Barbate is a charming beach town situated along the Costa Trafalgar portion of the Costa de la Luz in the Cadiz province of Spain. The town itself dates back to the Roman times where it served as a center for the fishing industry. In more recent history, Barbate was the known summer vacation spot for the former Spanish Dictator Fransisco Franco.
The drive to Barbate is just as beautiful as the town itself. Barbate is surrounded by a protected pine forest and offers fabulous views of high cliffs, rugged terrain, pine forest, and of course the ever-beautiful coastline.
As you descend onto the remote Barbate, you can smell the aroma of the fresh seafood being lightly grilled in garlic sauces in the many tapas bars along the coast. There was something about the seafood in Barbate that made it seem even fresher there than anywhere else on the coast.
The beach is absolutely fantastic. Soft Spanish sand; crisp, cool water and nice sized waves. Barbate is a center for water activity, though not to the extent of Tarifa. The horizon is lined with wind surfers, and the water dotted with small boats taking scuba divers on Scuba diving tours. Running parallel to the beach is a promenade which stretches about 2km along the coast. The promenade is great for running, walking or to just grab a bite to eat at one of the many tapas bars. Even better you could just relax with a Tinto Verano and admire the beauty of the beach and the beach-goers.
What I love the best about Barbate is that it is still relatively unkown to foreign tourists. It's definitely a summer vacation spot for Spanish vacationers, but unlike other towns along the coast, this little haven of paradise is still a secret. In my opinion, this adds to the authenticity of the Spanish experience, as nothing in the town overly caters to anyone but the Spanish themselves.
If you do plan a vacation to Barbate, try to find time to see the old Church in the town center, it is a sight to behold. Also try and get around the protected pine forest, there's some beautiful landscape in there. Both edges of the town beach are great spots for wade-pooling. As the tide goes out an amazing array of sea life gets left in the small wade pools. Crabs, squid, Sea-Horses and octopus are commonly left behind. That is the first place I saw an octopus turn about 10 different colors when I surprised it in a wade pool. Until then I didn't know that an octopus could do that in self-defense. I never did claim to be too smart.
When it comes to beach vacations, I'm easy to please. I don't need much more than a beautiful beach, a few local drinks and food close by. A bed in a hotel is nice (many options in Barbate), but I don't mind sleeping on the beach either. Barbate offers all this in a magnificent way. This unique village is one of my favorite destinations. A perfect little remote beach town with Spanish charm.
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