Which are the best hiking routes around Vejer de la Frontera?
Do you want to get to know not only Vejer de la Frontera but the rural Vejer as well? If you are going to spend several days we recommend you have a look at the following hiking options. In this post we will give you four of the best hikes in Vejer de la Frontera you can find.
Saltmarshes of Barbate
The walk is a 4-5 hour walk and is a semi-circular route of almost 11km. You can add the 3km extra (line in black at the bottom) to complete the route full circle but note this route is not as beautiful as the rest of the walk. It is part of the Natural Park La Breña and Marismas de Barbate. It is one of the smallest natural parks of Andalusia, and very important for the migration of birds. Do not go if it has rained recently as the paths are prone to flooding during the rainy season.
La Brena sendero del tajo
This walk is best if you have someone who can drop you off and pick you up at the end to enjoy the full experience. You can unite two hikes together and see all the different ecosystems by hiking from Barbate to Caños de Meca: pine forest, dunes, cliffs, and coastal marine habitat. This park has the largest pine forest habitat in Cadiz province, which was planted between the 19th-20th centuries to stop the advancement of the dunes and now provides habitat to protected species. The dunes also support different protected species like chameleons. Many bird species breed in the cliffs along the coast that can reach over 90m in height. The coastal marine habitat along the cliffs also has many protected species and corals. This park has one of the biggest populations of Mediterranean coastal juniper in Cadiz.
Below is a map of a beautiful hike route where you can see most of the habitats except the dune habitat. The route is around 6.5km long both ways. There are white belts around trees and posts with two horizontal lines, which you follow along the route. The views and varied biodiversity is worth the walk!
Below you will find an explicative video of the Natural Park of La Breña and the Saltmarshes of Barbate.
Windmills route
This is one of the most well-known hikes of Vejer de la Frontera. It is an interesting hike because you will see different landscapes, beautiful viewpoints and learn about the traditional windmills. If you have a short amount of time I recommend doing the blue walk, as you will see the 7 traditional flour windmills on the outskirts of the village in only 3km (blue line), while the whole route is 9km (blue and black line). Below you can find a map.
Watermills of Santa Lucia and hike Vejer-El Soto
This hike in Santa Lucia, outside Vejer de la Frontera (blue square in the map), is a circular route of around 5.5km , and takes about 2-3hours. This route has a very green landscape and you will enjoy visiting a Roman aqueduct (Photo below) as well as the watermills.
On the other hand the blue route from Vejer to el soto is a nice hike of 12.5km. I would recommend taking a taxi back to Vejer from the end of the hike. This hike includes great views of Vejer de la Frontera from the top and the bottom. In this hiking route you will learn about Vejer de la Frontera history and see the rural Vejer de la Frontera. From near la barca of Vejer de la Frontera you will find the endangered bird, the northern bald ibis (ibis eremita).
Each route has its own attraction, some are more ideal for birding, some for viewpoints and biodiversity, and others for culture and history. I hope you have a great time discovering the rural area of La Janda by doing any of these hikes of Vejer de la Frontera.
Full day tours in Vejer de la Frontera and Cadiz province
If you are looking for hiking tours in Cadiz province, then keep reading. I offer tours in the natural park of “los alcornocales”, “la Breña” and “el Estrecho”. I also focus on culinary and cultural tours, including visits to the almadraba in a private boat, sherry and andalusian wine private tastings, olive mill, iberian ham tours and white town tours in Cadiz province
Guided hiking tours in 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 why our gastronomy is so rich. It is related to our climate, our location, our history, and to the many culinary, medicinal and traditional use of Mediterranean plants found within Cadiz province. You will find many of these plants in your supermarket in lotions, herbal teas, and to flavour your food or even eat them as part of your main plate. I will help you identify these Mediterranean plants and explain the traditional, culinary or medicinal use that it had in the region.
If you are interested in doing a hiking tour in los Alcornocales, then this tour is for you. Join me in a tour around one of the oldest forests in Europe. A subtropical forest called laurisilva, the only one in continental Europe.
These hikes last from 3.5 – 7h depending on the guided hiking tours in Cadiz that you choose. Most of the hiking tours I offer consist of hikes that last 3.5 – 4.5h (8-13km). However, we can design longer or shorter hiking trails for those groups that are interested.
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