Costa de la Luz

Fishing port. Rota
Promenade. Rota
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
The name Sanlúcar de
Barrameda comes from an
ancient temple named Lucero
after the goddess Venus, who
was worshipped by the
Tartessans. Sanlúcar was a key
port in the voyages of
discovery to America.
It was from here that the
ill-starred Magellan sailed to
circumnavigate the world, a
voyage that was eventually
completed by Juan Sebastian
Elcano.
In the upper part of the town
one can see palace-like
convents, vast bodegas and
lordly mansions. Particularly
fine is the church of Santa
María de la O, which has a
Churrigueresque altarpiece
and Mudejar doorways.
Sanlúcar is set on a slope, with
streets running from the onceimportant
castle of Santiago
(now a ruin) down to the
district of Bajo de Guía on
the banks of the river
Guadalquivir, well known for
its fine fish restaurants.
The river Guadalquivir was
once the regular means of
travel from Sanlúcar to Seville.
Today, however, only
merchant ships and luxury
yachts sail upriver and people
prefer to make the journey by
road.
One can also go from
El Puerto de Santa María to
Sanlucar following the coast
by way of Rota and Chipiona.
Now more cosmopolitan
thanks to a major naval base,
Rota was always a seafaring
town and today is a summer
resort.
Inhabited over the centuries
by Phoenicians, Romans and
Arabs, Rota still preserves
many monuments, among
them the remains of the old
town walls, the Castle of Luna
and the churches of Nuestra
Señora de la O (15 th century)
and San Roque (Neoclassical);
beaches include La Castilla
and Punta Candor.
Sixteen kilometres further
along the coast, Chipiona lies
surrounded by vineyards
producing fine grapes and a
famous moscatel wine.
Besides an immense beach,
Chipiona boasts the Sanctuary
of Nuestra Señora de Regla
(14 th century) - an object of
great religious devotion
throughout this part of the
province - the church of
Nuestra Señora de la O, the
Lighthouse and the Monument
to the Cross of the Sea.
Chapel of Cristo de la Misericordia.
Chipiona
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