El Puerto de Santa Maria
El Puerto de Santa Maria is a picturesque
Andalusian town located in the north east of the Cadiz province, on the Guadalete River outlet, in the Bay of Cadiz.
The town boasts 22 kilometres of coastline, there are eight golden sandy beaches in the vicinity of El Puerto de Santa Maria. Its privileged location, between Rota, Sanlucar, Jerez, Puerto Real and the sea, means that the town is well placed to visit all of the towns and villages in the province of Cadiz.
About town
The principal activities of El Puerto de Santa
Maria are fishing and sherry making, and more recently tourism.
The town is enchanting and visitors can enjoy
exploring the maze of narrow cobbled streets palm lined alameda (main avenue). El Puerto de Santa Maria provides a good selection of amenities; as located just on the outskirts there is a main shopping and commercial centre. There is
also a lively market and some delightful craft and local artisan shops.
Places to visit
The charming town has a number of interesting
historical buildings and attractions, including the Saint Marcos Castle, a cathedral and the Casa de los Leones. El Puerto de Santa Maria is also home to one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, where they hold regular concerts and exhibitions.
You can also pay a visit to one of the wine and sherry bodegas, including the famous Osborne sherry bodega. Most visits are made by appointment only, so be sure to book before turning up to avoid disappointment. The El Puerto Museum walks through the history of El Puerto de
Santa Maria.
You can also take a pleasant boat ride over the province’s capital city of Cadiz.
Natural surroundings
El Puerto de Santa Maria is surrounded by the Parque Natural Bahia de Cadiz (Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park) and the Natural Reserve of Complejo Endorreico de El Puerto de Santa Maria, both are important ecological areas, which consist of lush green vegetation, lagoons, and salt marshes, and are home to a variety of fauna, fish and migrating birds such as flamingos, storks and waterfowl.
Beaches
The beaches around El Puerto de Santa Maria enjoy fine golden sand and fresh and crystalline waters. There are eight beaches in total in the region, including Muralla Beach, which sits protected by the old city walls. Here there is a large marina, with a seafront bar, where you can enjoys views to the Atlantic ocean.
Eating out
The gastronomy of Puerto Santa Maria is one of the main reasons that Spanish visitors enjoy the town so much. One may start in the old part of town, strolling along the riverside full of restaurants and bars, choosing the appropriate place to taste all kinds of shellfish and fish.
In Puerto de Santa Maria there is a seafood restaurant with a shop attached, you shop for your seafood, and then the restaurant cooks it for you. Simply delicious!
Definitely don’t expect to find a typical English breakfast or dinner here, El Puerto de Santa Maria serves up strictly Andalusian cuisine and seafood.
After dinner you can enjoy a relaxing drink, in one of the numerous bars and pubs of varied ambiance, located both in the centre and in the area known as "La Pescadería"
Climate
El Puerto, with an average of 3,100 hours of sunlight per year, its lukewarm autumns, its soft springs, its warm but not too hot summers, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, and its moderately cold winters, make it a tempting city any time of the year.
Its climate is so mild that the first Botanical Garden was installed in El Puerto de Santa maria in the 18th century in order to acclimate the plants and seeds imported from overseas.
