Los Canos de Meca
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.
