Puerto Duquesa, Costa Del Sol, Spain: August 2009

Welcome to my Puerto Duquesa blog

I've been visiting Puerto Duquesa three or four times a year for the past 20 years and have seen the area change enormously in that time. Where once there were dirt tracks and open countryside, there are now two lane motorways and apartment complexes. And whilst the area has changed and grown dramatically, it has still retained its small town, or should that be 'small marina' feel, which keeps me, and thousands others, coming back year after year.

Since I am currently in the USA it is a slightly odd time to start a blog about Puerto Duquesa, but the reason for doing so is simple - I may actually have some time to write some stuff! Most of the things I'm going to write about are things I like doing in the area or places I like going. Clearly I am not going to be able to cover everything, but hopefully I can give you a taste of what makes this such a special place and give you some ideas for your next trip.

If you can't immediately find what you are looking for, please scroll down and look in the blog archive (click the triangles to expand the list of articles). You might also want to start with these articles: Puerto Duquesa: the basics, Favourite (best?) restaurants in Puerto Duquesa, Puerto Duquesa beaches and Holiday accommodation in Puerto Duquesa. Want to get to know the area? Try A walking tour of Puerto Duquesa.

I welcome contributions, comments, criticisms and...well...praise.

If you want to link to me or you want me to link to you, that'll work too. If I think you're a good local company and you're prepared to part with a few euros, you might be lucky enough to advertise on the blog (which, fyi, is page rank 3 on Google - just type in puerto duquesa at google.com).

Thanks / Gracias

Chris (chris@cdgsmith.com) (March 2007)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Why I love Puerto Duquesa

In response to a forum post on www.manilvalife.com, I post this response about why I love Puerto Duquesa:

I love the Port (more so not in July and August) for the great restaurants - Traviata, Macues, Il Capitano, Parapiros (my favourites, there are others) - and the familiar and friendly welcome I get from the owners everytime I go for dinner there. I love the spectacular views and architecture. I love the proximity to everything great on the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz - the beaches on the Atlantic Coast are easily reachable. I like the sense of community evidenced by the clean-up volunteers/heroes. I like the beautifully relaxed pace of life and strolling down the hill to dinner and grunting my way back up afterwards. I love the new Spa at the hotel.

It's not perfect, but nowhere is.

No wonder I keep coming back...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Incredible beach 1hr from Duquesa

Just returned from a magnificent beach on the Atlantic Coast...

It's called Punta Paloma.

To get there, take the main coast road (N-340) towards Algeciras/Tarifa. Once past the Tarifa turning continue for about another 15 minutes until you see a sign for Punta Paloma and a turning on the beachside of the road. Turn off the road and follow the road until you get to the end (ignoring the "Militar" signs. Seriously!).

At the end of the road you'll get to a car park (basically a rutted field) where you'll be charged €2 to leave the car all day.

Walk down to the beach by going through the restaurant entrance (it's paved) and just head for the water. It's a 10 minute walk with some slopes so not necessarily suitable unless you relatively fit.

Once you get to the bottom you'll be greeted with golden sand and crystal clear water. There is a line of rock out to sea which acts like a reef and means that the swimming area is only waist deep and full of tropical fish - perfect for kids and adults alike.

It does tend to be windy on this part of the coast so bring an umbrella and dig it deep into the sand to give some protection.

Note that the traffic can be a bit 'dodgy' in Algeciras and on the road from Tarifa to the beach at the weekend so suggest a mid-week trip.

Enjoy.