South of Cadiz
South of Cadiz is an area which is
almost a secret. Initially the land is flat and boggy, and
then we drive into the hills and the scenary gradually changes
until we enter a forest of umbrella pines which cover the
hills all the way down to the sea.
Camping sites are hidden under the
trees, and every village is set back behind a litoral of scrub
and sand.
South of Conil the country becomes more sparsely inhabited. As
you venture inland you enter a protected zone, the Parque
Natural de los Alcornocales. This is a fascinating area with a
wealth of interest which most people miss. You have the
mountain villages, the ancient forests, the intriguing railway
line that runs through the mountains from Algeciras to Ronda.
I have written extensive.ly about this part of S;pain, as I
spent some time wandering along that route, exploring the
prehistoric caves, and generally following in the footsteps of
Mr Henderson, the man who was responsible for creating the
railway line. (I will look out my text and see if it can be
rendered into a few blog entries.)
However, if you stick to the coast road you eventually
come through the um,brella pine forest to the town of Zahara de
los Atunes, so called because there is a small fishing fleet
centred here which specialises in catching tuna fish.
There is also a rather quaint hotel right on the dunes. It's an
ideal place to get away from it all.
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