What to do in the white town of Vejer de la Frontera in Cadiz province
Vejer de la frontera is one of the famous White towns to sightsee in Cadiz province. Vejer has been a defensive position since Phoenician times. They used Vejer to defend their ports and their fishing boats from the Iberians. De la Frontera means “of the frontier”, and the name was given to the outposts that were on the border between the Moors and the Christians during the reconquest.
White towns or villages are coated with lime and streets are narrow to cool down inside the houses and streets. While the villages whitewashed the buildings to keep cool, they also have a stunning appearance! Vejer de la Frontera is considered one of Spain’s most beautiful villages.
We tried to reduce all the things we love to do in Vejer de la Frontera to five. As locals living in the village, this is our recommended to do list:
1) Get lost in Vejer’s White narrow streets!
Our favourite thing to do in Vejer is just to wander around through the streets. There are so many different areas outside the main points and the entire village is beautiful. If you do not want to just wander and you are on a tight schedule, try out our walking itinerary to find the best places around Vejer or join our walking tour through Vejer de la Frontera privately or not.
Throughout Vejer, especially in the older walled parts of the village, there is a labyrinth of narrow twisting streets and colourful flowers hanging from every window and terrace. If you wander through some open doors, you will find internal garden patios covered in flowers and plants. Most of the older houses in Vejer have at least one internal patio and the villagers keep wonderful gardens. The residents often will leave their doors open for everybody to stop in and enjoy! In May is the best time to enjoy them, neighbours compete to see who has the most beautiful patio.
There are also so many great independent shops throughout the white streets of Vejer. You can find unique art, handmade clothing, Moroccan decor and items, jewellery and more. Unlike some villages taken over by big name stores, Vejer has managed to remain a traditional small-business village. For this reason you can find truly one-of-a-kind souvenirs to take back home for your friends (or for yourself!).
2) Explore the castle of Vejer
The castle is open everyday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Best of all, the entry is free! Though it is currently under construction until August. When you enter through the gate, you come to the old stable area and patio. You can really notice the age and styles in the architecture and bricks in the patio.
If you continue inside the door on the left, you will see the castle gardens. Walk along the top of the wall and you can see all of Vejer. From the top you can see that the buildings are even more complex, connected with staircases in every direction. Most of the buildings have terraces at the top where local residents and visitors can enjoy the sun.
You can’t enter the castle itself because a family owns part of it, and the other part is used by the city council for offices. However, the rest of the castle is interesting to see.
3) Hike the windmills route of Vejer de la Frontera
The route is around 6km long, but it is easy and takes around 2 hours. We took a little longer than the 2 hours because we stopped frequently to take so many photos. The route consists of seven restored windmills around Vejer de la Frontera. You will be able to observe beautiful scenery along it all. You can click here to find other hikes around Vejer de la Frontera if you are interested.
We are registered as well as active tourism and we do hikes around the Natural Parks near Vejer de la Frontera. In this tour we try to identify traditional, medicinal, and edible plants found in the Mediterranean forest while enjoying incredible views and a 3-4 hours hike.
However if you just want to see the windmills we recommend San José, San Francisco and San Antonio. These mills are close to each other and in very good condition. Sometimes, one is even open for you to view it from the inside. You can find them south of Vejer in the Parque de los Molinos. If you want to see a beautiful view of Vejer de la Frontera go along the road from the windmill Santa Inés to the windmill of Cruz de Conil, and stop at the statue of Jesus. With some luck, you may be able to snap a nice photo of Vejer de la Frontera at sunset, with the light reflecting on the clouds and the village.
4) Eat at one of the incredible restaurants in Vejer de la Frotnera
New York Times, Lonely Planet, BBC, recognized Vejer de la Frontera as an incredible place for food. It can be because of its fresh products or incredible chefs, but you can’t leave this place without eating in a restaurant. Please click this link to see which restaurants do we recommend, however there are many more worth a try!
5) Museum of culture and tradition in Vejer de la Frontera
The museum is located inside the old church “Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción” from the 16th century.
They have all kinds of interesting artifacts from the last century or earlier. They were used for farming and cooking, as well as traditional clothing like the “Cobijada”, which is still used in official local festivities.
6) Visit the hammam in Vejer de la Frontera
The Vejer Hammam is a blend of traditional Roman baths and Moroccan hammam with a caldarium (hot bath), tepidarium (warm bath), frigidarium (cold bath) and a steam room. There is also a chill out area under a domed atrium where you can serve yourself a cool drink or a traditional mint tea. Additionally a small treatment room is available for massages.
Full day tours in Vejer de la Frontera and Cadiz province
If you are looking for hiking, culinary food tours in or from Vejer, and Sherry wine experiences then keep reading. Below you will find the great food tours we have in Vejer de la Frontera and throughout Cadiz province.
Hiking tours Cadiz province
Cadiz province is one of the most biodiverse provinces in mainland Spain. Habitats range from dense forest reminiscent of cloud forest to Mediterranean forest, dune systems, and more. Moreover, you will be seduced with views of magical landscapes in Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar. Cadiz has over a third of its surface protected, while its climate and sunlight hours are similar to Canary Islands.
In this guided nature tour we will discover more about Cadiz and learn about our location, our history, and to the many culinary, medicinal and traditional use of Mediterranean plants found within Cadiz province.
Sherry wine tours
Are you visiting Cadiz and you would you like to learn more about Spanish Sherry and immerse yourself in the local culture and traditions? If you want to learn and experience it with the company of a local guide and turn your visit to Cadiz into an exciting gastronomic adventure, book with us. Sherry love is very contagious, surely you will also become one!
If you have your own transport we can accompany you while learning about Spanish Sherry wine. Enjoy the best Spanish Sherry bodega tours, local culture and traditions and the local gastronomy. In case you do not have a transport we can arrange transport, restaurant and the rest of your trip for you.
If you would like to learn all about Jerez-Sherry-Xeres D.O. then join us for our Ultimate Sherry Tasting tour. We can design a private tour just for you and your family.
If you are staying in Vejer de la Frontera or within Cadiz province we can organise a private Sherry tasting with gourmet local tapas for your group. We will go to your place and do a Sherry or Andalusian wine tasting for you privately. We focus on premium Sherries, VORS and premium Sherries, or Andalusian wines in case you do not like Sherry wine.
If you are thinking to travel to other parts of Cadiz, we are based in Vejer de la Frontera. Officially, Vejer is one of the most beautiful villages of Spain, you should come and meet us!
Cultural and culinary food tours
If you want to learn more about Vejer de la Frontera, its traditions and gastronomy book our Sherry & Tapas tour! Learn about Spanish sherry, wine tastings, and how to pair it with gourmet traditional food from the area. Taste different types of Sherry wines and local gourmet food like bluefin tuna, bull meat, salmorejo, eggplant with honey and pinenuts, etc. The tour includes 5 tapas and 5 wine/Sherries .
We also have a bluefin tuna tour that focuses on getting to know the tuna culture in Cadiz. You will learn the history of Bluefin tuna in this full day tour, since Phoenician times by going in a private boat ride to visit the Almadraba; visit a local food market; and taste different parts of bluefin tuna in all ways, salt-dried, grilled, raw.
If you would like to visit other beautiful white villages like Vejer, we can do a tour of the white villages in Cadiz province. On the other hand we can mix a visit to a beautiful white village with a visit to an olive oil mill. Or you can choose to do a private tour that we can design especially for you and recommend places to visit based on your interests. Come and join Explore la Tierra in Vejer de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain!
Our latest addition is our become an artisan for one day tour. Make your own cheese and your own leather souvenir in Ubrique and enjoy its great history and panoramic views. This white village is famous worldwide for its importance for the leather international companies.
Contact us
To learn more about Jerez sherry , culture and travel guides, please click the big blue button to read other blog posts. If you have any ideas and suggestions, please do not hesitate to write us an email at info@explorelatierra.com. Please read our privacy policy before you get in touch with us. We will take your new recommendations into consideration.
