti-Petri Castle, flooding tide,
you can find waves even with no swell. Just need strong wind!
Nap time in Andalusia
On this coast, life is good, it runs on Spanish time, so between 2 and 4 o’clock everything becomes silent, people flee the sun and rest. We laugh and we dance. Fairs (feria) go through each city, and there is always one within a 50 km radius. We eat well in Andalusia, proximity to the sea for fresh fish, fruit plantations and the famous olive oil all offer a great variety of recipes. Sarah’s favourite feast was octopus a la plancha, accompanied by saffron potatoes and it’s my favourite tapas too!
The people of the coast of Cadiz are bright, happy and with a special energy. There is always something to do, people in the streets and on the terraces. Local festivals, flowers and alleyways give a special charm to the villages. We always start the day with a good toast with olive oil. After lunch the whole town is quiet. It’s nap time. Whether you slept or not, the shops are closed and if it’s hot the streets are empty; later the activity returns. I enjoyed watching Sarah absorb all that and try to sample all the traditional tapas.
Castellar, Tarifa, Conil, Zahara … all these coastal cities are beautiful, but Vejer for me is the one that is best. Planted atop a hill with white houses all crammed haphazardly, some suspended in the abyss of the cliff. Vejer is a village reminiscent of northern Morocco, but with geraniums in the windows, it has a pleasant cosmopolitan and bohemian atmosphere. Its curved streets are organized in a huge and happy mess that invite you to walk around breathing the breeze that rises slowly around the little streets and enjoying every step.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Nearby Airports: Jerez, Malaga and Seville. Turkish Airlines is the cheapest for excess / board bags for sure, and make sure your board bag is not more than 32kgs. Ryanair is only 20 kgs which is tricky for windsurfing gear.
Camping / Vans: Almost every beach has a campsite and you can do free camping in some areas.
Mobility: If you want to enjoy the best spots for every condition, you will need to drive every day, and explore. Having a car is essential. There are many car rental companies at low prices at airports and in the cities. Renting all week is sometimes cheaper than just 2 days and leaving the car at a
different location!, so worth checking options.
Forecast: Every season has its positives and negatives. In winter you can get big waves. In summer you will have Levanter more often. Summer is pleasant and lively. The villages are festive and there is life everywhere. The best seasons are spring and fall. Warm but still can get some swell, windier than winter, and not crowded at all. If you have the chance, come with the forecast. But if you cannot choose the dates, no worries, there is so much to do!! And a lot of options to choose from depending on the wind direction!
Wetsuit: 4/3 in winter and shorty or swimsuit in summer.
Rentals: You can find SUP, windsurfing and kite schools everywhere, but most of them are around Tarifa. Make sure you can rent and move to other beaches before you commit to the rental. The best option if you plan to change spots is having your own gear. You will need from 3.5 to 5.3, and boards from 70 to 86. What I use the most is 4.2 and 75.
Food: There are so many typical “tapitas”, but, the best of all I must say is our tuna fish, so in summer, the tuna season, make sure you try it! Also try octopus! In Tarifa make sure you try tapas in La Posada. In Vejer, you can have a perfect dinner in El Califa, and for the best fresh Tuna, go to Barbate.
Accommodation: The best can be through estate agents. Sometimes it is cheaper than renting straight with owners. Prices in summer are a lot higher. In winter you can get amazing cheap prices in places other than Tarifa. So if you plan to have a car, think about renting somewhere else! Winter house rental for a nice house in front of the beach of any of the other villages can be €350 for the whole month! My favourite place to live in Cadiz coast lately is La Barrosa Beach. Houses in winter by the sea are very cheap!! And you can surf right in front of your house very often, and all the windsurfing spots are nearby.
“ The people of the coast of Cadiz are bright, happy and with a special energy. There is always something to do, people in the streets and local festivals, flowers and alleyways give a special charm to the villages ”
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