No, summer hasn’t been half bad. But now that it’s gone as far as it can, it’s nice to have Spain on hand. When autumn arrives in the UK, the Costa de la Luz in Andalusia, looking onto the Atlantic between Gibraltar and the Algarve, is still blazing. Temperatures linger in the mid to high 20Cs by day, while evenings are refreshingly cool. The beaches have seen the back of most British tourists, yet the hotels are still in summer mode, setting up breakfasts outdoors, fluffing up pool loungers and keeping bottles of the local sherry on ice.
Staying at Hotel Palacio Marques de Arizon, in historic Sanlucar de Barrameda, puts you at the centre of this historic coast, between the ruined Roman city of Baelo Claudia and the town of Palos de la Frontera, where Christopher Columbus embarked on his maiden voyage. The baroque palace — once home to Irish merchants trading with the West Indies — still has its 17th-century watchtower and ironwork. The central Plaza de San Roque is a few minutes’ walk away, past the Moorish town hall and Palacio de Orleans-Borbón, an ornate palace and botanical garden. Walk from the hotel in the other direction and ten minutes later you’ll reach a long stretch of golden beach and two chiringuitos, the Andalusian beach bars that serve manzanillo sherry and plates of grilled sardines. This month is the first in the region’s long surfing season, so you may see some keen wave-riders in the sea.
Stay for seven nights, departing on September 20, and you’ll pay less than £400pp for one of the hotel’s double rooms, which includes access to the pool and a shady terrace. You’ll be with Ryanair for the two-and-a-half-hour flight from Luton airport to Seville, with provision for 10kg of checked luggage and a small carry-on bag. A caveat: the airport transfer, which takes an hour and 15 minutes by bus, can cost up to £90.
Hotel Palacio Marques de Arizon has a pool and terrace for guests
RAUL PILATO
The hotel restaurant is open for breakfast, as are a dozen cafés within a ten-minute walk. For lunch, snack bars serve sandwiches with serrano ham, egg, sausage and grilled vegetables. In the evening it’s tapas time — the hotel recommends Chiringuito Ramiro 3, on the beach, for langoustines, shrimp and coffee flan.
Explore further afield into Cadiz, the ancient port city with a boardwalk along its old ramparts. Stroll the beaches and out to the 15th-century Castillo de San Sebastian, and watch the ferries depart for Morocco and the Canary Islands — on a clear day you can see to the Rif Mountains. Or make the 30-minute drive to the desert dunes and marshy shores of Doñana National Park, where cowboys popularised wide-brimmed clefted hats before the look was exported to America.
• Why the history-packed city of Cadiz is a fantastic alternative to Seville
What you get for your £395pp
• Return Luton-Seville flights, departing on September 20
• 10kg checked baggage allowance
• Seven nights’ room only at Hotel Palacio Marques de Arizon (thomascook.com)
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Feeling flush? If you’re inspired to visit Andalusia and have more to spend, try one of these…
The £700 holiday
The double rooms at Punta Umbria Beach Resort were recently refurbished
MANOLO YLLERA
On the edge of a seafront park cut through with hiking and cycling trails, Barcelo’s Punta Umbria Beach Resort in Barcelo is the value-for-money option this week. Made up of sand-coloured Andalusian villas wrapped around sunny communal gardens and two kidney-shaped pools (one reserved for adults), it overlooks one of the finest beaches in the region. Double rooms have been refurbished with natural wood panelling and pristine showers. Enjoy access to the spa, gym and an outdoor terrace restaurant serving paella lunches, during which parents can book young children into the mini-kids’ club. The price includes cabin and hold luggage, but not the transfer from Seville airport.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £700pp, including flights, departing on September 20 (ba.com)
• 14 of the best affordable hotels in Spain for under £150
The £1,400 holiday
The impressive outdoor pool at Palacio de Sancti Petri
Palacio de Sancti Petri is on Costa Sancti Petri, south of Cadiz, one of the best-groomed beaches in Andalusia. The hotel’s outdoor pool runs practically the entire length of the Moorish-style resort, overlooked by towering palms. Rooms are decorated in earthy tones, and even basic doubles have deep terraces that look out to the sea and neighbouring golf course. Breakfast is served in a bright central atrium, but you can find places to snack and drink alfresco all around the property. Its Spa by Clarins is tucked behind the private beach club, where you can look onto the white Sancti-Petri Castle, a stronghold on an island offshore.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,355pp, including flights, departing on September 20 (expedia.co.uk)
• Read our full guide to Spain