Year-round sunshine

Temperatures rise steeply – to 29C/30°C (84/86°F) – in July and August, but the Atlantic breezes make it feel much more comfortable than in other parts of Spain. If you are sensible and decide to take up the Spanish way of living, you will be able to enjoy a long, leisurely lunch or a nap during the hottest hours. Siesta is still observed on the Costa de la Luz, where almost everything closes. Restaurants, bars and cafes, though, stay open, and there you’ll see the older generation (mainly men) drinking coffee and beer and putting the world to rights, and families enjoying tapas. Mad dogs and Englishmen can be seen going out in the mid-day sun, but we go down to the beach from around 4pm, with a barbecue or picnic, copying the Spanish who seem to take everything but the kitchen sink with them, including the tables and chairs.

Winter months are usually mild, which is excellent for people keen on sports. The sea at this time of year is a little cooler than the Med, but this is outweighed by the extra days of sunshine: this area of Spain gets an average of 300 sunny days a year.

Spring is a great time of the year on the Costa de la Luz. With temperatures around 28-30°C and a warm breeze coming up from North Africa, you can forget it’s snowing in the UK. It is also the time of year when thousands upon thousands of migrating birds skim along the stretching shorelines as they make their way to their breeding grounds in northern Europe. Come back in the autumn and you will see them taking the same route back South Africa. It’s a breathtakingly spectacular sight.

Children welcome

Restaurants in the area serve wonderful dishes. Along with fresh seafood, there are lots of other local specialities to try… battered fish originated from here. Couples with young children are made to feel very welcome at all of the restaurants and bars; Spanish women are always cooing over babies and toddlers, so there’s no need to worry about taking your children to eat out with you.

Spanish customs – flamenco and bullrings

Flamenco is said to have originated in this part of Andalucia. You are certain to see this traditional dance in its true form at village and town fiestas. Bullfighting has its roots firmly planted in the region. Specially-bred bulls can be seen on farms on the undulating green hills, and most towns and cities have a ring, where fights are held at weekends during the summer season. Whether or not you approve of the tradition, the spectacle of a bullfight is something to see: men and women waving white handkerchiefs, urging the matadors to take ever greater risks. There is only one outcome, but the bull has been bred for his day in the ring and he always puts up a good fight.

With good air services from Britain to Jerez, Seville and Gibraltar – and no-frills carriers such as Ryanair serving the area – you’re just a short flight away from a holiday in unspoilt Spain that really does have something for everyone.