Since last writing we have explored our local area more and then enjoyed a mini 2 day break. The weather has been lovely but has turned a bit cooler and windy today. The UK is experiencing similar nice sunny days as us!
The first walk we have is always to Puerto Duquesa a 20 min stroll that often ends in a cafe for coffee or a cheeky glass of rosado (rosé) and sometimes a sandwich. It’s a great place to people watch and there is a cafe on the corner that enjoys a sunny position where half the campsite seems to end up!
Next outing a Sunday market in Sotogrande. A very upmarket marina and apartments overlooking Gibraltar and the place to be seen on a Sunday! Oops here we go again - cheeky glasses of wine!
Just past Duqesa is the small town of Sabinillas. The promenade goes from the campsite for miles in each direction. Sabinillas is about a 40 min walk away. Many of the campers have electric bikes and they zoom off to Sabinillas for lunch. Around the promenade and nice beach are lots of restaurants and bars and colourful paintings on the walls.
This week we drove with our friends Henry and Angela to El Puerto de Santa Maria. A town basically across the estuary from Cadiz. This is the port where sherry from the surrounding areas, especially Jerez, is shipped all over the world and has been for many years. We had an overnight stay in a hotel which Sadie thoroughly enjoyed (and was very well behaved).
Christopher Columbus visited the town in 1480 and received encouragement for his travel plans. He met Juan de la Cosa who became his pilot during his first expedition to the Americas which set sail from the port in 1492. Juan de la Cosa drew his world map (the first including the coast of America ) in 1500.
El Puerto was the residence of several wealthy merchants who operated Spains trade with the Americas.
The Osborne Sherry Bodega was our first port of call. What a fancy place with a really stylish restaurant and shop. You can spend an hour or two having a tour followed by a sherry tasting - about 8 glasses of the different types of sherry. We had done a sherry tasting before so didn’t bother this time.
From here we ambled up a few streets to a very traditional Spanish Bar - Bar Vicente.This bar was founded in the 1930s and has changed very little since then. We had a wonderful selection of very traditional tapas and enjoyed the jazz playing in the background.
This is the Castle of San Marcos, a fortified church built over the remains of a 10th century Islamic mosque. It was built by order of Alfonso X of Castile from 1364 also using parts of an ancient Roman edifice nearby.
Our evening meal was had at a restaurant that Michael Portillo visited in one of his Andalucia programmes. It was an experience - far too much food and we tried the shrimp fritters he raved about!
The next day we had breakfast in Port Sherry overlooking a marina and Cadiz across the water.
We took the scenic coastal road home and stopped at a place recommended by the receptionist at the campsite- a place called Bolonia. What a beautiful bay and white sandy beach - with a beach bar overlooking it all - heaven! Also near by is an archaeological site which seemed popular (Roman ruins) but dogs not allowed so we didn’t visit this time.
Well a good time was had by all and our adventures continue…
This featured blog entry was written by TomAndSue from the blog Spain 2025.
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