Los Canos de Meca is a small bohemian community town located on the windswept, but stunning Atlantic coast, on the Costa de la Luz in Andalusia.
Set deep in the Parque Natural del Acantilado, Los Canos de Meca boasts beautiful beaches, backed by cliffs and pine trees.
The town is perched on the cliff-tops and is fast receiving a reputation as a trendy place for beatnik travelers and water sports enthusiasts to spend the summer.
Getting there Los Canos de Meca is well off the beaten track and has to be reached by taking one of the small side roads off the CN340 coast road near Vejer de la Frontera or by taking the minor road through the pine forest from Barbate.
Places to visit To the north west of the town is the famous Cape Trafalgar, which protects the town’s beaches and lighthouse.
History This is probably one of the world’s most famous, yet unknown places, as it was off this point that The Battle of Trafalgar was fought in 1805; where Admiral Nelson, although greatly outnumbered, attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet.
Beaches The most popular beach of Los Canos de Meca is the Playa del Pirata, with its protected swimming zone and cool beach bars on the beach. Playa Marisucia is situated left of the lighthouse of Trafalgar. It is well protected from wind and waves and the water is very clear.
Eating out & nightlife The El Pirata restaurant overlooks the beach and offers excellent seafood dishes especially at lunch time. Opposite, La Cabana specializes in Moroccan fare, well worth a visit.
After the evening meal many visitors descend the cliff steps to the beach bars (El Pirata recommended), which become discos on hot summer nights. The music stops when the last person leaves or just falls asleep on the beach. Cuisine Andalusian cuisine has an Arabic influence, the occupation made a strong impact on the cuisine of southern Spain. Typical today are barbecued meats, sauces flavoured with cumin or saffron and sweets made from crushed almonds. Plus cured meats and sausages, such as chorizo and morcilla.
The region is also famous for its grilled fish, especially sardines, deep fried calamares (squid). Tapas were invented in Andalusia and a wide variety of them are served throughout the region.
Climate Los Canos de Meca has a mild climate; the hottest period of the year is during the summer months of July and August, when the temperature rises to around 32 degrees, and the winter months drop to around 18 degrees. Los Canos de Meca gets about 300 days and 3200 hours of sunshine per year.
quiet in the winter..naturally.but still very sunny & warm..
Costa de la Luz reviews
rugged..but with enough beaches......the beach bars were put away till spring..but its still possible to find cold beer...many kite surfers....due to strong winds
I ACTUALLY ENDED UP GOING TO THE TRAFALGAR LIGHT HOUSE BEACH BUT ALL THE BEACHES WERE BEAUTIFUL. VISITORS APPRECIATE THE CLEAN NATURAL BEACHES THAT HAVE GREAT TIDE POOLS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN BUT ALSO AREAS FOR SURFINF AND KAYAKING. THE UNFORTUNATE SIDE IS THAT THE LOCALS DONT REALIZE HOW LUCKY THEY ARE TO HAVE QUICK ACCESS TO HIKING, SWIIMING, AND UNTOUCHED NATURE. THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TRASH COLLECTION AND RECYCLING IS MINIMAL. RESIDENTS THINK NOTHING OF THROWING TRASH IN THE FORESTS . ONCE WE ASKED THE ECOLOGY PATROL TO TAKE A LOAD OF TRASH OUT OF THE DUNES BUT THE BASICALLY REFUSED. THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO IT LATER AFTER TAKING WATER SAMPLES BUT THEY DID NOT. HOW SAD BECAUSE THIS IS A RARE GEM OF BEACH AREA WHERE YOU SUNBATH, SWIM, BRING YOUR DOGS, AND HAVE KM OF BEAUTIFUL BEACHES THAT ARE SAFE AND CALM.
It is a very layed back town. Lots of restaurants and bars with plenty to do. The beach is perfect. Something for every one. Beautifull nature. You can get away from everything here.
Costa de la Luz reviews
Clean. Big beaches. Not too crowded. Layed back. Goog waves for surfing and kite surfing.
The surrounding towns offer a variety of history and culture. White hilltop villages such as Vejer de la Frontera and Conil are worth visiting. El Palmar is seems to be the most popular surfing beach and Canos de Meca is excellent for kite surfing and windsurfing as well.
A lot of wind, nice for surfing but also a great coast to sunbathe, relax and swim. A lot of Spanish tourist in the high season, around september you can enjoy the beach almost all for yourself.