El Puerto De Santa María – Holiday Apartments Between Coast and Culture

Castillo de Doña Blanca takes you far back into the history of El Puerto de Santa María: the archaeological site was continuously inhabited from the 8th century BC until the arrival of the Romans on the Iberian Peninsula. This arrival took place at the end of the 3rd century BC and was connected with the Second Punic War.

Culture

Castillo de Doña Blanca is significant for researching the protohistory of the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean region, particularly for studying the Phoenician presence in Cádiz. Admission is free; for the safety of visitors and buildings, access is permitted only up to the maximum number of visitors allowed.

The Ruta Sacra is a recommended route through the churches, monasteries, chapels and hermitages of El Puerto de Santa María that are of historical and artistic interest. The Iglesia Mayor Prioral dates back in its original ground plan to the 15th century; the Gothic Portada del Perdón also belongs to this construction phase. Castillo de San Marcos, a church-fortress, has been protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1920.

The Fundación Rafael Alberti presents a permanent exhibition with documents from the poet’s literary and artistic life.

Nature

El Puerto de Santa María is located in the Bay of Cádiz Nature Park and includes 200 hectares of pine forests, the 773-hectare marshlands of Los Toruños, and 16 kilometres of coastline, consisting predominantly of low-lying sandy beaches. The town also has more than 15 kilometres of beaches with fine, golden sand.

The endorheic complex of El Puerto de Santa María includes the Salada, Juncosa and Chica, or de la Compañía, lagoons; they were protected as Integral Zoological Reserves in 1987. The Coto de la Isleta Environmental Education and Nature Activities Centre is located in the municipality of El Puerto de Santa María and forms the entrance to the Bay of Cádiz Nature Park.

Activities

Los Toruños Metropolitan Park offers miniature train rides, activities involving bicycles and roller skates, water sports, ecological gardens and hiking. At Coto de la Isleta, water sports and sporting activities are offered, as well as climbing on the climbing wall, archery and a water park. There are nine signposted cycle routes in the municipality.

Connections

A regular catamaran service connects El Puerto de Santa María with Cádiz; the journey takes approximately 30 minutes.

Further destinations: Puerto Serrano, Bolonia, Palmones, Zahara, San José Del Valle, Tarifa, Vejer De La Frontera, Jerez De La Frontera

Food and Wine

In the Bay of Cádiz, the regional cuisine includes fish and seafood from the Atlantic, vegetables and horticultural products, as well as dishes such as Tortillita de camarones, Urta a la roteña and Sopa marinera. The wine selection includes wines with the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda designations of origin.

Bodegas Gutiérrez-Colosía offers a guided tour of the winery with explanations of the ageing process and a commented tasting of six wines: Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Cream, Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez.

To the main travel overview: Cadiz.