Bolonia Beach, Cádiz

Yesterday I was almost in Africa.

Mamen and I went to Bolonia Beach, one of the many stunning “playas” found in Cádiz; there is only 9 miles of water seperating Europe from the tribal continent. On clear days, you can see the Mountains of Morocco.

Driving down the hill into the panoramic area, I was amazed to look out my window and see horses, mules, storks, and cows roaming both in the streets and grassy fields. And strangely, we even saw Yamas, although they are not typical here, but roam in Andean countries.

Bolonia beach is enchanting and historical. It has a gorgeous shore with more than 2.5 miles of a long stretch of sand, turquoise colored sea, surrounding mountains, ruins of an old Roman city, and several sand dunes.

The first thing we did was run into a nearby restaurant with tables set up to permit views of the surrounding nature. As typical of Spanish meals, we were given bread, olive oil, vinegar, and salt (pepper is hardly ever used in Spanish dishes) to quiet our grumbling stomachs. For our main course we shared a salad and I had a Pez Espada (Swordfish) while Mamen ordered Pinchos Moruños (pork kabobs). Like often, we finished with a café and something sweet.

With renewed energy, we kicked off our shoes and ran down the beach, heading for the hilly mountain of sand. It was a pain in the neck to climb as our feet were repeatedly pulled into the sand mountain, but once we reached the top, the view was unbearably beautiful. Below us was the whole beach, natural park, and across, Africa looked closer than ever.

The best part was rolling down into sand pit. I highly recommend this body sledding sport. It is free, safe, and great fun!

To end the day we strolled through Colina de La Frontera, a town twenty minutes from Puerto. Like many towns surrounding Cadíz, Colina is famous for its fried fish and gorgeous beaches.

From Puerto, Colina de La Frontera is a nearby and charming town; it is worth spending a day or late evening here. Colina has great restaurants and a lively nightlife. Perhaps you may want to relax with a Mojito or Caiparinhas, but most the typical Spainish drink is the Cubata (Cuba Libre).