Chipiona is a beautiful town of 19,000 people (2019) on the coast of Cadiz province on the Costa de la Luz. With a striking lighthouse, it is a popular travel destination, especially for tourists from other parts of Andalusia and Spain.

Understand

The first lighthouse at the mouth of the Guadalquivir was built as early as 140 BC. Erected after numerous ships had crashed into a rock off the coast. Chipiona was later conquered by the Moors before finally becoming Spanish in the 13th century.

• Oficina de Turismo, C / Castillo, 5, ☏ +34 956 929065, turismo@aytochipiona.es. Daily 10:00-14:00. (updated Dec 2018)

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport is in Jerez de la Frontera . However, you can also arrive via the airports of Seville or Málaga.

By bus

The bus station (Apeadero) is southeast of the city centre on Avenida de Andalucía. Buses arrive from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz and Seville.

By car

The main connection to Chipiona is via the A-480 motorway, which branches off the A-4 motorway in Jerez and leads to Chipiona via Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The last part is four-lane, but due to the crossings at the same height (roundabouts), it is not developed as a motorway.

From the direction of Cádiz and El Puerto de Santa María you can also get to Chipiona via the A-491 road.

Get around

The main areas of Chipiona can be explored on foot.

See

• 1 The Chipiona Lighthouse, Av. del Faro 42., ☏ +34 956 92 90 65. Daily 11:00-18:30. The most emblematic monument of the town. It is the largest lighthouse in Spain, 3rd in Europe and 5th in the world. Its height from the base is approximately 69 m (226 ft), dates from 1867 and is located in the Punta del Perro. €5. (updated Nov 2018)
• 2 The Sports Port. At the beginning of the 1990s, the construction of the Sports Port was carried out, located next to the mouth of the Guadalquivir. It was being enlarged in 2008. (updated Nov 2018)

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Regla

• 3 The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Regla. The current building of the sanctuary dates from the beginning of the 20th century, built by a community of Franciscan missionaries, with the help of the Dukes of Montpensier. It has its origins in an old fortress castle from the 14th century, owned by the Ponce de León family, who donated it to the hermits of San Agustín, in 1399, to convert it into a church. (updated Nov 2018)

Church of Our Lady of O

• Parish Church of Our Lady of the O. Built in 1578 and rebuilt in 1794, after the damages suffered by the Lisbon Earthquake. (updated Nov 2018)

Castle of Chipiona

• 4 Castillo de Chipiona. Houses the museum "Cádiz y el Nuevo Mundo." (updated Nov 2018)
• Moscatel Museum. Opened in 2012. Located in the Cooperativa Católico Agrícola. (updated Nov 2018)

Do

Wetlands in Doñana

• 1 Doñana National Park (Parque Nacional de Doñana) (5 km (3.1 mi) away). Within the park lies the Marisma de Hinojos (Salt Marsh of Fennel Plants); also within its precincts is the possible site of the legendary lost city of Tartessos, the capital of an ancient civilization that predated the Phoenicians in Iberia. (updated Oct 2020)
• Carnival. Carnival is a celebration with a long tradition in the municipality, the oldest documented reference to it being an 1896 City Council Edict, which regulates the proceedings and confirms that the celebration clearly dates from an earlier era. During the Franco period carnival celebrations were banned in Spain. In 1984 the institution was restored and since then the festival is held annually in the months of February and March. The festival closes with a horse parade, which is followed throughout the region 

Beaches

Chipiona has many beaches where you can enjoy the sand and the sun. Most of these beaches have been awarded, since the 1990s, with the Blue Flag of the Clean Seas of Europe.

• Beach of Camarón-La Laguna. Delimited by the Beach of Regla and the Three Stones, between the tip of Cuba and that of Camarón from which it receives its name. (updated Nov 2018)
• 2 Beach of the Three stones-The Whale. It is the southernmost, has a length of 2.4 km (1.5 mi), and is adjacent to the municipality of Rota. (updated Nov 2018)
• Montijo-Niño de Oro Beach. Between the municipality of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the Fishing-Sport Port, it has a length of 3.6 km (2.2 mi). (updated Nov 2018)
• Cruz del Mar Beach-Las Canteras. Between the Fishing-Sport Port and the Lighthouse, with a length of 1.5 km (0.93 mi). (updated Nov 2018)
• Playa de Regla. It is delimited by the lighthouse and the beach of Camarón, it has a length of 1.7 km (1.1 mi). (updated Nov 2018)

Buy

The pedestrian zone with a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants stretches along Calle Isaac Peral . The market hall (Mercado Municipal de Abastos) turns at the intersection with Calle Victor Pradera.

Eat

Chipiona has fresh fish and quality restaurants.

Drink

Of course the white wine is fantastic.

Sleep

• Hotel Agaró Chipiona, Cruz Roja 38. (updated Nov 2018)
• Hotel Chipiona. (updated Nov 2018)
• Hotel Brasilia, Avd del Faro, 17, ☏ +34 956371054. (updated Nov 2018)
• Hotel Playa. (updated Nov 2018)
• Hostal Gran Capitán. (updated Nov 2018)
• Hostal Paquito. (updated Nov 2018)
• Hotel Al Sur. (updated Nov 2018)

Go next

You should visit the historical towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda or Jerez