A Spanish Holiday in Islantilla

Description of the house and surrounding area

           This comfortable three bedroom house is in Islantilla, southern Spain,  just over the border  from Portugal. Wonderful sandy beaches and a good selection of local restaurants are  fifteen minutes walk away. This area  of Spain has great  weather, food and wine and a vibrant local culture that remains very Spanish. The area is renowned for it's cured ham, delicious seafood and locally grown strawberries, olives and oranges.

Within the complex and located conveniently near to the house is a large swimming pool, open mid june to mid september, and for the more energetic, paddle tennis courts. A children's play area keeps the kids happy. Islantilla golf course is a ten minute stroll away,  the club house of which has a relaxing terrace and restaurant.

Many more beautiful sandy beaches are within ten minutes drive, take your pick between relaxing in a Chiringuito for lunch or taking part in the many water sports available.

The house has a pretty back garden with far reaching views across the golf course, and patio area and barbeque for alfresco dining. The master bedroom has a good sized balcony with views towards the coast across the golf course. One twin bedroom has a balcony and views across the complex to the countryside,  a further twin bedroom overlooks the golf course. 

For your convenience there is a full range of equipment including dishwasher, washing machine,  toaster, iron and ample cooking equipment.  

This house is great for couples,  mixed groups or families, those who like a relaxing beach holiday, golfers or sightseers. The house is equipped with stair gates, cots etc if required and there is also a good selection of children's videos, books, toys and beach equipment.

The house is easily accessible from  Faro airport (50 minutes drive along  good dual carriageway), Seville (an hour and a half by car) is an alternative and a good way to combine your trip with a city break.  

Supermarkets

The nearest small supermarket is El Jamon in La Antilla on Avda de Castilla, there is another larger El Jamon in Islantilla commercial centre. There is a large Champion on the main road through Lepe, driving from La Antilla take the last road on the left before the main traffic lights in Lepe. You will find the supermarket car park on the right hand side.

There is also a Dia % supermarket in the commercial centre on the north side of the Campo de Golf.    

There is a morning market at both La Antilla (summer only) and Lepe.

Food and Drink

There are numerous restaurants in the area; many specialize in locally caught seafood. Dorada (sea bass), merluza (hake), gambas (prawns) and calamares (squid) all appear regularly on the menu. This area is renowned for its locally produced and cured Jamon serrano.  Carved of the bone into thin slices it is traditionally eaten with a glass of very dry sherry.  Fino is the most commonly seen dry Sherry and Manzanilla a light style of Fino from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez is also popular. Both also go well with tapas

 Lepe is acclaimed for its strawberries, olives and oranges are also widely grown. Locally produced wines include Privilegio del Condado a dry white from the  Huelva province. 

 A list of foods and their translations are in the information pack and although many restaurants on the coast will have English translations, inland and smaller restaurants and bars may not.

 Restaurants

You will find that most restaurants and bars are relaxed, children are generally welcome. On the whole Spanish people eat later in the day so will have their main meal between 2 and 4pm and their evening meal at about 10pm.  Many restaurants do not open until 7 or 8pm for dinner but stay open late into the evening.

 La Antilla

There are numerous restaurants to choose from along the main road Avda. De Castilla, which is a just north of the beach (some are closed in the winter months).  Open all year round, Café Restaurante Coral Playa is right on the beach and good for breakfast, lunch or dinner (normally closed Mondays).

El Terron is a tiny fishing port a couple of kilometres from La Antilla signposted from the roundabout as you reach La Antilla.  El Ancla on the harbour is reputedly one of the best fish restaurants in the area, it specialises in fried and marinated prawns.

Islantilla.

The Golf Hotel (turn left as you come out of Lomas and go up the hill) has a buffet style restaurant and bar that non residents are welcome to use. It also has beauty therapists, (enquire at the reception) and sells English newspapers.

There are numerous places to eat in the commercial centre next to the beach. For those who can’t resist there is a Burger King (check opening hours in the winter)

Isla Cristina.

Hermandos Moreno (Avda. Padre Miravent 39) close to the harbour has a fish restaurant upstairs and downstairs a lively tapas bar with everything served very fresh from the sea. For drinks and tapas in a great atmosphere including a terrace, try the Casino on Plaza de las Flores.

Ayamonte

There are many restaurants around the central Pasco de la Ribera and also around Plaza de Laguna.

For a more formal dining experience with all the specialities of the region on show try the restaurant at the Parador Hotel which is at the highest point of the town and well signposted on road from Ayamonte to the Portuguese border.

 Things to do in the area.

The beaches are excellent, stretch for miles and are backed by numerous cafes (chiringuitos). Casita Azul beach, five minutes by car along the coast road towards Isla Christina has a good children's play area as well as an excellent Chiriguito (open weekends in the winter)

Lepe has an attractive square, an indoor morning market excellent for fresh local produce and an indoor swimming pool. It also has a commercial centre with 10 pin bowling, arcade centre, cafes and restaurants. These are marked on the Lepe map in the house.

 There is a Go-Karting track at Cartaya, 20 minutes drive away, (from Lepe go east along the main road  to Cartaya then follow signs to the right for El Rompido. The carting track is on the right hand side on the way to El Rompido). It is open as follows

Winter Mon-Fri 10-2pm and 4-8pm. Weekends 10-8pm.

Summer every day 10-11pm

 ·  Ayamonte

Twenty minutes drive away, Ayamonte is the border town on the banks of the river Guadiana. It’s a great place to wander around the shops of the old town, go to the indoor morning market or sit in Laguna Square for lunch or coffee and watch Spanish life go by. From here it’s a short ride on the ferry to Vila Real de Santo Antonio in Portugal (approximately 1 euro each way). Spanish people cross the border for shopping as Vila Real is a good place to buy linen and towels. Ayamonte’s beach is a ten minute drive away at Isla Canela and has some good restaurants and beach bars. Watching the sunset across the River Guadiana is a beautiful way to end the day.

·  Huelva

Huelva has a large  port with all the associated industries, good shopping and some great Spanish architecture. It is the province’s capital and a must for those interested in Christopher Columbus; it has several tourist attractions about the famous explorer. At the nearby village of Palos de la Frontera you can visit the point where Columbus set sail and see the old well from where the fresh water was taken aboard. La Rabida Monestary, at the Muelle de las Carabelas, has a museum with an hourly audio visual presentation and houses replicas of the Colombus' ships.

·  Seville

An hour’s drive away along good dual carriageway, Seville, capital of Andalucia, is one of the most interesting and atmospheric cities in Spain. Famous for its Alcazar (Moorish palace with beautiful gardens), the cathedral and La Giralda bell tower and the winding lanes of Santa Cruz, the Jewish Quarter, this makes a fascinating day trip or an overnight stop. You will find beautiful parks, historic buildings and great restaurants. Make sure you try the tapas, the city is credited with their invention and has more than a thousand bars with a huge choice of foods from seafood to ham and sausage, vegetable and cheese. The Sevillianos make a meal of them, moving from bar to bar and trying one dish at a time. You can also choose a "media racion", a portion between a full meal and tapas. There are two very good vegetarian restaurants in Seville, Jalea Real (Sor Angela de la Cruz 6) and La Mandragora (Albuera 11).

Seville is famous for Flamenco. Look in the rough guide for details or approach the tourist office in Seville. Seville is also well know for its April horse fair and Semana Santa, the holy week processions. Both are well worth a visit and although thousands come to them, generally, parking is well signposted and organised. You may wish to buy a Seville card for discounts on tourist attraction in the city including the Magic Island theme park, museums, and guided boat cruises on the Guadalquivir River and public transport.. You can buy this online at   http://www.sevillacard.es/en/Inicio.aspx or by phoning (0034) 954 22 42 95.

·  Portugal

 Just over the border in Portugal Castro Marim has two castles, one of which has been well restored and holds an atmospheric medieval festival at the end of August. There is an excellent children’s play area just of the main road as you drive past Castro Marim (visible from the road). There are several good water parks in the Algarve which are between one hour and two hours drive from the property