Blog (Page 14)

The villages of Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana are separated by the   river Guadiana they hold defensive positions for the two countries from the turbulent past. Almost identical with their beautiful whitewashed houses. They are positioned opposite each other on the banks of the river, making it hard to believe they belong to two different countries. Alcoutim has a long history dominated by the Arabs, Romans and Greeks. On Santa Barbara hill sits the Velho Castelo de Alcoutim, which dates back to the 9th century there are hardly any remains left today. The Castelo novo was built in the 16th century is on the crestRead More →

You can forget about boats, planes, trains and cars, how about travelling from Spain to Portugal on a zip wire. This is a unique experience in one of the most amazing areas of Andalusia, where you will discover the sensation of flying without wings. Limite Zero is the first and only cross-border zip line in the world. providing a unique experience crossing over the River Guadiana from Spain to Portugal. In a jump of 720 m, you will be in Alcoutim, Portugal and will be able to take some splendid photographs. You will cross over the river at speeds between 70 and 80 kilometres per hour,Read More →

Head across the river to Castro Marim to explore the castle. Castro Marim is the first town after crossing the bridge into Spain. It takes around 15 minutes to get there from Isla Canela. The village of Castro Marim is situated between two hilltops on one of them is Castro Marim Castle and on the other Fort São Sebastião. The border with Spain; the Guadiana river, is just 2 kilometers to the east. The Castle has a rectangular shape with 4 round corner towers and 2 entrances. It is probably, in origin, a castle built by the Moors to protect the Portuguese coast. The castleRead More →

The sailing school has two offices, one in Isla Canela and the other one in Punta del Moral. Both have an easy access from the motorway. The Isla Canela office is on the beach at the end of the promenade next to the beach bar Bombadill. The Punta del Moral office is on the beach next to the beach bar La Sonrisa. The sailing schools are located close to car parks, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets. You will feel in the middle of the nature as the school is located in a natural enclave of magnificent beauty the Bajo Guadiana. There is an information office, aRead More →

If your travelling to or from Faro I can highly recommend the forum shopping centre. It’s a very close to the airport and has a large array of shops and a great big supermarket. Open until 11pm. It takes about a hour from the airport to arrive in Isla Canela. The shopping centre is located on the western entrance of Faro, just 5 minutes from the airport, Forum Algarve is one of the largest shopping centres in the region. There are 120 shops, including 20 restaurants and 5 cinema screens, a Hypermarket and a parking area for 2.250 cars, it is a landmark that hasRead More →

There are lots of churches in Ayamonte. The church of San Salvador us one of the first you find as you enter the town from the road leading up from the Guardians River. It stands on the hill with stunning views from its tower. Declared a Historical Monument, the Church of the Divine Savior is one of the jewels of Ayamonte and the oldest temple in the city, built in the 15th century in Mudejar style and later reformed with Baroque and Renaissance interventions. The temple has a rectangular floor plan with three naves separated by 5 pointed arches. It has two covers, one of theRead More →

Another interesting place to visit is the Ayamonte’s Association for Brotherhoods which was founded in 1941. The museum is on Calle Jovellanos right beside the Mercedes Temple. It occupies the whole of the top floor and is accessed by  marble stairs from the interior patio. The building dates back to 1640 and was built by Diego Pérez Mestre and has had many different uses from convent to maritime school and it wasn’t until 2002 that it was handed over to the Ayamonte’s Association for Brotherhoods by the Town Hall. A year later the museum of over 500 square metres was opened to the public. Inside theRead More →

Torre Canela is located on the Isla Canela road that leads to Punta del Moral and Isla Canela Marina. The torre, like many along the Andalucian coast from Gibraltar to Ayamonte, was commis­sioned by Felipe II in late 1500s to protect the coast from attacks by Turkish and Berber pirates. Felipe II ordered more than 40 of these beacon-shaped towers to be built, although the cost of­ten fell back on the local population. The towers were even­tually paid for by a  type of fishing tax which was levied on every pound of fish caught. The tower had fallen into disrepair and although Isla Canela did someRead More →

The Casa Grande is situated on Calle Huelva in front of the Plaza de Rosario in Ayamonte it was built in 1745 for Manuel Rivero González and his wife Juana Inocencio Díaz. The building is made of oyster stone, an expensive building material as Manuel Rivero was a wealthy trader and had ships in Cadiz which brought the oyster stone to Ayamonte both for use in the building of the Casa Grande and in the Mill. The casa is built around a patio and is surrounded by marble pillars and decorated arches. It fell into disrepair in the early 20th Century but the Town hall laterRead More →

Oranges are big business in Spain, the (naranjo) orange tree its blossoms and its fruits have a long tradition in Andalucia with Moorish poets singing their praises  and historians reminding us that these trees were also valued by Greeks and Romans who surely cultivated them. You can’t beat a glass of fresh orange juice and while in Andalucia you will notice that it’s far cheaper to squeeze your own than to buy cartons of processed juice. The oranges grow by roadsides in Ayamonte and fill the fields nearby. Citrus trees and that includes lemons are grown commercially in  Málaga, Seville, Granada and Huelva. However, you’llRead More →