Chipiona is a town on the Costa de la Luz, about 30 plus miles (or 50 km) from the city of Cadiz. The resort is noted for its very beautiful fine sand beaches and traditional fish restaurants. Chipiona is also favoured with tourists from nearby Seville during the peak season, although it still remains fairly peaceful the rest of the year. Holiday makers also visit the town for the health benefits of the iodine enriched spas.
Chipiona has several very good
beaches, the best of which are the Playa del Camaron and the Playa de la Regla, which are located east of the resort. They are famed for the fine sand and they have both been given the European Blue Flag award. Further north of Chipiona is the slightly stoney beach of the Playa las Canteras, which is found near to the local lighthouse. There are plenty of water sports available in the town, like snorkeling, skiing, windsurfing and sub aqua diving, plus kite surfing which has also become very popular in the last decade. Chipiona also has a small
harbour that is home to a good sailing school.
At 230 feet high, Chipona lighthouse is the biggest in all Spain and the powerful beams can be viewed up to about 25 miles away on clear nights. It was constructed on the site of an ancient Roman lighthouse that warned mariners of the treacherous waters surrounding the isle of Salmedina. Building of the modern lighthouse started in 1863 and it was finished in 1867. To see the fantastic views while
sightseeing you need to ascend the 344 steps to the very top.
King Fernando III re-took Chipiona in about 1251, and a few decades later the fortress was built. In about 1399 Pedro Ponce de Leon gave the fort to the monks of San Agustin who then converted it to a monastery. The monks named it after the Virgen de Regla, who is also the patron saint of the resort.
The
Donana National Park is located just a few miles further north of Chipiona. Occupying an region of marshes on the estuary of the river Guadalquivir, and is home to an varied animals, such as the very rare Iberian Lynx and the Imperial Eagle. There are large flocks of white storks, herons and spoonbills. Although you are free to roam along the coast in the park, access further inland is restricted. To visit these areas you have to pre-book a tour with guide.
There are lots of good excellent tapas bars along the main street of Chipiona, many of which have local sherry direct from oak barrels. The resort has a selection of bars and cafes offering a good range of fare, including Mexican, international, Spanish plus Chinese. An excellent place to dine is the El Chato, believed to be one of the oldest dining establishments in all Spain. Its main speciality is a tomato soup called Salmorejo. The region around Chipiona is also famed for the Moscatel wine.
One of the most important of the
Chipiona fiestas is the yearly parade that takes place each November, celebrating the fact that the catastrophic Lisbon earthquake in 1755 hardly touched the resort. Another important festival is the Saints Day in September every year.
