El Puerto de Santa Maria tourist information

The perfect holidays in a real andalusian town

El Puerto de Santa Maria is located in the Northeast of the Cadiz province, on the Guadalete River outlet, in the Bay of Cadiz.

With an extension of 156.41 square kilometres and with two well differentiated areas within its limits. One flat, where the Guadalete river runs, with marshes and stretches of cultivated land, and the other area, formed by hills 40 meters high on average, among which the Sierra de San Cristobal stands out with its stone quarries.

With 22 kilometres of coastline, our city offers a rich variety of low sandy beaches. Its privileged location, between Rota, Sanlucar, Jerez, Puerto Real and the sea, with a magnificent communication network linking the city to all of the towns and villages in the area, making El Puerto the centre of the Bay.

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 benign that the first Botanical Garden was installed in Puerto in the Eighteenth century in order to acclimate the plants and seeds brought from overseas.

El Puerto dc Santa Maria is situated in the middle of the Parque Natural Bahia de Cadiz (Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park), and is limited by two large strips of land.

One of them is an immense “green lung” of two hundred hectares of pine trees which forms one part of the three ecosystems in the Municipal Area where you can find abundant stone pine trees and other types along with some cypresses and a few isolated eucalyptuses.

From the point of view of the fauna, we cannot forget to mention as a very important ele-ment of this ecosystem the presence of the chameleon, a species in danger of extinction, together with other reptiles, small mammals and a great variety of birds.

The most important pine areas are Coig and Pozos de Ia Piedad, Oasis, Coto de Ia lsleta, tiro Pichon and Dunas de San Anton, but there are also some private areas of pine trees such as Obispo and Mochicle. The facilities of these areas consist of closed perimeters, parking sites, recreational areas with outdoor bars, picnic tables, barbecues and games for children, informative panels and Camp sites.

The other strip of land which limits El Puerto de Santa Maria is the coast, and includes two important ecosystems: the Los Toruños marshes (773 hectares) and the Beaches (22 kilometres). Within the Los Toreros marshes there is a well structured hydrography system formed by channels and canals. The vegetation is very homogenous, perennial, and the fauna is very rich. There is a great variety of invertebrate animals as well as many birds and fish, which make up as many as 40 different animal species, some of which are of great commercial value. As for the beaches, their fine sand should be mentioned, a terrestrial vegetation that colonizes the upper parts and a fauna with microscopic organisms , molluscs, some fish and aquatic birds. It is necessary to point out that the "levante" western beach is practically in a wild state with interesting dune formations from a naturalistic viewpoint, situated beside the "Toruños" marshes. Its use is fundamentally recreational with great services in the summer time like, beach bars, toilets, showers, rubbish bins and notice boards.

Both the marshes and the beaches are patrolled by the Forest Guard. They are cleaned on a frequent basis and have life-guard services, civil defence and information services.

The Complejo Endorreico de El Puerto de Santa Maria, deserves a special mention. It is declared a Natural Reserve and formed by two Salty Lakes: Juncosa and Chica, with a total area of 228 hectares.

Its fauna is very important and includes waterfowl, some of which are in danger of extinction. They choose this place to breed and to spend the winter.

To sum up, El Puerto de Santa Maria is a beautiful natural kaleidoscope of green pine woods, blue sea and golden sands.
One of the main attractions of El Puerto de Santa Maria is significantly a natural resource with which this population counts: its beach.

Beaches of fine golden sand that together with a bright sun and a lot of fresh and crystalline waters, all go to help have some unforgettable days here.

A young atmosphere, family beaches for the enjoyment of children and adults, secret places where one can enjoy a day on the beach in total freedom. Cheerful beaches, intimate beaches.

But also in El Puerto Santa María we go further and we consider as " beaches " the whole infrastructure that make our days in the sun more comfortable and more relaxed.

Terraces, chiringuitos (beach bars), cafeterias... these are some of the elements that put that spark of happiness, so important for your enjoyment.



During the day Puerto de Santa María is an ideal place to get a complete enjoyment to those who wish to. A bright sun and long beaches are some of the attractions that together with other of different kind make of place for leisure.

If life in El Puerto during the day is intense, the excitement and fun reach their peak when the night falls.

Due to the fact that El Puerto offers a wide range of possibilities for recreation, one may start in the old part town, strolling along the riverside full of restaurants and bars, choosing the appropriate place to taste all kinds of shellfish and fish.

And at dinner time, one may go to any of the good restaurants downtown so as to taste their delicious fish or meat dishes which allow one the pleasure of discovering the traditional Andalusian cuisine. Later on, one may have an after dinner drink in a prefered atmosphere, ranging from romantic music to the most modern discos. There is a wide offer of bars and pubs of varied ambiance, both in the centre and the areas known as "La Pescadería"

On top of that, the Valdelagrana beach has become a resort where it is possible to find nearly everything: flamenco taverns, bowling alleys, skating rinks, pubs, restaurants, fast-food places, discos.

And if you are fond of gambling, El Puerto de Santa Maria also offers places where you can fulfill your wish, the Casino Bahia de Cadiz, offers all the games anyone might dream of.

This modern building of typical Arab-Andalusian architectural design, the only Casino in Wes-tern Andalusia, is located 5 kilometres from the city centre, on the road to Jerez.

But it is not just a gambling resort, it is also a place for genuine leisure, where you may find daily entertainment until 5 am.. Apart from tempting your luck, you may choose among the many other activities the Casino offers: a cinema, dancing, drinking or watch the magnificent shows at the Night Club.

Summing up, there is such a wide offer of entertainment and those who discover it wish to return, for El Puerto is like a beacon which attracts all sailors of the night.