Chipiona

05/08/2010 11:21

Overview
The coastal village Chipiona is hidden in the corner of Southern Spain near Cádiz and is not spoilt. In spite of not being a city, this village has an artistic and vibrant atmosphere and has lots of discotheques and bars. This place is nearer to the cities Jerez, Cadez and Sevilla. In the 19th century this was rural as well as seafaring; however at present it is one of the most popular holiday resorts.

The population in this town is 18000. The local population says that “Chipiona is the right place of time”; the reasoning being that the tourists can easily find time for resting, indulging in sports, learning Spanish or having a beer with friends. This is one of the places where only Spanish language is spoken.

Climate
The average temperatures in a year are as follows:

Maximum – 24 °C in the months of July-August
Minimum – 11 °C in January

Art and Culture

The lighthouse in this town has 344 steps to the top and is the tallest in Spain. This was constructed by the Romans and you can have the best view of Portugal’s coast from this lighthouse.

The Nuestra Señora de Regla Monastery was a fortress that belonged for centuries to the family of Ponce de León; but it was converted to a monastery over the years.

King Fernando III, in 1251 conquered this town and he constructed the Chipiona Castle in 1295. This is a monastery at present.

The iron sculpture – La Cruz del Mar was constructed on stone base. This is in memory of the 1755 earthquake that centered on Portugal but touched this village by sea. It was rebuilt in 1878 and renovated in 1910.

Cuisine
The food here is seafood as well as meat dishes.

Sports and Entertainment

Once you leave the Cadiz city, you will come across the coastal area that has white sand beaches that stretch up to Chipiona. The distance that these beaches stretch up to is 12 KM; the sea in this stretch contains iodine and many tourists are attracted to it. In addition, this village is famous for the spa waters that are directed to an ancient church – Sanctuary of Regla.

You can also spend your time by indulging in various sports activities – kite surfing, sailing, horse riding, wind surfing, volleyball, Golf and taking flamenco lessons. Golf is a popular sport here and there is a golf course with 18 holes in this village.

The forest surrounding Chipiona is famous for fauna and flora and you can watch the chameleons in this forest.