Conil is a sizeable fishing town with an excellent long beach and is a busy but pleasant resort in summer.
Likeable Conil is the first place south of Cádiz really worth a stop. A sizeable fishing town with an excellent long beach, it becomes a busy but pleasant resort in summer. The Torre de Guzmán near the beach is the town’s main monument; it is all that is left of a castle once built by Guzmán El Bueno. A recent over-restoration has converted it into an exhibition space. Opposite, the Museo de Raices Conileñas displays objects from traditional Conil rural and domestic life.
Directly in front of the Paseo Marítimo is the beach of Los Bateles, usually good for families with children as it’s calm and shallow. It stretches south to El Palmar – see below – and north to La Fontanilla beach, with plenty of clifftop development but a couple of fine summer chiringuitos and a busy seafood restaurant. North of here, the cliffs follow the curve of the bay round to the fishing port and lighthouse. Just before the port is a turning to Cala El Aceite, a secluded and popular cove of perfect sand. Behind the port, the tree-shaded river is a pleasant place for less blustery swimming and picnics. The town’s tourist office (956-440501) is near the Comes bus stop on Calle Carretera.
The quiet little hamlet of El Palmar, a few kilometres south of Conil, makes a very appealing place to relax and has a fantastic windswept beach. It’s popular for surfing, and several surf schools offering lessons and equipment hire back the length of the strand, particularly north of the main access road to the beach.
more Conil de la Frontera and El Palmar photos
