While
the beaches of the Medeterreanean may be the vacation paradise
of many northern Europeans a lot of the Atlantic remains
the playground of the Spaniards. Ok, in the past 10-15 years
a lot of these beach towns along the Atlantic are also being
frequented by folks from other countries. Conil is known
for having many German tourists amongst others, but still
offers some authentic Spanish life. One of the appeals to
Conil is the size of the beach: wide enough to accommodate
many people, and if you venture across the inlet on pedestrian
bridge you'll find less people and more nature. From the
beach you can see the town rise up the hill, while along
the beach there still exist a few small farms, complete
with horses and goats. If the sand is kicking up due to
the winds (the famous levante everyone talks about)
then head to the las callas, or
the cliffs some 15 minutes away where the beaches are small
but protected from the winds. There are also several trails
running along the cliffs which are great for horseback riding
or biking. If you look hard enough you may find the nude
beach, too! Follow the paths for a while and you'll reach
the lighthouse which overlooks a small port. In reality
both the lighthouse and the man made port aren't much to
look at compared to the natural scenery.
For lodging we opted for Hotel Oasis, a 2 star establishment just a block from the beach. If you request it you can get a room with a balcony with a beach view. The rooms were clean, the location very good and we paid 46 euros per night in late May, just before the rate hike in June. You get cable TV, a small fridge, full bath and air conditioning. If you don't request a balcony view you may get a room with a window onto an interior patio, making it less desirable. Still it's a good value for the area.