Jumping Team delivered an outstanding third place finish out of 18 teams at the 2024 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer de la Frontera CSIO3* at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera included Raleigh Hiler and Obora’s Chloe as well as Zayna Rizvi and Exquise du Pachis Equestrian Federation has announced the athletes selected to represent the U.S Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer CSIO3* hosted Oct The team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski and Team Leader Erin Keating.   The following athletes have been selected to represent the U.S Jumping Team and are listed in alphabetical order.   and will feature the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Andalucía October Tour CSIO3* on Friday with two rounds of competition at 1.50-meters The week will conclude with the Grand Prix of Vejer de la Frontera on Sunday you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse Copyright © 2025 The Chronicle of the Horse We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Southern Spain will host an extraordinary CDI3* tour over three weeks of competition at two iconic venues: the historic Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez de la Frontera and Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera and the cultural and culinary delights of Andalusia this tour is a must for riders seeking excellence and inspiration The tour takes place over three consecutive weeks: The first two shows are hosted at the prestigious Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez de la Frontera a venue renowned for its history and elegance Competitions here unfold in front of a magnificent 19th-century Palace creating an unforgettable setting steeped in Andalusian heritage The final week is held at Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera the Sunshine Tour was the stage for one prestigious Dressage Tours until 2010 attracting some of the world’s best riders and serving as a launchpad for new stars: horses like Uthopia and Fuego de Cárdenas who made his debut with Juan Manuel Muñoz in 2007 The Real Escuela in the backdrop for the CDI JerezThe two venues are just 70 km apart allowing for a seamless transition between competitions Riders and their teams can also participate in a national show on March 18 held the day before the horse inspection at Sunshine Tour This show provides an ideal opportunity to debut or train horses in a professional yet relaxed setting The tour has secured an impressive lineup of Level 4 judges to ensure the highest standards of competition Confirmed judges include Maribel Alonso (MEX) Combine dressage with a luxury lifestyle on the Sunshine TourJerez offers visitors a unique blend of history Known as the birthplace of sherry wine and flamenco the city’s highlights include the Alcázar of Jerez the recommended hotels are the elegant Sherry Park Hotel and Hotel Jerez & Spa both in a walking distance and providing comfort and convenience for riders and their teams with its whitewashed streets and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean Nearby coastal towns add the allure of sandy beaches and fresh seafood The recommended accommodation for Montenmedio is the luxurious Hipotels Gran Conil & Spa, in front of the beach. Click here for more details The celebrated Sunshine tour showgrounds in Vejer de la FronteraSunshine Tour’s history as a dressage venue is legendary it was the go-to location for early-season dressage competitions attracting top riders and serving as a testing ground for promising horses combined with the excitement of the Sunshine Tour Invitational create a unique atmosphere that seamlessly blends dressage and showjumping This CDI3* tour is not just about competition—it’s about experiencing the best of Andalusia Riders can look forward to world-class dressage and the chance to explore a region celebrated for its culture For more information or to plan your participation, please contact info@viveladoma.com Visit the dedicated page for the CDI Jerez de la Frontera - CDI Vejer de la Frontera Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to compete at iconic venues and experience the magic of Southern Spain Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot Germany’s former world number one Daniel Deusser continued his winning streak in Vejer de la Frontera where the second week of international competition at Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 is turning towards its end Deusser and the 15-year-old mare Kiana van het Herdershof (Toulon x Lys de Darmen) topped the CSI4* 1.45m Small Grand Prix a competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group D the German pair beat a field of 79 horse-and-rider combinations taking the win ahead of Riccardo Pisani (ITA) and Chacco’s Lawito PS (Chacco-Blue x Lawito) in second in 34.77 Michael Greeve (NED) and Luka-Cara (Akarad Hero Z x Casco) completed the podium in third in 34.85 while Kendra Claricia Brinkop (GER) and Naf Naf DMC (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Clinton) finished fourth in 35.16 followed by Luis Ortiz Agüera (ESP) and Hvedholms Cashew (Volstrups Cash x Laurion) in fifth in 35.21 © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athletes selected to represent the U.S Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer CSIO3* hosted from October 23-27 The team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski and Team Leader Erin Keating.   Event website | Schedule | Start list and results   SpainChevron Øivind HaugSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK The chef José Pizarro buzzes through the covered market in Barbate at speed–past flamenco buskers holding their guitars up to their chins and crab’s feet—making a beeline for razor clams and bluefin tuna called atún rojo in Spain for its ruby flesh The bluefin and its almadraba fishing method have been prized for centuries in these coastal towns the spring harvest is back: a great haul of enormous fish which spend winter in the depths of the Atlantic building a buttery layer of fat that makes the belly pocketing volcanic black salt and La Breña pine nuts The old ladies who come here to buy one fish stay all morning A tostada and coffee is €1.50.” Pizarro seems to know every stall holder ‘Don’t give me a bad tomato again.’ They slip them in.” We gather up almond-truffled dark chocolates from the confitería sink a couple of Cruzcampos and some chicharrónes which Pizarro bought with his partner Peter Meades in 2021 after scouring the coast It clings to the cliff near Zahara de los Atunes a glassy modernist white cuboid with terracotta terraces They’ve filled it with interesting art; a vast canvas from Tracey Emin’s A Journey to Death series hangs in their bedroom CádizØivind HaugCasa La SiestaØivind HaugThe levante and poniente wins determine the mood of Andalusia’s Cádiz province Hailing from a pastoral village near Caceres Pizarro wanted a coastal Spanish antidote to his London townhouse life; somewhere to bring friends his beloved mother (who introduced him to good food but always shooed him from the kitchen) and clients who want the thrill of being cooked for by Pizarro at home And maybe somewhere for the cameras: the chef and owner of seven restaurants is loved by Britain mostly because he’s on Saturday Kitchen a lot His effervescent fizz is organized and channelled by Meades a Welsh psychotherapist whom Pizarro calls Pedro Together they create a timelessly appealing drinks-topped-up hospitality “He loves being able to drink and dance and listen to music while cooking and we are in love with the ever-changing sea,” says Meades you peer across a vast oceanic panorama that glitters and glints and rages and rolls Africa seems close enough to touch when the Rif mountains appear like a cut-out on the horizon and the lights of Tangier twinkle across the gloam of the Strait of Gibraltar at night—at least when the levante and poniente winds aren’t raging up a storm Two words you hear ad infinitum in Andalusia’s Cádiz province are levante and poniente The levante is the easterly blow favored by windsurfers that causes heavy swells and gives shins an unwanted microdermabrasion The oppositional winds dictate the ebb and flow of life on the coast Pomegranate treeØivind HaugSalmorejo soup at Iris ZaharaØivind HaugIf the wind is volatile They also hint at the character of the “Coast of Light.” The last stretch of Spain’s southern Atlantic coast is no bourgeois swirling estuaries and Wild West horizons daubed with fast-moving clouds Moorish pueblos blancos dust the hills like icing sugar and there’s a vast richness to the ridges and marshes of the national parks that buffer the coast’s extremities The glorious sun makes this a land of ingredients—of copious olives and sherry (dry fino and amontillado sunnier oloroso and salty-fresh manzanilla) executed with a complicated system of nets that has barely altered since Phoenician times culminates in the Semana Gastronómica del Atún in May where the Moors landed in 710 CE to take most of Spain which allows us to peel off in search of plankton risotto; broccoli-like groves of Aleppo pine trees; negronis with the sunset; and skies filled with candy-bright kitesurf sails But there are other patriarchs of southern Spain to drop in on too: the ones that produce the ingredients Pizarro adores Ramón Iglesias decided to devote his retirement to resurrecting the organic olive oil industry in his corner of Vejer de la Frontera and he is most exercised about Tintilla de Rota tanniny kind popular two centuries ago in Conil We weave around Iglesias’s 30 varieties of olive trees “The crazies and multinationals burned every bush here after the Second World War,” he says “but now we are going back to what we knew: that you need to have a botanical garden.” Lavender Manzanilla olives are big business here—the ones stuffed with pimentos—and also the picual Spain’s peppery and chlorophylly bestseller the price of olive oil has doubled,” he tells me Because 45 percent of the olive oil production on earth comes from Andalusia.” José Pizarro at Iris ZaharaØivind HaugCanalis tomatoes with extra virgin olive oilØivind HaugThe warm pride of the Andalusian patriarch ratchets up a notch when we reach Bodega Manuel Aragón whose sandy vineyards stretch out to the forest fringing the dunes of Barossa who clarified fino with egg white from when he was a child plies us with six varieties and teaches us how to hold the stem of the glass with a crossed arm for elegance “You haven’t finished the last langoustine—eat it,” or take your knife and fork off you because you’re not deboning the fish properly Barbate MarketØivind HaugWe drink the sherry standing up minuscule decades-old particles of yeast dancing in the golden liquid as we hold it up in the filmy light As we progress from bone-dry to treacle-sweet “The wine needs to be part of the conversation,” he announces all the nonsense.” He dips a measuring stick into the barrel to show me the layer of flor—the film of yeast—two fingers thick By the time we get to the 60-year-old palo cortado personal anecdotes are being shared in the group the yogurt-ness,” Moreno growls with appreciation “This is the best fino in the world; a difficult beast to tame.” If Pizarro is Andalusia’s Extremadura émigré number one His name is John Carlos Milburn Rodríguez (his father is English) and he’s here to take us to the wild The sandstone ranges of Los Alcornocales hunker between the earthy Cádiz and brassy Málaga provinces We hike through a pristine river valley in the oak groves of San Carlos del Tiradero past remnant clusters of cork oaks and along dappled dirt roads to gaze out on forested ridges that unroll to cornflower skies where buzzards float El ChiringuitoØivind HaugBodega Manuel Aragón in Chiclana de la FronteraØivind HaugBy lunchtime once the only shop in what is now a ghost hamlet Her parents and grandparents ran the shop in a village of subsistence laborers who made a living gathering charcoal and cork fat and morcilla blood sausage are smashed into chickpeas This is the antithesis of the sleek fish plates of the coast the food—and how she procured it (off some farmers on a culling mission)—reminds me fondly of Cuba I think about the families that crossed the Atlantic centuries ago from pockets of Andalusia exactly like this Sanlúcar de BarramedaØivind HaugIt’s not the first time I’ve felt misty this week When we headed up to Casa Bigote in Sanlúcar de Barrameda I had presumed the mustachioed guayabera-clad men and prim ladies with big pressed hair were sombre by nature we tickled the fancy of the clientele when we requested to photograph the three generations of the Hermoso family who ran the place plus a handsome septuagenarian patron who was lurking quietly on the balcony to sing the jaleo—that hell-raising-flamenco call-and-response—with the senior Hermoso The lady tickled her skirt above her knee as she took to the floor to cry out in passion and Did I see a tear in the eye of our Norwegian photographer who had been spoiling to leave since we got there Tuna tartare at El Cuartel del MarØivind HaugTuna stew at Iris ZaharaØivind HaugIt has been an intense week of richness preparing an array of precision dishes while maintaining a stream of chat He whips mint off the top of a gazpacho–“No!”–while reducing fish stock that’s been going for hours giant cloves of garlic quietly building flavor with bay leaves He’s frying garlic prawns with chilli piquín pepper—“This will burn your fucking mouth.”—packing his famous prawn and hake croquetas putting some ribs in the oven (“Eighty-five degrees for two hours; two to three hours at 110; 10 minutes at 220.”) and tackling tuna searing tarantello (between the belly and the tail) Pizarro has almost single-handedly produced the feast of my lifetime and cured one of the ghastliest hangovers I’ve ever had (caused by him) There is nothing reverent about the way we eat the ventrecha de atún “This is one of the best tuna I’ve had in my life,” proclaims Pizarro The fever of the day is over and the sunlight is bouncing off the vast crested ocean in dancing sparkles restlessly perfectionist Haug finally ceases motion and downs tools cracks open a beer and shrugs on a toweling robe as the golden light spools over the endless horizon El ChiringuitoØivind HaugSign on the road from CádizØivind HaugWhere to stay in Costa de la LuzPlaza 18 Vejer de la FronteraOnce a 19th-century merchant’s house this jewel-box-pretty boutique near a fountain-filled plaza is the prime place to stay in the best-preserved pueblo blanco in Andalusia Breakfasts unfurl in Michelin-noted El Jardín del Califa a Moroccan restaurant set in the palm-filled walled courtyard of sister hotel La Casa del Califa Both properties are part of a network of hotels restaurants and an atmospheric hammam created by visionary Scottish hotelier James Stuart This fabulously romantic cortijo below Vejer was reimagined by the founder of London interiors brand Bert & May, who carefully reclaimed the exposed beams, terracotta tiles and iron balustrades in the lovely six-bedroom country house and two self-contained villas The bountiful locavore food—much from on-site—is best enjoyed outside with lavender wafting from beautifully primped Mediterranean gardens Set in two-and-a-half forested acres that roll down to a wild beach on the Punta Paloma peninsula this beautifully revamped stone bungalow is the brainchild of Marbella Club co-owner Jennica Arazi who wanted to create a villa hideaway with the same service standards as her hotel The cool open-plan house and pretty outbuildings are full of local crafts and wicker with natural hues reflecting the surrounding sea Zingy Mediterranean food by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Helena Martin-Riva can be arranged but an invitation into her Moorish home with views over Vejer is a deep dive into the epicurean culture of her adopted home and introduce every ingredient with passion She has particular expertise in fino and atún rojo and can wangle tables at El Campero in Barbate: the high church of bluefin tuna Address: Annie B's Spanish Kitchen, C. Viñas, 1, 11150 Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz, SpainWebsite: anniebspain.com opened in 1951 on the Guadalquivir River in super-foodie Sanlúcar de Barrameda Sanlúqueños pile in for a dizzying array of seafood but the crème de la crème are langoustines washed down with the local Manzanilla Address: Restaurante Casa Bigote, C. Pórtico Bajo de Guía, 10, 11540 Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, SpainWebsite: restaurantecasabigote.co Chef Angel León’s three-Michelin-starred Aponiente sits at the intersection of experimental food and fine art in a transformed 19th-century tidal mill setting León’s zero-waste tasting menus center the more curious delicacies of the sea from goose barnacles and plankton to seawater broths and bioluminescent amuse bouches His La Taberna del Chef del Mar in the same town is a good option for a soupçon of the vibe and flavor Address: Restaurante Aponiente, C. Francisco Cossi Ochoa, s/n, 11500 El Puerto de Sta María, Cádiz, SpainWebsite: aponiente.com Hunkered into the dunes with a view of the ocean where the huge sun sets and serious food from globetrotting Michelin-starred chef Manuel Berganza The tuna tartare marinated in anchovy essence Address: El Cuartel del Mar, C/Bajada de la Torre del Puerco s/n​ (Playa de la Barrosa, 11130 Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz, SpainWebsite: elcuarteldelmar.com up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world The 2025 dressage season is just around the corner and the countdown is on for two of the most exciting CDI competitions in Spain Competing at CDI Jerez & CDI Vejer isn’t just about riding in top-tier events—it’s about experiencing the magic of dressage in the heart of Spain’s equestrian culture These two competitions offer world-class venues and the perfect conditions to kick off your 2025 season in style Competing in top conditions at the Sunshine TourThe final week is held at Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera Imagine competing in a place where centuries of equestrian history come to life held at the prestigious Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art Jerez is a dream destination for any horse lover Good stabling for the horsesA few days later Known for its exceptional facilities and elite-level competition this CDI is a must for riders looking to challenge themselves against some of the best in the sport CDI Jerez & CDI Vejer are two of the most exciting events of the season—don’t miss your chance to be part of them We’ll see you in Spain—where dressage meets passion Related LinkExperience the Magic of Dressage in Southern Spain: Royal School and Sunshine Tour This Andalucían town has centuries of stories to tell But it’s a Scotsman who has written its latest chapter transforming a sleepy backwater into a tourist hub Just above the horizon, wild horses gallop around a white domed building while, within petting distance, a small donkey munches on wild poppies and purple periwinkle. We are pausing to take in the view, before we cycle back after a day of hiking and swimming surrounded by forests of pine trees on the Andalucían coast bathing the streets as tourists pass by the pomegranate tree at the foot of the small town and sometimes point upwards to what appears to be a mirage at the top of the hill Yet this impossibly white enclave tumbling down the hillside is not a mirage Read moreWe are here to stay with James Stuart, a pioneering Scot who arrived in the village more than 30 years ago in search of a sandwich and never really left. He bought his first home in the town in the late 1980s for the princely sum of £1,000, and two years later he bought the buildings that would become his main hotel, La Casa del Califa Stuart says he immediately saw the appeal and potential in the town and adopted the philosophy of “if you build it This began a project of transforming a sleepy backwater into a tourist hub renovating and managing dozens of holiday rental properties and providing employment for hundreds of people over the years His vision also led to other tourism-focused businesses coming into the area La Casa del Califa Photograph: Frank Cornfield“Vejer seemed otherworldly back in 1988,” says Stuart “I felt as though I’d stepped back in time; the harsh light of summer bounced off the white walls the pink bougainvillaea tumbled over walls and the old boy delivering to the cafe I stopped at arrived with the wicker baskets of a mule laden with fresh bread.” Stuart had not planned a restoration project His first business was an activity holiday company mainly providing mountain trips throughout Andalucía La Casa del Califa came about after he extended his home to accommodate his own guests probably didn’t need a small boutique hotel back then imaginative space we provided the town with a much-needed focus for the nascent tourist market The project was more practical than poetic; there seemed to be a demand that we had created and everything aligned to allow it to happen,” he adds The fountain in Vejer’s main sqaure Photograph: Nazia Parveen/The GuardianThe hotel is now a landmark sitting in the heart of the town’s main square in the shadow of towering Senegal date palms Inside is a beautifully imagined labyrinth with the principal building dating from 1527 and other parts from the 10th century It is a shrine to Stuart’s love affair with Morocco – a short ferry hop or 14km swim across the Gibraltar Strait (Stuart will attempt to swim it later this year) Many Moors came across to this part of Spain from Morocco and ruled parts of Andalucía from the early eighth century until the late 15th century culminating in 800 years of history and leaving a legacy of magnificent food Just as you step into the hotel there hangs an intricate 19th-century Persian tapestry gifted to Stuart by his father and for which he had to adjust the ceiling height to be able to hang it Stuart’s attention to detail is precise – a painstaking restoration of the buildings bought bit by bit over the years to create his very own caliph’s court are serious foodies – they run a further five restaurants in and around Vejer there are delights such as oloroso-marinated pork cheeks braised for four hours with apricots and crepes of spinach and beetroot filled with mint pea puree But the stars of the show are a burnt meringue and a beetroot cake served with a lemony creme fraiche It is serious cooking with the most exquisite of ingredients Cape Trafalgar and Los CañosThere is a chance to learn more about the Andalucían cuisine and culture during an intimate cookery workshop in the home of another émigré to the area a resolutely cheery Scot with a longstanding relationship with sherry (she is a qualified sherry educator) we are tasked to cook a gloriously nutty menu of chilled white garlic and almond gazpacho and a sticky but light orange and lemon cake served with strawberries doused in sherry vinegar I felt as though I’d stepped back in timeJames StuartThe main event a chef and one of a family of Moroccan sisters who work for Stuart is brought in to cook sea bream in traditional tagines Dinner is on the roof terrace of Annie’s home with sherry aplenty and sweet Moroccan tea to finish a long-distance route that will eventually link Cádiz to Athens and through open countryside on farm tracks Vejer de la Frontera’s hammam – a reflection of James Stuart’s interest in North Africa Photograph: José AniésWe end our day back at Vejer as the sun begins to dip Stuart’s enthusiasm for his adopted home is infectious not least because of how intimately he knows it As we walk through the quiet alleyways for our last dinner and he takes a detour to show us a hammam he is opening – the first in the town – and yet another important monument Germany's Gerrit Nieberg and the 10-year-old Ping Pong van de Lentamel (Emerald x Toulon) won Sunday's CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix presented by Stephex as the first week of competition at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera With a time of 43.99 seconds in a jump-off between seven horse-and-rider combinations Nieberg took the win ahead of his compatriot Jens Baackmann (GER) and Lorenz 86 (Livello x Clarimo) in second in 44.93 Nicolas Sers (FRA) and Eleven de Riverland (Kannan x Diamant de Semilly) placed third in 47.00 followed by Nathan Budd (BEL) on Touardo Blue Z (Toulon x Arko III) in fourth with four penalties in 46.02 and Alberto Marquez Galobardes (ESP) aboard Ucello Massuere (Cassini II x Galoubet A) in fifth with four penalties in 46.11.  Friday's CSI4* 1.50m Andalucía Trophy at the 2025-edition of Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera went to the hosts' Alvaro Gonzalez De Zarate Fernandez and the 10-year-old mare Casa Diva PS (Casallco x Silvio I).  the Spanish duo took the win ahead of Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida (POR) and Karonia.L (Harley x G-Ramiro Z) in second in 61.49 while James Wilson (GBR) and Vuitton of Picobello Z (Vagabond de La Pomme x Contact vd Heffinck) placed third followed by Jessica Burke (IRL) on Express Trend (Future Trend x Condios) in fourth in 63.75 and Armando Trapote (ESP) aboard Conthargo-Blue (Conthargos x Chacco-Blue) in fifth in 64.55.  Friday’s CSI4* 1.50m Estrella Galicia Trophy at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera went to Rogier Linssen (NED) and Moneypenny (Sea Coast Don’t Touch Tiji x For Pleasure) the Dutch duo bested a field of 97 horse-and-rider combinations taking the win ahead of João Victor Castro Aguiar Gomes De Lima (BRA) and Provence van het Bovenlos (Kannan x Berlin) in second in 67.29 Jessica Burke (IRL) and Express Trend (Future Trend x Condios) placed third in 70.31 followed by Emeric George (FRA) and Dune du Ru (Vagabond de La Pomme x Apache d’Adriers) in fourth in 70.45 and Alberto Marquez Galobardes (ESP) aboard Aldo du Manoir (Iowa x Arpege Pierreville) in fifth in 70.47 Thurday’s biggest win at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera went to Brazil’s João Victor Castro Aguiar Gomes De Lima and the 9-year-old mare Lilesta Ge (Arezzo VDL x Quidam de Revel) they took the top honours in the CSI4* 1.50m taking the win ahead of Kevin Gonzalez De Zarate Fernandez (ESP) and Chinixen (Chin Champ x Cartani) in second in 67.62 Chloe Winchester (GBR) and Korlenski (Cornet Obolensky x Mozart des Hayettes) placed third in 68.23 followed by Marie Demonte (FRA) and Forban de Beliard (Upsilon x Diamant de Semilly) in fourth in 68.39 and Jérôme Guery (BEL) aboard Indigo (I’m Special de Muze x Warrant) in fifth in 69.22 Seven weeks of the 2025 Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera came to a close on Sunday with Emeric George (FRA) and the 12-year-old mare Dune du Ry (Vagabond de La Pomme x Apache d'Adriers) taking the top honours in the CSI4* 1.55m Diputación de Cádiz Grand Prix A total of 49 horse-and-rider combinations had qualified for the concluding Big Tour Grand Prix which counted for the Longines Rankings Group B and seven of them managed to answer all the questions asked by course designer Louis Konickx and his team Fastest in the jump-off of seven was Emeric George who stopped the clock on 39.96 seconds – 0.11 seconds faster than Zoe Osterhoff (GER) who rode Kentucky TN (Verdi TN x Gratianus) to a second place finish. Stanislas de Malet (FRA) completed the podium in third with Zambo M Z (Zandor x Lupicor) Seamus Hughes Kennedy (IRL) finished fourth riding ESI Rocky (Stakkato Gold x For Pleasure) to a time of 40.44 seconds followed by Adrian Whiteway (GBR) on Chacco Volo (Chacco-Blue x Carthago) in fifth in 40.77 seconds After a win in Thursday's CSI4* 1.50m Hipotels Trophy at the 2025-edition of the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera William Fletcher (GBR) and the 12-year-old mare Iwalinde (VDL Zirocco Blue x Corland) concluded week five of the tour by taking the top honours in Sunday’s CSI4* 1.55m Dunas De Barbate Grand Prix as well the British rider bested a field of 41 participants when stopping the clock on 37.27 seconds – 0.10 seconds faster than Penelope Leprevost (FRA) and Baloubet de Talma (Baloubet du Rout x Cento) who took the runner-spot.  Only the top two delivered a double clear result with Simon Crippen (GBR) on Handsome (Toulon x Phin-Phin) placing third after recording four penalties in 38.36 seconds while Matthew Sampson (GBR) and Medoc de Toxandria (Der Senaat x Kelvin De Sainte) finished fourth on eight penalties in 37.06 As the fastest four-faulters from round one Antonia Andersson (SWE) and Bella PS (Messenger x Contendros) finished fifth See Programming The fourth edition of Vejer Flamenco is about to open its doors, consolidating its position as a benchmark for flamenco culture, and this year, with a special focus on the new generations of artists of this art. Under the motto "Today's tomorrow from the roots," this edition celebrates the connection between tradition and avant-garde, showing how the flamenco It remains a living and inspiring expression for new generations. Vejer Flamenco It is more than a festival, its task is to bring the flamenco in all its facets and nuances through a careful balance of proposals and activities throughout the year, which are aimed at a broad and diverse audience, becoming a space for meeting, learning, and experiences with the aim of ensuring that all who come find the closeness that allows them to feel part of it. The quality that has been offered both in the programming and in the production of the festival together with the magical environment that only Vejer can offer, the perfect fusion between the local heritage and the flamenco are being key to this success. Vejer de la Frontera, considered one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, combining tradition, beauty, and culture, once again becomes the ideal backdrop for this festival. Furthermore, you can find relaxation and numerous sports activities on El Palmar beach and in the surrounding nature. Its gastronomy is another of its great attractions. The Vejer festival flamenco Being one of the most important cultural events, it is the perfect plan to enjoy an unforgettable experience, where the beauty of the place, its rich gastronomy, and our culture combine to create unique moments. The International Festival of Cante The Mines 2025 competition opens with major new features - Competition... Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with * Save my name, email and website in this browser for future purposes. The Voice of the Flamenco in the World.  Please enter your username or email address to reset your password Anthony Bourquard (SUI) and the 10-year-old stallion Festival Semilly (Tornesch x Orame) won Saturday’s CSI4* 1.50m Pavo Medium Tour Grand Prix at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera With a time of 38.92 in a jump-off between eight horse-and-rider combinations the Swiss pair took the top honours ahead of William Whitaker (GBR) and Millfield Quickstep (Quiwi Dream x Cassini I) in second in 40.13 The hosts’ Imma Roquet Autonell and Elba del Maset (Eilan del Maset x Indret del Maset) placed third in 43.68 followed by Zoe Osterhoff (GER) on Qaparezzo-A (Arezzo VDL x Corland) in fourth in 44.23 while three time penalties in the jump-off left Rebecca Marsh (GBR) on Izara des Dames (Emerald x Calvaro F.C.) fifth Emiliano Liberati (ITA) and the 10-year-old mare Aruba Island (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Carthago) won Sunday's CSI4* 1.55m Range Rover C De Salamanca Grand Prix at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera Besting a field of fifty horse-and-rider combinations, Liberati took the top honours after clocking a time of 43.14 seconds in a jump-off of ten in this Grand Prix counting for the Longines Rankings Group B With a time of 43.68 seconds, Seamus Hughes Kennedy (IRL) and ESI Rocky (Stakkato Gold x For Pleasure) placed second while Carlos Bosch Cebrian (ESP) completed the podium, riding Jolie van der Berghoeve (Jaguar vd Berghoeve x Kannan) to third in a time of 44.60 seconds Lieven Devos (BEL) and Inca's Big Think (Think Big van T L x Lanciano) finished fourth in 44.84 followed by Pedro Veniss (BRA) and Duelante 3K (Lordanos x Zirocco Blue VDL) in fifth in 45.77 seconds Brazil's Pedro Veniss and the 11-year-old Kannans Breaker BB (Kannan x Heartbreaker) won Thursday's CSI4* 1.50m Celeste Trophy at Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera the pair bested a field of 56 horse-and-rider combinations taking the win ahead of Kevin Gonzalez De Zarate Fernandez (ESP) and Cantuccini 17 (Kannan x Quidam's Rubin) in second in 65.67 Jessica Burke (IRL) and Good Star du Bary (Rock'N Roll Semilly x Oberon du Moulin) placed third in 66.89 followed by Penelope Leprevost (FRA) on Djagger Semilly (Diamant de Semilly x Apache d'Adriers) in fourth in 67.50 and Carlos Bosch Cebrian (ESP) aboard Jolie van der Berghoeve (Jaguar vd Berghoeve x Kannan) in fifth in 67.75.  El Ghali Boukaa (MAR) and the 15-year-old mare A Kyss (Diamant de Semilly x Cabdula du Tillard) won Friday’s CSI4* 1.50m Montenmedio Contemporánea Trophy at Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera Besting a field of 78 horse-and-rider combinations they took the win with a time of 67.71 ahead of the hosts’ Alvaro Gonzáles De Zarate Fernandez and Casa Diva PS (Casallco x Silvio I) in second in 67.76 Nicolas Sers (FRA) and Eleven de Riverland (Kannan x Diamant de Semilly) took the third spot in 68.69 followed by Alain Jufre (SUI) on Dante MM (Diarado x Luxius) in fourth in 72.21 and Andres Vereecke (BEL) aboard Halima van het Bonte Hof Z (Hos d’O x Heartbreaker) in fifth in 72.73 William Fletcher (GBR) and the 12-year-old mare Iwalinde (VDL Zirocco Blue x Corland) won Thursday's CSI4* 1.50m Hipotels Trophy at the 2025-edition of Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera where the competition has moved on to week five of the tour.  Fletcher bested a field of 66 horse-and-rider combinations taking the win ahead of Jérôme Guery (BEL) and Killer Queen (Diablo Blanco x Toulon) in second in 60.43 The hosts' Alex Codina Leria (ESP) and Jarno (Non Stop x Sheyenne de Baugy) placed third in 61.63 followed by Jessica Burke (IRL) and Express Trend (Future Trend x Condios) in fourth in 61.78 and Philip Miller (GBR) aboard Don Royale (Don VHP Z x Orville) in fifth in 62.99.  © McKenzie Clarc - Sunshine Tour Press Release The victory in the 1.55m CSI4* Grand Prix in Vejer de la Frontera was decided after a jump-off with eight riders. In the end, Gerrit Nieberg secured another win with Ping Pong van de Lentamel The duo had already won the Grand Prix the previous week Belgium’s Roy van Beek was one of the first to start in the jump-off he had to concede victory to Gerrit Nieberg who rode the 10-year-old BWP-gelding Ping Pong van de Lentamel (Emerald Nieberg and his 10-year-old gelding finished in 38.15 seconds As such repeated their Grand Prix win of a week earlier Roy van Beek took second place with the 10-year-old gelding Cavoire-H OLD (Casallco) The pair crossed the finish line in 40.31 seconds staying about one second ahead of Riccardo Pisani who rode the 12-year-old gelding Chatolinue PS (Diablo Blanco) Only these top three managed to complete the jump-off without faults The Irish rider and Jumping Jack van de Kalevallei (Kannan) stayed ahead of Antonia Andersson and Bella PS (Messenger) uitslag Graham Gillespie (GBR) and Warriors Glory (Warrior x Caretino Glory) snatched the victory from Penelope Leprevost (FRA) and Djagger Semilly (Diamant de Semilly x Apache d'Adriers) by just three hundredths of a second in Saturday's CSI4* 1.45m Tesalia Small Grand Prix at Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera Gillespie bested a field of 72 horse-and-rider-combinations taking the win ahead of Leprevost in second in 37.95 while James Whitaker (GBR) and Just Call Me Henry (Argento x Kannan) placed third in 38.28 followed by Sanne Thijssen (NED) and Cupcake Z (Chacco-Blue x Nissan Caretano Z) in fourth in 38.80 and Eden Leprevost Blinlebreton (FRA) aboard Darkhorse Brimbelles (Air Jordan x Diamant de Semilly) in fifth in 41.20.  Maverick van Lent (BEL) and Forever du Givre (Vigo d’Arsouille x Dandy du Plape) won Sunday’s CSI4* 1.55m Andalucía Grand Prix at Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera In a jump-off between ten horse-and-rider combinations the Belgian duo posted the winning time of 41.16 taking the win ahead of their compatriot Andres Vereecke on Halima van het Bonte Hof Z (Hos d’O X Heartbreaker) in second in 41.56.  João Victor Castro Aguiar Gomes De Lima (BRA) and Cashpaid J&F (Casall x Chicago Z) placed third in 42.40 followed by Gerrit Nieberg (GER) on Ping Pong van de Lentamel (Emerald x Toulon) in fourth in 43.30 and Victoria Gulliksen (NOR) aboard Billy Etna (Billy Congo x Cevin Z) in fifth in 43.50.  Thursday's CSI4* 1.50m Ayto de Vejer Trophy at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2025 in Vejer de la Frontera went to Belgium's Gilles Thomas and the 10-year-old gelding Chuck Marienshof Z (Colestus x Emerald).  Thomas and Chuck Marienshof Z took the win ahead of Kendra Claricia Brinkop (GER) and Ma Belle (Ugano Sitte x Bayard d'Elle) in second in 64.99 while Graham Gillespie (GBR) and Veneno (Chacco-Blue x Baloubet du Rouet) placed third after clocking a time of 66.90 seconds Riccardo Pisani (ITA) and Chacco's Lawito PS (Chacco-Blue x Lawito) followed in fourth with a time of 66.98 while Vincent Zacharias Bourguignon (MAR) aboard Prince of Bel Air van Euverbraeke (Lavallino ter Klomp x Deauville de La Vie) completed the top five in 67.95 seconds The Junta de Andalucía's Ministry of Health reported on Monday that eight new cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) have been confirmed this week in people in the Seville municipalities of La Campana There is also one person in the Cordoba municipality of Fernán Núñez and in the Cadiz municipalities of Medina Sidonia and Vejer de la Frontera The regional government has also confirmed the death of a person from Seville with previous pathologies bringing the number of WNV deaths in Andalucá to eight according to a press release from the Junta de Andalucía the presence of WNV has been detected in the mosquito captures made in the municipality of Vejer de la Frontera in Cadiz and the result of the Junta's remaining traps in the provinces of Seville The results of the additional traps installed last week in Jaén and Cordoba are not yet available the public health department has reported that the number of captures of Culex perexiguus remains "low" in most of the traps in the municipalities of Puebla del Río This information is available within the Arboprevent Project virus circulation has been detected in the transmitting mosquitoes captured in the traps located in Valdelamusa (Cortegana) and Almonaster la Real the presence of West Nile virus has been detected in eight equids: one in Arjona all in the province of Jaén; one in the Huelva municipality of Villalba del Alcor; two in Carmona one in La Puebla de los Infantes and one in El Viso del Alcor; the latter in the province of Seville; and reported by the regional ministry of agriculture Th eJunta has informed the municipal authorities of the public health actions to be taken in accordance with the programme for the integral surveillance and control of vectors transmitting West Nile fever (WNF) in Andalucía in order to significantly reduce the probability of transmission to the population based on the analysis of the weekly results of species it is continuously monitoring the mosquito surveillance and control actions being carried out by the pest control companies contracted by the Cadiz and Seville provincial authorities the weekly public health report confirms that according to the data obtained from the different sources of information it can be concluded that the populations of transmitting mosquitoes maintain the low densities observed during the first two weeks of September in most of the traps with population densities of females of potentially transmitting mosquito species at high levels (Grade IV) in Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville) and in La Puebla del Río in the Brazo del Este (Seville) and at medium levels (Grade II) in Las Cabezas de San Juan (Seville) Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville) and Vejer de la Frontera (Cadiz) a slight increase in the number of transmitting mosquitoes was observed in the Barbate and Vejer de la Frontera traps the entomological surveillance system using the new traps installed by the regional ministry detects low densities and the detection of West Nile virus in the female mosquitoes captured is still undergoing analysis Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados Saturday’s CSI4* 1.45m La Equina Small Grand Prix at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera went to Portugal’s Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida and the 10-year-old Karonia.L (Harley x G-Ramiro Z) With a time of 41.10 in a jump-off between 19 horse-and-rider combinations taking the win ahead of Anthony Bourquard (SUI) and Festival Semilly (Tornesch x Orame) in second in 42.71 Marie Demonte (FRA) on Forban de Beliard (Upsilon x Diamant de Semilly) took the third spot in 43.42 followed by Camila Mazza De Benedicto (BRA) on Barbarossa Dree Boecken (Vagabond de La Pomme x Goldfever) in fourth in 43.53 and Graham Gillespie (GBR) aboard Veneno (Chacco-Blue x Baloubet du Rouet) in fifth in 44.23 Following an invitation to compete in the CSIO3* Nations Cup in Vejer de la Frontera (ESP) the following team have been selected to represent Great Britain under the title sponsor banner of Team Audevard The competition takes place between the 23 – 27 October 2024 at the Circuito Hípico Del Sol The Nations Cup competition takes place on Friday 25 October (time tbc) and the Grand Prix will take place on Sunday The Chef d’équipe for the team will be Di Lampard For further information on the show and full results once the show is underway, visit www.sunshinetour.net. The competition will be livestreamed on FEI.TV Audevard Laboratory is the only 100% equine pharmaceutical laboratory in Europe More than 10,000 veterinary structures across Europe trust Audevard which provides practitioners with innovative and practical solutions through well-known brands such as Tildren® Audevard also offers a wide range of nutritional supplements with solid guarantees (Balsamic® Audevard invests more each year to expand its portfolio of solutions and develop its international presence enabling veterinarians and horse owners to provide optimal care for every horse The GBR showjumping teams are also supported by the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Programme funded by UK Sport through the National Lottery The Programme focuses on identifying talent developing potential and maximising medal-winning performances on the world stage The teams are further supported by LeMieux who supply the teams with their saddlepads and rugs The British Showjumping Association is a Limited Company registeredin England and Wales with the registration number 210797 Privacy Policy | Registered office: Meriden Business Park Site designed and managed by ideasBarn Spend a splendid getaway in Spain soaking in the sun Vejer de la Frontera may be one of Spain’s best kept secrets Dubbed one of Spain’s prettiest destinations the picturesque medieval town is perched high atop a hilltop overlooking the straight of Gibraltar and its shimmering beaches Spend a languid day in the South of Spain strolling through the city’s white-walled streets and flower-filled courtyards and you will see that the city has a supremely rich cultural heritage the city is surprisingly crowd-free (not a selfie stick to be seen for miles) making it the perfect place for a slow-paced sojourn Though you can walk around the entire pueblo blanco (white village) in under 30 minutes ​Drive south through rolling hills of sunflowers and you’ll hit seven glittering beaches A short drive west will lead you to the famed Jerez sherry region where afternoons are best spent sipping the fortified wine in historic bodegas Vejer was under Moorish rule for over five centuries and much of the North African influence is evident in the architecture Wander the labyrinth of white-walled streets and pop into​ chic jewelry boutiques Moroccan blanket peddlers or basket weavers: the prices are low and each piece comes with a backstory to regale your friends with upon your return Tapas spots are plentiful here so take a seat and soak in the views of the city unfolding over the hills our complete guide to a weekend in Vejer de la Frontera Check into the new Plaza 18 While the square’s concentration of tapas bars and street musicians gives it constant energy Plaza 18 promises a more secluded stay boasting just six rooms on the property along with the grand entranceway and common spaces was lovingly restored with the help of award-winning designer Nicky Dobree the property was once a stately residential home and prior to that Much of the home’s former glory is still evident thanks to restoration efforts by Dobree and the Califa Vejer team Admire the hotel’s soaring entryway­ where the original skylights let in huge veils of natural light over the original black-and-white tiles and head up a swirling stone staircase to your room Rooms are uniquely accented with curated pieces from around the world Views from the windows or Juliet balconies overlook either the center of the city or the nearby Parque Natural las Marismas nature reserve Mix yourself a spritz from the sitting room’s bar cart and watch the sunset over the town from one of the Califa’s terraces–on clear nights you can spot the sun kiss the Tangier coasts across the straight Between languid lunches, aperitivo hours and late dinners, you can easily spend your days eating. Tapas is an excellent place to start, and look no further than the local-loved Corredera 55 a charming tapas spot with panoramic views of the valley and choose from a selection of locally-sourced tapas Scottish by way of Spain with a Michelin star to her name After an afternoon siesta, unwind on La Teteria de Califa a rooftop tea room-meets-cocktail bar that overlooks the city Experience the city’s Moroccan influence with Arabic pastries like baklava with honey and pistachios or date and almond cheesecake and a classic Moroccan tea The room itself features a Beddaoui glass installation and a photo exhibit of owner James Stuart and his father’s photos of Jordan If you’re searching for a dinner more filling than tapas, head to El Jardin de Califa a verdant garden restaurant that spotlights tagines a sweet and savory Maghrebi dish slow-cooked in an earthenware pot A trip to this part of Spain isn’t complete without a tuna dinner, and El Campero in nearby Barbate is lauded as one of the best tuna temples in the world Just off the coast is where the famed bluefin tuna are caught in the Almadraba often caught that morning if you visit in Spring Learn to recreate the treasured dishes of Spain at home with Annie B. The vivacious food and wine expert hosts a series of day classes Visit the nearby Barbate market in the morning to scope out the fresh seafood then spend the afternoon making Arroz con Negra or lightly fried boquerenes Raise a glass or two of sherry to your creations over a late lunch on her rooftop A day at the ocean is perfect for napping off the tapas and the area has seven beaches to choose from Pick from more secluded beaches like Conil de la Frontera complete with ocean-side beach bars and clubs Canos de Meca is one of the best spots around for surfing and bodyboarding A weekend getaway is not complete without a moment of pampering, so head to the Hammam Pulling inspiration from the traditional Turkish and Arabic traditions of ritual purification This new Earl’s Court hotel is a rare oasis with 156-rooms and a beautiful private garden More The new restaurant at Louis Vuitton's Midtown Manhattan flagship debuts a high tea service to go with their all-day dining concept More The actor plays Elmer McCurdy, an American outlaw, in the new musical Dead Outlaw More The two-time winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race tackles Gilbert and Sullivan in the Roundabout Theatre’s new Pirates! The Penzance Musical More The women's fashion brand expands its New York City footprint More Room Request! Miiro Templeton GardenThis new Earl’s Court hotel is a rare oasis with 156-rooms and a beautiful private garden More The new restaurant at Louis Vuitton's Midtown Manhattan flagship debuts a high tea service to go with their ... More Jean-Georges and Caviar Kaspia’s seafood shack makes its debut the weekend of April 26  More Inside the Gulf Coast's most luxurious new property More Celebrate life’s finest moments with the artistry they deserve. Craft an exceptional cocktail with the unrivaled smoothness of ... More Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club has undergone a multimillion-dollar transformation to its sprawling footprint More Reebok’s Latest Campaign Amplifies Powerful Women France's Penelope Leprevost and the 12-year-old stallion Djagger Semilly (Diamant de Semilly x Apache d'Adriers) won Saturday's CSI4* 1.45m Small Grand Prix – a competition counting for Longines Rankings Group D – at the 2025-edition of Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera Leprevost took the top honours with a time of 59.15 seconds while Finn Boerekamp (NED) and Jay Jay Es (Big Star x Jumbo-Jet) had to settle for second in 59.68 followed by Anthony Bourquard (SUI) and Flanagan Semilly (Kannan x Quick Star) in third in 60.28 Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida (POR) on Comme le Coeur (Comme Il Faut x Heartbreaker) in fourth in 60.49 and Sanne Thijssen (NED) aboard Lolandria Z (Lux Z x Quidam de Revel) in fifth in 61.21.  The Junta de Andalucía's Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday (16 September) that there are 11 new cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in the region one in Gelves and one in El Real de la Jara; in the province of Seville three cases have been confirmed: one in Ibros one in Villanueva de la Reina and one in Lopera there is one case in the Cordoba municipality of La Rambla who is hospitalised and is progressing favourably The regional government has also notified the death of a person from Villanueva de la Reina (Jaén) at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Cordoba although the reason for the death "is not directly linked to West Nile virus but to a previous pathology" the number of deaths due to WNV remains at seven the presence of WNV has been detected in samples taken in the Cadiz municipalities of Barbate Tarifa and Vejer de la Frontera; as well as in the Seville municipality of Los Palacios y Villafranca as a result of the integration of surveillance the ministry of health has reported that the presence of West Nile virus has been detected in five equidae members of the horse family: one in the municipality of Arjona in Jaén; another in the municipality of Villamartín in Cadiz; one in Las Navas de la Concepción another in Espartinas and another in Cazalla de la Sierra the latter three in the province of Seville; and in a common gannet located in the sea more than 2 kilometres from the coast of Huelva The Junta has informed the municipal authorities of the prescribed public health actions that "must be taken" in order to "significantly" reduce the probability of transmission to the population based on the analysis of the weekly results of species It is continuously monitoring the mosquito surveillance and control activities being carried out by the pest control companies contracted by the Cadiz and Seville provincial authorities to control peri-urban areas and with regard to activities within the towns carrying out on-site verifications and weekly follow-up meetings with the most affected town councils and the companies contracted by them the weekly public health report concluded that the population densities of females of potentially transmitting mosquito species are at high levels (Grade III) in Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville) and in La Puebla del Río in the Brazo del Este (Seville) and at medium levels (Grade II) in Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville) and Benalup Casas Viejas (Cadiz) According to the data obtained from the different information sources the Junta concluded that the populations of vector mosquitoes maintain the low densities observed during the first week of September in most of the traps obtaining medium or high densities in the traps of La Puebla del Río (Brazo del Este) Los Palacios y Villafranca (northwest of the town) Villamanrique de la Condesa (south of the town) and Benalup-Casas Viejas (northeast of the town) Regarding the circulation of West Nile virus in traps in the province of Seville during the first week of September it has only been detected in transmitting mosquitoes in one single trap specifically the one covering the rural area of Los Palacios y Villafranca (northwest of the town) being negative in the rest of the traps carried out in the province (including those of the EBD-CSIC) the drop in the density of mosquito-transmitting mosquitoes observed in the first week continued although virus circulation continued in traps in rural areas of Benalup-Casas Viejas and Vejer de la Frontera with virus presence in the rural areas of Barbate and Tarifa during the first week of September No WNV circulation has been detected in the traps in the province of Malaga (corresponding to the week of 2 to 6 September) the incorporation of traps in the province of Jaén is planned for next week given the evolution of the cases declared in that province for a diagnosis on transmitting species that may be present in that province their density and virus circulation in the samples collected during the coming weeks Jodie Hall McAteer shares her thoughts on making a living out of horses and the vetting debate It’s unbelievable how healthy business is here on the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera where I have been based since the start of February there are plenty of people looking to buy and willing to sell The Spanish tours have always been the best place in Europe for getting away from the cold winters and Vejer has grown so big Although a lot of industries are struggling in the current financial climate One thing I have noticed is how much the tours are investing in their facilities. Vejer now has a veterinary clinic, with its own team of vets on the showground and there are constantly vettings under way. For that reason, I was quite interested to read Rowland Fernyhough’s column on vettings Out here, most buyers are knowledgeable and aren’t expecting to eliminate all risk. Pre-purchase exams have certainly become more thorough and I think there is an increased onus on vets’ opinions these days – a vet can indirectly overrule a deal A good vet should evaluate the point a horse is at in its career and what will be expected in its new home There’s an expanding client base behind these horse sales motivated by investment opportunities as well as the love of horses and the attraction of the lifestyle You only have to look at the show calendar to see how global showjumping has become I was mindblown when I added up that there were 18 international events last week there were probably one or two bigger international shows a week so you can see how much opportunity there is in the sport my attention has shifted more to the business side and my sister Ellie and I need to make it our focus to be financially viable Going on tours has become hugely expensive but you need to look at it as adding value to horses and take it on the chin – hopefully you win some money out here or sell some horses to help make it pay Polly Gredley has given me the ride on her exciting stallion Kingsborough Kasper who has jumped CSIO3* Nations Cups with Louise Lovegrove There’s such a range of classes here you can be competitive while also stepping horses up and giving the less experienced ones a bit more mileage The first time I ever came to Vejer was when I was 12 or 13 My parents had horses in action here and luckily enough I went on to compete here while still in school We would go to school from Monday to Wednesday We would continue in that same routine for eight weeks It was a great opportunity to experience riding such a variety of different horses at such a young age and it’s great to see other young riders having a similar experience now ● How easy is it to make a living out of showjumping these days? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine vast wild spaces and sparkling coastlines are just the beginning of Spain’s prettiest pockets No surprise then that many Spaniards prefer to holiday in their own country instead of heading abroad Choosing how to explore these dazzling destinations is half the fun whether you go hiking in the pine-scented hills tapas-hopping around urban hubs or wildlife-spotting in tightly protected national parks visiting outside summer months generally means you’ll dodge the bulk of the crowds Become a subscriber and along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners especially for Times+ members Costa de la LuzGETTY IMAGESIf there’s one Spanish shoreline that steals the show this stretch of Atlantic coast remains relatively undeveloped with sweeping salt-white beaches bordered by pine forests and undulating dunes Tarifa has a cool beach-town vibe thanks to its kitesurfing scene while just inland lies one of Spain’s prettiest pueblos blancos (white towns) Coastal villages such as Zahara de los Atunes and Barbate have wonderful fresh-produce markets at the heart of a fabulous sherry-loving food scene Where Cadiz and Huelva provinces meet you’ll find the Unesco-listed Doñana National Park a major refuge for the rare Iberian lynx and other creatures restored 19th-century mansion in Vejer with views towards Morocco and glorious breakfasts Jet2 has holiday packages with accommodation at the oceanside adults-only Barcelo Conil Playa hotel The Cathedral de Santiago de CompostelaGETTY IMAGESAlmost 450,000 people travelled along the Camino de Santiago to Galicia’s gorgeous capital on foot or by bike in 2023 Santiago de Compostela marks the end of Spain’s most fabled pilgrimage trail but it’s also one of the country’s most mesmerising cities Just a glimpse of splendid Praza do Obradoiro beneath the spire-topped Romanesque-origin cathedral stops everyone in their tracks (don’t miss a guided visit to the astonishingly sculpted Portico de la Gloria) glossily cobbled streets burst with traditional Galician buildings stone-built arcades and camellia-filled gardens The Mercado de Abastos is easily one of Spain’s most striking markets especially when admired over a glass of albariño and some tetilla cheese the Parador de Santiago de Compostela is a smart landmark with centuries of history Intrepid has a seven-day Walk the Camino de Santiago trip which finishes in the Galician capital FormenteraGETTY IMAGESOne of Europe’s most magical islands without the club-driven pace of its next-door neighbour Ibiza Beaches such as Migjorn and Ses Illetes are knockout visions of alabaster sand with a real back-to-nature vibe Shimmery salt flats going back centuries twinkle under the Mediterranean sun glassy turquoise thanks to the underwater seagrass meadows surrounding the island crisscrossed by a network of rewarding hiking and cycling trails Breezy Med-view rooms with plunge pools evoke Formentera’s barefoot-glam energy at Gecko Hotel & Beach Club on Migjorn beach Expedia has getaways based at Es Pas Formentera Agroturismo Illa Roja beach on the Costa BravaGETTY IMAGESYou could pick almost any corner of Catalonia’s Costa Brava and instantly be wowed by its beauty This Med-lapped shoreline northeast of Barcelona has colourful fishing villages sweeping cliffs and tiny rocky coves kissed by pine forests many of them linked by coastal walking trails known as the Cami de Ronda topped by a ruined 16th-century castle and with divine little coves such as Aiguafreda Cadaques has lured creative minds for years whose otherworldly home you can wander around in Port Lligat But nowhere evokes the Costa Brava’s wild spirit quite like the wind-sculpted Cap de Creus La Bionda is a boutique bolt hole in a 17th-century building in Begur’s magical old town Exodus has a six-night Coastal Walks of Catalunya holiday taking in Begur The Alhambra of GranadaALAMYThere’s no shortage of enchanting Andalusian cities set around unparalleled Moorish-era monuments but Granada might be the prettiest of them all the intricately adorned Alhambra palace fortress with its terraced gardens and fountain-washed courtyards it’s impossible not to be blown away by the sight of this Nasrid masterpiece with the moody Sierra Nevada looming behind Spend time meandering through the sloping Albayzin (Granada’s old Moorish quarter) before diving into the superb tapas scene in the low-key Realejo district Palacio Gran Via is a restored 1905 building blending boutique flair with original tilework and one of Granada’s loveliest rooftop terraces Byway Travel has a flight-free Spain’s Ancient Cities tour combining Granada with Cordoba • Best holiday villas in Spain• Best affordable hotels in Spain for under £150 Picos de EuropaGETTY IMAGESNorthern Spain’s untrammelled mountain ranges reveal spectacular natural scenery at every turn especially around the jagged Picos de Europa where limestone outcrops tower high above stone-walled villages that produce pungent blue cheeses the Picos make up one of Spain’s original national parks with epic routes including the spine-tingling Cares Gorge This adventure playground also has excellent kayaking or zip into the mountainscapes aboard the Fuente De cable car Soak up Picos views at Cantabria’s charming family-owned La Posada de Cucayo The eight-day Walking the Picos de Europa tour with Exodus includes the Cares Gorge trail and other rewarding hikes The Alcantara Bridge (Puente de Alcantara) the Tagus River and ToledoGETTY IMAGESGlimpsed from a lookout across the Tagus River ancient Toledo immediately commands attention today it is known as the City of Three Cultures for its rich heritage as a place where Christian Stepping into the maze-like old town reveals a Unesco world heritage site home to an architecture feast ranging from an elaborate cathedral with gothic roots to several synagogues done in Mudejar style and even an unearthed Roman bathhouse Works by the great Spanish Renaissance artist El Greco a Greek painter and sculptor who lived in Toledo await discovery at local churches and galleries such as the Museo de El Greco Hotel Hacienda del Cardenal is a converted 18th-century palace with a hidden-away pool and romantic garden dining Toledo follows a stay in Madrid on G Adventure’s nine-day Spain Family Journey tour which also takes in Barcelona and Figueres Hiking in AlbarracinGETTY IMAGESSpain has so many delightful villages that there’s even an official association of them in the southernmost pocket of underrated Aragon captivates visitors with its distinctively pink-tinged buildings fortified walls and narrow alleys perched on a swooping ridge surrounded by the Guadalaviar River Back in the 11th century Albarracin was an independent Berber taifa and you can still roam around its Moorish castle and baroque cathedral Stay in the heart of Albarracin at Casa de Santiago Not in the Guidebooks runs culture-focused day trips to Albarracin The Green Lagoon in LanzaroteGETTY IMAGESThere’s a special eerie beauty to Lanzarote’s moon-like landscapes where Atlantic-whipped beaches huddle between rivers of solidified lava and glinting volcanic cones The entire island is a Unesco biosphere reserve though it’s the northern half where this volcanic drama dazzles most Catch the miles-long golden sweep of Famara beach — below craggy lava-shaped cliffs that soar 2,000ft high — around sunset and you’ll get the Lanzarote hype It’s easy to see how the island inspired the 20th-century artist César Manrique (whose work can be seen at the Fundacion César Manrique) and Pedro Almodóvar (who filmed Broken Embraces here) César Lanzarote embodies Lanzarote’s arty edge: a boutique-style haven on a reimagined finca with a lagoon pool BA Holidays has packages at the stylish Hotel Fariones by the Atlantic in Puerto del Carmen • Best all-inclusive hotels in Lanzarote• Best things to do in Lanzarote The village of Deia in Serra de TramuntanaGETTY IMAGESStretching 55 miles across northern Mallorca’s spine the Unesco-protected Serra de Tramuntana is defined by its plunging coastal cliffs and limestone crags that rise above glinting pine-dusted coves It’s a whole different world to Mallorca’s costas framed by dry-stone walls dating from Moorish times while narrow roads weave between heavenly villages carved from gold-toned stone — Deia The 87-mile Ruta de Pedra en Sec (Dry Stone Route) stretches across the range providing refreshing day hikes between villages if you don’t fancy tackling the whole thing Or drop in on a market day for a fresh-produce feast where sun-washed terracotta-floor rooms open up to Tramuntana panoramas Exodus has a seven-night Walking in Mallorca tour weaving through Tramuntana landscapes The Ordesa Valley in the PyreneesGETTY IMAGESWell off Spain’s beaten path northern Aragon’s soul-stirring national park amounts to some of Europe’s most jaw-dropping scenery From Pyrenees peaks reaching almost 10,000ft to rushing waterfalls and aquamarine high-altitude lakes and the hiking is up there with the nation’s finest (the season runs from spring to autumn) make it a walk along the waterfall-bathed Ordesa Valley there are slow-going communities with an alpine touch to explore Stay on the Ordesa Canyon’s doorstep at the charmingly rural Hotel Villa de Torla Pura Aventura has a seven-night self-guided Walking Highlights of the High Pyrenees tour, including Ordesa y Monte Perdido; pura-aventura.com San Sebastian in summerGETTY IMAGESFrom bite-sized pintxos to Michelin-starred tasting menus dining is a pure work of art in this lively Basque city which also has arguably the most eye-catching urban coastal setting in Spain Playa de la Concha tempts bathers with its sheltered Atlantic waters and honey-coloured sand while surfers catch waves on neighbouring Zurriola Grand belle époque buildings — such as the Palacio de Miramar and the city hall (the former Gran Casino) — recall San Sebastian’s past as a royal summer escape Walk out along a lush cliffside path towards the cluster of estuary-side hamlets of Pasaia to find twinkling hidden bays Nobu Hotel San Sebastian makes a sultry base overlooking La Concha sustainability-driven Arima Hotel & Spa The eight-day North Spain Discovery tour by Intrepid combines San Sebastian with Barcelona • Best villas with pools in Spain• Best unexplored Spanish cities Sign up to the travel newsletter for weekly inspiration, advice and deals here some of the great vestiges of its chequered history especially from medieval times and the Reconquest Now National Geographic has now fixed its sights on another beautiful town in Cadiz and recommends it for a visit this summer It is not an undiscovered territory for tourism highly peculiar feature is that it is located on top of a hill and resembles a white village in the Sierra de Cadiz El Palmar is a first class surfing destination Vejer de la Frontera is already on the list as one of the 100 most beautiful locations in Spain Its legacy from invasion and occupation embellishes its whitewashed streets and gives it an air of mystery the traditional woman from Vejer who covers her face with a veil Declared an Historic-Artistic Site in 1976 Vejer's monuments include the fortified walls with their arches and impressive the church and the medieval castle (11th century) a place of enjoyment and recreation for the locals is a symbol of the town and the ideal frame for many a holiday snap The magazine's article mentions its similarities to Chefchaouen that Moroccan town was made in the image of Vejer de la Frontera by the emir Sidi Ali Ben Rachid In addition to the 'cobijadas' (traditional dress for the women of Vejer - an all-black head-covering cloak fastened at the waist to a long skirt) National Geographic also mentions the tradition of the Hazas de la Suerte which is now a candidate for Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status The 'hazas' is a lottery draw run every four years whereby the winner gains a small piece of land to work even mentioned in records dating from the tenth century his bread was delivered by a man on a donkey the plaza was used for dusty football games and precious few foreign tourists ventured into the sleepy Andalusian hill town between Cadiz and Tarifa he was far from sophisticated: a “straggly-haired surfer” in his twenties living in a former stable with little money a few Spanish words and no experience of running a business Thirty-four years later it’s impossible to talk about the town without mentioning the Scot’s name The 59-year-old has become “James of Vejer”: the hotelier restaurateur and barman who has put the pretty pueblo blanco and its region on the tourist map luring gourmands to sample the farm-to-fork food sherry lovers to tour the historic bodegas surfers to ride its Atlantic breakers and birders to walk its reserves Given that his Califa group now has four hotels six restaurants and a handful of self-catering townhouses in Vejer when they come across a bronze statue of a lean “I don’t think the town’s mayor is very impressed when people tell him that,” he says with a grin as we stroll past the bronze of Juan Relinque the 16th-century hero who defended the rights of Vejer citizens against the powerful dukes of Medina Sidonia Exploring the pristine old white buildings of Vejer with Stuart, it’s difficult not to be infected by his evident love of it. In the very south of Andalusia with Morocco almost in sight just over the sea the tumble of whitewashed buildings has long been on the frontier of Spanish and Arabic cultures its minaret converted to a belltower in the 15th century Moroccan-style houses with Andalusian-style metal burglar bars Arabic courtyards alongside Spanish-tiled plazas golden limestone slabs abutting Moorish pebbled pathways The terrace at Plaza 18It’s this rich mix of cultures that drew Stuart to the town in the first place As a child he explored the Arab world with his father and travelling through southern Saudi and Syria When he bought his first house in Vejer in the late 1980s for 200,000 pesetas (about £1,000) he decorated it with treasures from his journeys: photographs of Bedouin merchants he kept adding more: a Moroccan restaurant in a courtyard planted with palms a restaurant hung with scenes from The Arabian Nights When he opened Plaza 18 just before the pandemic it was his third hotel to overlook the historic Plaza — and his most different the rustic Las Palmeras del Califa and La Casa del Califa antique shotguns and even a mounted oryx head Plaza 18 was restored to look like a wealthy merchant’s house and to be run like one an interior designer known for her luxe chalets the hotel has six bedrooms and a cosy living room leading off a double-height atrium that’s flooded with light the double-fronted house is the only one of its type in Vejer Beyond the glossy black front doors and ornate ironwork gate rises a central staircase fringed with elegant black iron balustrades On the floors are handsome monochrome chequerboard tiles: all original airy rooms are characterful pieces collected by Nicky: Picasso prints alongside rustic Spanish pottery giant contemporary African paintings above sculptural tables A deluxe double room at Plaza 18What they hoped to create in Plaza 18 was a smart home with all the facilities of a good hotel with its generously laden honesty drinks trolley overlooked by a portrait of James’s ancestor Admiral James Saumarez (second in command at the Battle of the Nile to Horatio Nelson who fought the Battle of Trafalgar about nine miles up the coast) on which to sip morning tea as the dawn turns the town rosy and church bells clang And when you don’t feel like being on your own there are two interconnected hotels next door to the talent of the long-serving staff: the Moroccan chef couldn’t be bettered — just-squeezed orange juice hot flatbreads with roasted almonds and honey a fruit platter of fruit and a strong Arabic coffee Luckily, after a feast first thing, there’s plenty to do near by to aid the digestion. Not so much in the town — once I’d wiggled my way around its narrow streets, visited the ethnographic museum, bought Spanish leather sandals from one of the handful of smart boutiques and watched the eightysomething Juani Marchán make beautiful baskets (cesteriatradicional.com) the interior is crisscrossed with hiking and cycling paths — into the bird-filled Parque Natural las Marismas nature reserve through which the River Barbate runs the 5,000-hectare La Breña Natural Park or the cork-oak-cooled hills of Los Alcornocales Natural Park The area is also fringed with some of Spain’s most spectacular beaches ● The best hotels in Seville ● Best luxury villas in Andalusia with its warm Mediterranean waters and narrow So while the water’s pretty nippy and the wind often brisk (excellent for Wim Hof fans white and often backed by huge rolling dunes Trafalgar Bay and Los Canos de Meca almost all to myself — huge stretches in which I could hike amid cool pine trees and fields thick with wildflowers and explore newly discovered Phoenician ruins From nearby Bolonia I walked among Baelo Claudia the best-preserved Roman ruins in Andalusia — and watched the chicks of the endangered and protected bald ibis squeak hungrily from their guarded cliffside nest ● The most delicious cities for food in Spain● Best Spain tours: 20 trips from Catalonia to Andalusia The Califa hammamI didn’t have the funds — but did get to taste just-caught blue-fin tuna with Stuart’s wife Mediterranean-inspired Corredera 55 restaurant in Vejer — its terrace overlooks wildflower fields; the menu is cooked by an all-female team (try the slow-braised pork cheeks with apricots and almonds) — and also works as an interior designer the St Martin’s graduate has transformed the Califa interiors whether that’s the colourful Moroccan-inspired Fez Café the farm-style Tapas bar or the brand-new hammam The hammam wasn’t quite finished in early May candlelit chalky port-coloured walls and tempting caldarium tepidarium and frigidarium have given me a great excuse to return Lisa Grainger was a guest of Plaza 18, which has B&B doubles from £135 (califavejer.com) Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Twitter The TimesFrom setting up a brightly coloured umbrella for the day on a buzzy golden Mediterranean strand to hiking out to wild Atlantic beaches where waves roll onto pearlescent sand Spain’s hugely varied coastline has a playa to match most travel styles hopping between the wild blond beaches around Tarifa or Vejer de la Frontera on the bewitching Costa de la Luz in Cadiz sunny pebble coves surrounded by rocky cliffs somewhere along the Costa Tropical in Granada near where I grew up in southern Andalusia Setting aside Spain’s two main island groups (the Balearics and the Canaries which feel like beach destinations in their own right) the mainland’s Mediterranean shoreline is home to all the best-loved costas easily accessible sands and plenty of family-friendly facilities draw millions of holidaymakers each year and it pays to book ahead for all the most coveted locations it’s often possible to find more secluded coves by walking out along the surrounding coast is now slowly making its way onto the international-travel map but it still remains primarily popular with Spanish beachgoers drawn by the back-to-nature Atlantic beaches the lively surf scene and the dramatic green landscapes This collection of tempting beach holidays combines classic, beloved coastal destinations with more offbeat picks in lesser-known pockets of Spain If it’s possible to sidestep the peak-tourism months of July and August in the most popular seaside spots you’ll find fewer crowds and better-value accommodation Many of Spain’s beaches are still delightful — and swimmable — in May/June or September/October ferries from southern England open up several beach destinations across Spain’s north coast while slow-travel train routes through France are handy for reaching the Med This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Los Caños de Meca is 20 minutes from VejerGETTY IMAGESThe pueblo blanco of Vejer might sit a few miles inland from Cadiz’s central Costa de la Luz but it’s still one of Andalusia’s most magical beach holiday bases Regulars trickle back each year for Vejer’s creative boutique hotels which are dotted around the meandering whitewashed old town Within 20 minutes’ drive you can be lazing on the butter-coloured sand in Los Caños de Meca catching surf waves in El Palmar or swimming off velvety coves framed by earthy orange cliffs in Conil is a 20-room joy of a boutique hotel with stylish antiques and a north Africa-inspired restaurant.Details B&B doubles from £80 Platja del CabanyalALAMYOutdoor living is the essence of Spain’s sunny third largest city which combines a lively historic centre (the Ciutat Vella) a wave of modernist architecture and a fabulous food scene Throw in a 3.5-mile beachfront around the old fishing quarter of El Cabanyal and the careful restoration of local beaches after last year’s tragic floods Hotel Boutique Balandret has light-filled rooms (some with Med-view balconies) across the promenade from the golden sands of Platja del Cabanyal go cycling through the lovely Turia Gardens check out the wonders of the Central Market and hang out in the cool Ruzafa district.Details B&B doubles from £79 • 14 of the best affordable hotels in Spain for under £150 Playa del Cantarrijan welcomes nudistsALAMYThe relaxed “tropical coast” of Granada province gets fewer visitors than the neighbouring Costa del Sol a seafront town with a sweeping sand-and-pebble beach which has three grey-stone beaches and a charmingly tangled historic core topped by a Moorish castle (£3.30; almunecar.es) There’s great kayaking and paddleboarding from La Herradura where Windsurf La Herradura offers rentals and tours (windsurflaherradura.com) a nudist-friendly pair of coves hidden within the protected Maro-Cerro Gordo Cliffs Natural Park Local accommodation options are mostly small-scale independent places such as B&B El Oasis with a pool and rustic-design rooms a short drive inland.Details B&B doubles from £72 (sawdays.co.uk) Malaga’s old town combines cultural and historical appealWith its prized location just a few steps from the soft grey sands of La Malagueta the century-old Gran Hotel Miramar instantly immerses guests in Malaga’s city beach scene it’s now a five-star haven with elegant rooms a spa and an eye-catching angular pool among palm-filled gardens Pop across the promenade for swimming followed by a lunch of freshly grilled espetos (skewered sardines) and tinto de verano (red wine with lemonade) at any of the sandside restaurants Malaga’s compact old town is right on the doorstep too with highlights including a Moorish Alcazaba (£3; malaga.eu) and a wave of galleries led by the unmissable Museo Picasso (£11; museopicassomalaga.org).Details Three nights’ room only from £419pp including flights and transfers (britishairways.com) The Palacio Arriluce Hotel overlooks Bilbao’s estuaryMARIA IZKUEIn the early 20th century Getxo was a popular coastal hub for a wealthy local crowd And the recent opening of the five-star Palacio Arriluce Hotel is the perfect excuse to rediscover this laid-back enclave the 1912 palace has been converted with an arty boutique edge and a creative Basque restaurant courtesy of the chef Beñat Ormaetxea dark gold Ereaga beach swoops along Getxo’s shoreline and there’s a local pintxo bar scene in the old port of Algorta at the north end For anyone curious about the region’s surf culture nearby Barinatxe is a naturally spectacular beach with rolling waves And Bilbao’s urban thrills (Guggenheim included) are all on the doorstep.Details B&B doubles from £337 Altea is known for its pretty centreSHUTTERSTOCKAmong southern Valencia’s many Costa Blanca beach towns It’s the kind of place where you end up simply wandering through the whitewashed streets checking out the domed 20th-century church and drinking in the rippling coastal views along the way central pebble beaches of La Roda and Espigo have good swimming La Serena offers a boutique old-town stay with a sun-dappled pool overlooking Altea’s rust-tiled rooftops.Details B&B doubles from £150 • I live in Valencia. This is why now’s the time to visit Marbella is the the Costa del Sol’s beach holiday queenGETTY IMAGESOver the past few years the Costa del Sol’s glitzy beach holiday queen has been busy revamping its compact old town Now remnants of its Moorish-era fortress loom above boho-chic boutiques restored mansions and alleys filled with terracotta-potted geraniums Fronting two sandy beaches on the edge of the historic centre the five-star El Fuerte Marbella is one of the town’s original hotels It has recently been relaunched following a glossy makeover by the Barcelona-based Jaime Beriestain Studio bringing in rich Mediterranean colours and lots of natural light and has a view-drenched rooftop with an infinity dip pool.Details Four nights’ B&B from £739pp Cabo de Gata is refreshingly undevelopedALAMYTake advantage of new easyJet flights from the UK to Almeria for an escape to the refreshingly undeveloped Cabo de Gata A protected 130 square mile parque natural curled into Andalusia’s southeast corner Cabo de Gata specialises in raw honey-coloured and silver-tinged beaches of powdery sand including Playa de los Genoveses and Playa de Monsul You can hire bikes in small towns like San Jose to explore the stark The adults-only Cortijo Siete Calas is a chic desert-coloured conversion of an old farmhouse between Rodalquilar and El Playazo beaches.Details B&B doubles from £144 San Sebastian’s Playa de la Concha is dazzlingGETTY IMAGESFew urban beaches in Europe dazzle quite like San Sebastian’s Playa de la Concha a curving sweep of pale golden sand within a sheltered bay alongside an oceanfront promenade that buzzes year-round There’s more to beach culture in this famously food-loving Basque city too including a simmering local surf scene over on Playa de Zurriola If you fancy following the cliffside hiking trail to Pasaia (a collection of hamlets dotted along a deep estuary nearby) there’s a chance to go swimming off a hidden rocky cove along the way stylishly smart rooms in a renovated 20th-century building.Details Three nights’ room only from £340pp La Barrosa beach is home to a five-star hotelALAMYThis summer Jet2 is launching a fresh crop of holidays to Costa de la Luz gold-tinged beaches around Chiclana de la Frontera are known for having some of the most luxurious Andalusian coastal resorts beyond Marbella Local highlights include exploring Chiclana’s under-the-radar vineyards which specialise in sherries and muscatel wines Stay at the Palacio de Gran Melia Sancti Petri a Mudejar-inspired five-star hotel on La Barrosa beach; it is also home to the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Alevante led by the top Andalusian chef Ángel León.Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,136pp • 18 of the best all-inclusive hotels in Spain Rias Altas is on Galicia’s less touristy northern shorelineALAMYSpain’s coastal drama peaks in the plunging cliffs lighthouse-dotted capes and ashen-toned beaches of the Rias Altas on Galicia’s less touristy northern shoreline a colourful fishing town tucked into an ocean inlet an hour’s drive from La Coruña It has a relaxed beach scene centred on calm plus other wilder strands to discover nearby such as Praia de Vilarrube and Praia de Pantin (a north-coast surf hub) Part of the fun is staying at the delightful Hotel Herbeira a pool and coastal views await.Details Room-only doubles from £50 Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf and Spa makes switching off easyIt’s easy to flop right into relaxed beach mode at the swish Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf and Spa on the Costa Calida in Murcia Coastal palettes of sea blue and dusty orange infuse the smart calming rooms which have recently been given a chic Mediterranean-inspired makeover the resort is well known for its sporting facilities including an array of tennis and padel courts paddleboarding and even kitesurfing to enjoy nearby A little further afield you can discover quiet coves reached along dusty footpaths in the protected Parque Regional de Calblanque.Details Four nights’ room only from £764pp Ribadesella is an hour from OviedoGETTY IMAGESAn easygoing Asturian beach town on the Rio Sella estuary Ribadesella has a divine long stretch of flaxen sand in Playa de Santa Marina Just across the river some great seafood restaurants and cider bars lie dotted around its small old town Other untouched beaches near Ribadesella include Playa de Vega Then there are the thrills of kayaking along the river from neighbouring Arriondas glimpsing Unesco-listed prehistoric cave art at the Cueva de Tito Bustillo and hiking in the Picos de Europa mountains just inland Villa Rosario is an elegantly restored 1914 mansion with a Michelin-starred restaurant on Ribadesella’s promenade.Details B&B doubles from £76 The four-star Melia Alicante has fabulous sea viewsAlicante makes things easy for beach-seeking visitors one of Spain’s sunniest climates and plenty of waterfront accommodation Recent years have seen a blossoming food scene and Alicante has scored the coveted title of Spanish Capital of Gastronomy There’s also the maze-like Barri Vell Santa Creu (Alicante’s historic quarter) to explore while high above stands the medieval Castillo de Santa Barbara fortress (free; castillodesantabarbara.com) Tui’s raft of Alicante holidays includes a beachfront stay at the four-star Melia Alicante marina and castle.Details Three nights’ room only from £437pp Tarifa is home to some of Spain’s prettiest white-sand beachesALAMYThere’s a stylishly relaxed energy to Tarifa the small town perched on mainland Spain’s southern tip best known for its windsurfing and kitesurfing scenes Tarifa sits at one end of Cadiz province’s largely undeveloped Costa de la Luz and the beaches here are some of Spain’s most gorgeous with miles of soft golden sand backed by bottle-green umbrella-pine forests After relaxing on the dune-fringed Punta Paloma or at the beachfront chiringuitos (beach bars) along Playa de Valdevaqueros wines and other bites at the relaxed tapas bars El Lola or El Frances Tarifa Beach Houses has a selection of dreamy independent self-catering properties in the area which sleeps six and has views of Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar Details One night’s self-catering for six from £162 (tarifabeachhouses.com) Cala d’Aiguablava in CataloniaSHUTTERSTOCKThe Costa Brava brims with villages built from honey-coloured stone a hillside beauty with a tangle of narrow streets spread beneath a ruined medieval castle Though Begur itself isn’t quite on the beach the surrounding coastline is dotted with sparkling coves fringed by pine forests or rocky outcrops Many of these are connected by hiking trails (including routes from Begur) and in summer shuttle buses zip between Begur and several nearby beaches Aiguablava and Illa Roja are all spectacular Begur has recently grown into a bit of a hub for boutique-hotel escapes Hotel Aiguaclara is a creatively converted 19th-century mansion with ten boldly styled rooms (moody hues botanical prints) and a fun small-plates restaurant The Costa da Morte is named after the many shipwrecksALAMYSpanish holidaymakers rave about the coastal charms of Spain’s northwest corner Head to the southernmost part of green Galicia’s Costa da Morte (“Coast of Death”) a thriving surf scene and some of the country’s most delectable seafood The Atlantic waves might feel chillier than the east coast’s Mediterranean waters (and not all beaches here are safe for swimming) and Praia da Langosteira near the wonderful Cape Finisterre you could combine all this with the lovely Finisterre’s Hotel Mar da Ardora has modern unfussy ocean-view rooms with balconies and an intimate spa with a pool warmed by solar power Fly to Santiago de Compostela or La Coruña Santander can be reached on a two-night ferry from PortsmouthWILLIAN JUSTEN DE VASCONCELLOSA two-night ferry journey from Portsmouth drops you in one of northern Spain’s most rewarding urban beach hubs with beautifully green countryside sprawling beyond Santander’s crop of gold-sand beaches includes the calm Playa de los Bikinis the vast El Sardinero and Playa de Mataleñas a sparkling cove curled beneath the cliffs Or hop on a boat across the bay to Playa de Somo The city also happens to be packed with pintxo bars (try Vermuteria Solorzano or Cañadio) and has curious art exhibitions at the Renzo Piano-designed Centro Botín (centrobotin.org) Byway has a week-long Santander-by-ferry trip staying at the four-star Gran Hotel Sardinero an early-20th-century landmark building with crisp nautical-inspired rooms opposite the beach.Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,270pp Beach lovers will be in their element around Llanes a fishing port town in northern SpainALAMYHalfway between Santander and Gijon mostly Spanish beach-holiday scene around the fishing port of Llanes Colourfully painted houses with Asturian-style glassed-in wooden balconies and relaxed seafood-driven tapas bars line the small medieval old town Beach lovers should head straight for the surrounding coastline perhaps to the twin options of Toranda and Torimbia (this last a long-established nudist beach) both dazzling half moons of deep-gold sand framed by green hills There are some wonderful little independent hotels in this pocket of Asturias with rooms dotted around a design-led country house and several other architecturally creative buildings has plenty of secret covesALAMYOn the northern stretch of the Costa Brava Cadaques has to be one of Spain’s prettiest beach towns with a web of whitewashed streets and small grey-pebble coves for cooling off in the Med tiny beaches are hidden away on the Cap de Creus peninsula visit the former home of the surrealist Salvador Dalí with its giant rooftop eggs (£12.50; salvador-dali.org) Cadaques is also an understated gastronomic hub — book ahead for Compartir whose innovative small-plates menus are so popular the team opened another branch in Barcelona (compartircadaques.com) The adults-only Tramuntana Hotel is a boutique old-town retreat in a coolly converted townhouse with 11 bright and beachy rooms.Details Room-only doubles from £105 Sotogrande is between Marbella and GibraltarMICHELLE CHAPLOW / HOTEL ESSENCE PHOTOGRAPHYThe quiet Andalusian coast just outside Sotogrande is welcoming Spain’s luxe flagship property from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts this spring Set on a sloping green hillside with views of the Rock of Gibraltar Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol promises sun-washed rooms that make the most of their Mediterranean setting a kids’ club and an Andalusian-rooted restaurant by chef Benito Gómez (who has bagged two Michelin stars for Bardal in Ronda) Sotogrande itself — an exclusive coastal development popular with well-heeled Spaniards — has silvery beaches Sitges is a star of Catalonia’s coastGETTY IMAGESAbout 25 miles outside Barcelona beach-loving Sitges is a well-established star of Catalonia’s coast There are 17 Mediterranean-lapped beaches to relax on including a string of wild nudist-friendly coves southwest of town that you can hike out to There is also one of Europe’s liveliest LGBTQ+ scenes; a pretty old town centred on a 17th-century seafront church; and several art-world treasures such as the Museu del Cau Ferrat (£10; museusdesitges.com) once the home of the Catalan modernist painter Santiago Rusiñol train-based Tracing the Catalonian Coast holiday combines three nights in Sitges with stops in Tarragona on a round-trip from London.Details Seven nights’ room only from £873pp including trains and some breakfasts (byway.travel) Cadiz is perfect for a city-and-beach breakALAMYA crop of pale gold Atlantic-whipped beaches sets the scene in Cadiz arguably Andalusia’s most charismatic beach city The pretty La Caleta offers swimming and sun-soaking right on the edge of Cadiz’s monument-filled old town so you can easily clamber up the towers of the oceanside Cathedral (£8; catedraldecadiz.com) and devour some tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters) at somewhere like the long-running El Faro before relaxing on the sand seafood restaurants and surf schools dot the two-mile Playa de la Victoria Casa de las Cuatro Torres is a boutique old-Cadiz bolt hole in a converted 18th-century building; the calming rooms have bold artwork and some original features like open-stone walls.Details Room-only doubles from £129 • Why the history-packed city of Cadiz is a fantastic alternative to Seville Barceloneta beach is a great spot for sunrise paddleboardingGETTY IMAGESIf an easy beach break with all the urban thrills of one of Spain’s most captivating cities calls the Mediterranean-side capital of Catalonia is just the ticket Barcelona’s best beaches are dotted just northeast of the centre Make the most of the city’s glorious coastal setting with some sunrise paddleboarding — Sea You runs sessions year-round from Barceloneta beach (from £17; seayoubarcelona.com) new boutiquey four-star Borneta has a rooftop dip pool and creative tapas at its in-house restaurant Huelva’s wild beaches are surrounded by dunes and forestsSHUTTERSTOCKHuelva province’s stretch of Andalusian coast ripples all the way to the Portuguese border and remains mostly off-radar among international visitors It has a crop of understated resorts popular with Spaniards (such as Isla Cristina many of them backed by low dunes and quiet pine forests A highlight is the chance to explore the 210 sq mile Parque Nacional de Doñana a Unesco-protected haven home to rare Iberian lynx and other creatures There’s even a 17-mile national-park beach only accessible on foot from Matalascañas or glimpsed on an offroad-vehicle Doñana tour (from £29; donanavisitas.es) light-flooded rooms with terraces and a pool with ocean views just steps from a cliff-edged beach between Matalascañas and Mazagon.Details Room-only doubles from £77 you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners Sign up for the travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and X which paved the way for their game-changing group of small a two-year project that involved restoring the Portuguese marble staircase glass-panelled sky well and chequerboard tiling of a merchant’s mansion dating from 1896 low-impact air con and water heating via aerothermy southern beauty as a microcosm – best enjoyed slowly Hotel address: Plaza de España, Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz 11150Website: hotelplaza18.comPhone number: +34 956 44 77 30Price: from £140 The best hotels in Spain The best hotels in SpainGallery20 SlidesBy Charley WardView SlideshowCan I go to Spain? The rules for travelling from the UK this summer Can I go to Spain? Spanish travel restrictions explainedThe rules for travelling to Spain from the UK, including which Covid tests are neededRichmond Harbour Hotel, London review This Andalucian mountain village has a seductive combination of quintissential white village charm with an on-trend food scene that showcases the superior local produce So don’t be tempted to try and experience Vejer de la Frontera as a day-tripper Make a break of it and stay in one of the stylish small hotels Plaza 18 is a collaboration between ‘La Casa del Califa’ hotel an award-winning interior architect and designer The 19th-century merchant’s house has been reimagined as a smart 21st-century bolthole for travellers looking for elegance and style yet with the laidback charm for which the neighbouring ‘La Casa del Califa’ has become renowned Expect a captivating dose of vintage Andalucian charm; elegant guest rooms with upscale finishes; and access to the services and facilities of the relaxed Califa hotel next door but historic features remain like the traditional ironwork of the front door the elegant balustrades of the sweeping marble and stone staircase and the striking black and white floor tiles of the internal patio Even the restoration methods and materials are sympathetic to time old ways of local construction yet expect the comforts of contemporary life like energy-efficient underfloor heating and swanky bathrooms The distinctive interior design brings together Andalucian simplicity with a few bold gestures like the impeccable glossy black doors with large brass handles A break here is not like checking into a swanky boutique hotel though It feels more like a posh family home where you’re the privileged house guest taking in the views over the hilltop town out towards the beach of El Palmar and the wild Atlantic There’s no reception from the square outside Instead guest’s check-in at the Casa de la Califa where one is shown the discreet entrance to the noble patio house of Plaza 18 next door Here it’s a private sanctuary from the streets outside that offers a special place for breakfast or an alfresco cocktail with views over the rooftops of Vejer down to the Atlantic wetlands and the gentle crescent of the beautiful the Palmar Beach each off the landing that circles the internal patio a welcoming atrium flooded with light from the glass roof above with its subtle hues of calming green had an understated luxury that was a delight The traditional bay window opened to the street and the blossoming orange trees outside offering a glimpse of village life and the bustle of the plaza Inside the king bed was dressed with fine linens and the throw and soft furnishes were upscale yet homely A separate salon with daybed (which can be made up as a single bed for an additional family member) had a huge TV; and terrace windows that opened to a sensational view with an excellent shower and deliciously scented amenities of geranium and citrus by designer Nicky Dobree but it has exclusive access to the large roof terrace of the house where you can have 360 degree views of Vejer and its surroundings – mesmerising a place to kick back and just enjoy the moment The careful details in the design and furnishings together with the discrete friendly team contribute to a relaxed and comforting stay a light afternoon tea was set up in the salon In keeping with the Moorish style of sister hotel Casa de la Califa there was a tray of traditional mint tea with a selection of home-made Moroccan style cookies This elegant drawing room is a place to make yourself well and truly at home and a small kitchen area when you can prepare tea sink into the sofa and feel your body unwind The house epitomises the elegant and timeless interiors for which Dobree has made her name yet also maintains its roots firmly in this Southern Spanish village; a place of citrus-scented stone cobbled streets There’s a great mix of local  what-you-see-is-what-you-get bars; upscale tapas restaurants; as well as more sophisticated dining options A short stroll through the labyrinthine walkways and passages of Casa de la Califa takes you to a candle lit courtyard garden restaurant of El Jardin del Califa Handmade Moroccan mosaic tables are set beside a trickling fountain  and under palms Inside dining is in the striking vaulted ‘templo’ or the ‘pergola’ garden room which opens directly onto the courtyard This acclaimed restaurant offers authentic North African and Middle Eastern dishes inspired from Vejer’s Moorish past It’s a luxury to have this beautiful oasis right by Plaza 18 Start things off with a sharing mezze of falafel feta cheese and Marrakech salad; or maybe tasty lamb ‘Kibbe’ Lebanese style croquettes with seasonal vegetables For a main dish I can recommend the beef ‘Tagine Rif’ There’s cous cous; meat skewers; and Pastela El Jardin del Califa is open all year round and is an essential part of a Vejer experience This is also where guests can enjoy a buffet breakfast Corredera 55 is Vejer’s stylist farm-to-table restaurant for tasty and creative lunchtime tapas or an elegant evening meal of local specialities Ellie and her team are as passionate about food as they are about Cádiz province using largely organic ingredients from the surrounding land and sea Ellie’s field-to-fork approach supports small scale producers and local fishermen whilst rewarding diners with layers of fresh flavours that showcase Andalucia homespun gastronomy the town is twinned with Chefchaouen in northern Morocco another hilltop citadel that is so evocative of its Spanish sister During the Christian ‘reconquest’ of the Iberian peninsula the Emir Sidi Ali ben Rasid and his people had to leave so missed her home that he built Chefchaouen for her as a reminder of the Andalucian town’s beauty and charm In some ways little has changed in Vejer from the time of Al Andalus – the town still retains much of its original medieval medina layout Yet the 21st century has very much arrived in terms of chic places to stay and a burgeoning food and restaurant scene catering to the international visitors that make regular pilgrimages to this ancient town It’s a destination that makes for a compelling part of an Andalucian escapade in Cadiz province Hire a car at the airport and you have the freedom to explore the unspoilt beaches of this glorious part of Southern Spain; discover the pleasures of fine dry sherries in nearby Jerez and be immersed ib the evocative colonial architecture of old town Cadiz port What’s more Plaza 18 and Casa de la Califa offer secure parking for guests – just book in advance Website: plaza18vejer.comAddress: Pl. de España, 18, 11150 Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain Andrew is a Marketing Communications consultant His career in PR and marketing spans 30 years He writes regularly on international wellness and lifestyle themes with a particular passion for the Mediterranean and the Americas Andrew Forbes has lived in the US and France but now calls southern Spain his home where he is a specialist in hospitality marketing and content as well as a Contributing Editor for magazines and newspapers Latest UpdatesCountries Why Join?IL MagazineFree Daily E-LetterVideoOur ExpertsTestimonialsFAQsTopics Living overseas since 2011 Terry and her husband went on a housesitting assignment to Portugal in 2018 and they knew they’d found a place they wanted to call home over a two-and-a-half-hour drive or 146 miles from Jerez de la Frontera Could this mean that Spanish cartographers were not good at their jobs or perhaps had been sipping too much Spanish wine Or maybe there is another reason for this mystery Jerez is the largest non-capital city in the province of Cádiz and the fifth largest in the region of Andalusia Through the years Jerez has become the transportation and communications hub of the province The expansive area around Jerez spreads out to include fertile areas of agriculture Each year in May the city welcomes tens of thousands of bikers from around the world who head to the Circuito de Jerez where Grand Prix motorcycle racing events have been hosted since 1987 The same circuit has hosted Formula 1 Grand Prix events Jerez is synonymous with Andalusian horses The history of horse breeding in Jerez goes back to 720 BC when Berber horses were brought in from North Africa The breed was refined through the centuries In later years Carthusian monks began breeding horses In 1912 the best of the breed was given the distinction of "Pura Raza Española" Today the majestic Andalusian horses with their slender and elegant head are recognized around the world Jerez is part of the sherry triangle which includes El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda The best place to experience and learn about sherry is at one of the local bodegas or wineries Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that grow abundantly in the area The word sherry comes from Xérès (Jerez) but was originally called sack meaning "extraction" from the solera After a glass of sherry take a walk over to Iglesia de San Miguel a church built between the 15th and 18th century the richly adorned church combines a mix of architectural styles including baroque baroque bell tower is crowned with a tiled patterned roof Entrance to the church is $7 with reduced rates for seniors and children a visit to the Andalusian School of Equestrian Art will delight horse lovers and animal lovers alike One of the “big four,” this school is considered to be one of the most prestigious riding academies in the world The school is devoted to conserving the ancestral abilities of the Andalusians keeping the tradition of baroque Spanish horsemanship alive and training some of the best riders in the world for competition Visit the school to see how the horses train and take a self-guided tour of the facilities that encompass a palace Entrance fees to the school start at $13 and prices to see a show start at $25 and increase to over $100 the Santiago neighborhood of Jerez is where visitors go to learn about this spectacular art form Housed inside a beautiful 15th-century mansion is the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco a museum that documents the history of this traditional dance style Tour the grounds of the palace and breath in some Spanish culture Later that evening enjoy a heart-pounding flamenco performance at Tablao Casa del Arte Flamenco This lively art form is a spectacular display of dance and passion that will permeate your soul forever No visit to Jerez would be complete without a stroll through the old town for some history and culture A must-see for all visitors is the 11th-century Islamic fortress called the Alcázar The former mosque turned chapel opens into an expansive patio with a Moorish feel and a well-preserved Arab bath with cute star-shaped openings in the ceilings designed to let in sun are quite impressive Climb up to the ramparts and walk along the wall overlooking the city Not far from the Alcázar is the immense Jerez Cathedral built in the 17th century with a combination of baroque before it was completed to look as it does today The bell tower was said to have been erected on the spot that a minaret once stood Ticket prices start at $6 for general admission with reduced prices for seniors and children There Are Many Reasons for Moving to Spain Five Places to Live in Spain; Two to Avoid Two Beautiful Small Towns to Live in Spain IRISH riders were on top form at week three of the Andalucia October Tour at Vejer de la Frontera in Spain last week concluding with a super performance in the 1.55m Grand Prix where three of the top four combinations were Irish Athlone’s Francis Derwin rode the nine-year-old mare Parvati Aeg into pole position just fractions ahead of Tipperary’s Max Wachman on Fancy De Kergane They were closely followed by Kilkenny’s Seamus Hughes Kennedy on ESI Rocky (ISH) with 10 combinations jumping clear over the 16 jumping efforts that made up the first-round track with Hughes Kennedy and ESI Rocky being first in for the jump-off They jumped another clear round in a time of 40.93 seconds who is a European young rider team gold and individual silver medallist They set the time to beat of 39.86 seconds Wachman and Fancy De Kergane came so close to doing so but they finished just a fraction behind in 39.88 and had to settle for the runner-up prize “Today was a brilliant course,” said Derwin following his win Once I can get the first couple of jumps over With the double and then the triple being late in the course Derwin is very grateful for the contribution his father has made to his success in 2024: “My dad does so much for me but he’s after getting so much into the show jumping he’s kept for me to try and get me going in the sport when Max’s brother Tom Wachman also took a podium place when winning the 1.45m speed class with Cathalina S Wachman and the 15-year-old mare flew round the 15-fence course in 63.63 seconds to take the win by a margin of more than 2.7 seconds from next best El Ghali Boukaa (MAR) on A Kyss The Irish continued to dominate in the one-star young horse seven-year-old 1.30m class with a one-two going to Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan on Mondavi (ISH) and Kildare’s Michael Pender on his own Madgeslane Louis (ISH) Ryan rode a lightening-fast second round in 26.61 seconds with Pender settling for second place in 28.21 They were both a margin ahead of Gilles Borgonjon (BEL) on Lugana 111 A number of Irish competitors were among the clear rounds in the six-year-old 1.25m class while Melanie Davidson on Diamonds In the Air jumped clear in the five-year-old 1.15m class Marta Hughes-Bravo rode Miss Belgium 111 into the top spot in the three-star 1.30m class while Ella Kenny took the top two places in the 1.20m class with Carrickadawson Womanizer and Calle Cool respectively and Gerard Campbell on Livio finished joint third in the 1.10m class The day’s three-star 1.40m class saw Billy Twomey place third with Diego del Caribe Saturday saw Ryan on the eight-year-old DSH Lucky Junior (ISH) (BBS McGregor (ISH) x Dahlyi (ISH) x Luidam (KWPN)) take the runner-up spot in the three-star 1.45m two-phase class followed by Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy on another eight-year-old of whom 22 jumped clear in the first round There were 15 who managed to keep the fences standing second time round with Ryan’s time of 27.47 just over a second off the pace of Brazilian winner Joao Victor Castro Aguiar Gomes De Lima on Charon van Moeshof Pender joined the winning party in the three-star 1.40m Small Grand Prix riding HHS Savanna to win from a large start list of 88 There were 28 who proceeded to the jump-off but not all of these jumped again – six withdrew Pender clocked the only sub-40 second-round time (39.94) to win the class with second place going to Portugal’s Filipe Malta Da Costa on Iwan B (41.28) McEvoy and Extreme vd Kattevennen Z placed seventh in 45.24 Hughes-Bravo and Miss Belgium 111 won the day’s 1.30m class again this time in 57.53 seconds from 42 starters with Campbell and Livio taking sixth place in the 1.20m class Pender was on a roll and won the 1.35m class with Highcross Violet jumping double clear in a jump-off time of 29.36 ahead of Britain’s Jodie Hall McAteer on Chica vh Ven Z in second (32.22) Saturday’s seven-year-old 1.35m class saw Michelle Kenny take third place on Mika Oisin Dillon on Tangilo Wi Ro Z came third Sunday saw an eighth-place finish for Dillon and Ballybeg Loui in the three-star 1.40m class Seamus Hughes Kennedy rode Castlefield Hera into second place followed by Shane O’Reilly on BWE Valdi Semilly in fourth About us Contact us Advertise with us Company information Careers Privacy statement Terms of service Commenting policy Change cookies settings This work, Living Your Best Life: Things to Do in Cádiz Province, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright He once saw a fighter pilot shot down driving with his family in Beirut where he lived as a kid His South African sister-in-law used to feed mice to a six-foot boa constrictor before putting it on the dashboard of her car and taking it to the shops in Johannesburg (so she didn’t get carjacked) But perhaps his most fitting story is how he (and subsequently I) ended up in Vejer – a whitewashed hilltop town between Tarifa and Cádiz in the Spanish region of Andalusia “I got hungry driving home after kitesurfing in Tarifa so I took a turn off looking for a sandwich and ended up in Vejer and I’ve never really left.” He says with a chuckle You can’t tell if he’s telling the truth or pulling your leg When he arrived in a banged up VW Beatle almost three decades ago working town where a man with a donkey delivered your bread and you could get an ensaladilla rusa (Russian potato salad) and a caña for about 125 pesetas (about 50-60p) this famous pueblo blanco is a popular tourist destination lined with boutique shops Stuart is responsible for a lot of it – he owns a host of restaurants and hotels including El Jardin Del Califa Stuart collects us from Gibraltar airport wearing a flat cap streaming with long He looks like a cross between Billy Bragg and the late Sean Locke He’ll be 60 soon but has the energy and confidence of someone younger he explains he plans to swim the strait of Gibraltar soon As we drive along the Costa del La Luz (coast of light) we pass fields lined with poppies and freely roaming ginger Retinta cows stopping at The Hurricane hotel for a caña (small beer) We perch on the clifftop terrace beneath a pale blue sky as a lone paddle boarder glides on by below That’s Morocco,” Stuart says before launching into another history lesson His knowledge of pretty much everything is impressive – the Moors His education comes from decades of living here he ran a bike guiding business offering tours of the region before opening hotels and restaurants We check into La Casa del Califa (Stuart’s hotel) a few hours later it’s three hotels in one: La Casa del Califa Stuart bought the first house for around £1,000 and lived in the building where La Casa del Califa now stands He ran it as a small B&B before borrowing money to expand the business and you can see his personal touches littered the building.  He shows us photographs he took in the Middle East pottery his dad gave him and various pieces of artwork he commissioned The warren-like hotel has tunnels and stairs snaking off every which way a heavily-Moroccan influence with incense burning and Berber rugs scattered about Rooms are well-designed with trinkets and art picked by Stuart my room overlooks the hotel’s only pool framed by whitewashed houses with terracotta tiled roofs offering knockout views over the valley below we dine on the patio of El Jardin Del Califa – Stuart’s Moroccan venture – packed with a mixture of locals and tourists scattered with palm trees and stony columns is lit by ambient lighting and narrated by chatter and the occasional chirping bird The menu is crammed with Middle Eastern fare from Lebanese tabbouleh and falafel to tagines and kebabs tiled fountain that marks Plaza de España – previously home to the town’s bullfights and fiestas as it was the flattest area ancient village dating back to the Bronze Age which is 10km from the sea and around a 45-minute drive from Cádiz it’s the kind of place you see on photos of Spain on Instagram – narrow snaking streets strung with washing lines that lead only to churches there is a Moorish influence present in Vejer divided into two styles (Mudejar and Gothic) is built on the site of an ancient Arab mosque You’ll also find statues and ornaments with women wearing cobijadas (a black dress and veil with only one eye visible) everywhere Though Stuart tells us they’re cultural we head to Califa Tapas – one of Stuart’s many ventures The two met when Ellie chanced upon Vejer and fell in love – both with him and the town They were introduced to one another by Annie Manson another Scot who runs cooking classes in Vejer “I ended up here because I was looking for a lock up and leave the beachfront apartment in Tarifa – as a bolt hole from my busy London catering company (Annie B’s Parties & Lunches) On the last day of a four-day trip in March 2003 I ended up in Vejer for the first time to look at my house Annie’s house feels like a cross between a Moroccan riad and a typical Spanish villa an internal courtyard with a small dipping pool in the centre and a sprawling terrace with views across the valley and new town she tells us she’d be lost without her sous chef who steps in now and then to offer some advice “See if you can guess what this one is” “One is a fino; the other is a manzanilla” a Moroccan chef who works in one of Stuart’s restaurants sweating the potatoes before adding herbs and spices and but she tells him it’ll seal itself – and it does before calling it a day and drifting back into town We spend the coming days drifting between Vejer and its surrounding areas: hiking through the stunning La Brena y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park and zipping from Cape Trafalgar to Vejer on electric bikes passing along part of the EuroVelo cycle route through ramshackle farming villages past towering windmills and finishing up watching a donkey chowing down on poppies back in Vejer we sit having dinner at another of Stuart’s restaurants He recalls another tale as we gauge on rich pork cheeks and indulgent desserts This one is about a time a famous travel writer visited Vejer Stuart took him to one of his favourite old-school bars who never smiled and made up a tale for a laugh.  if you could get Luis to laugh or crack a smile you’d be invited to drinks all night long and there’d be a group of Danes or Americans They’d be standing there telling jokes and pulling stupid faces He’d usually stand there and look at them like complete idiots.” The trip was provided by the Califa Group (califavejer.com which offers a three-night anniversary package staying at Las Palmeras del Califa from €236pp two dinners (El Jardin del Califa and Corredera 55) and new hammam experience at the Hammam de Vejer Optional extras include e-mtb hire with route notes (€30 per day) bird and botany hike with a local guide (€130 half-day/€180 full day) and a full day with Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen cookery school (anniebspain.com) from €155pp Read more We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected] Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected] © The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy © The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy Five people have died so far this summer in Spain's Andalucía region as a result of the West Nile fever virus The regional ministry of health reported the most two recent deaths both from Coria del Río in Seville province one who was a 71-year-old resident of the town are in addition to the previous death of a 71-year-old woman from Dos Hermanas an 86-year-old woman infected in La Puebla del Río and an 87-year-old woman from Coria del Río there have been two new cases of people becoming infected with the virus one person from Gerena and another from Carmona Three of these cases have already been discharged from hospital The presence of the virus has been detected in mosquito captures carried out in the Seville municipalities of Almensilla and Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville); in the Cordoba municipalities of Montalbán and Puente Genil; as well as in Benalup Casas Viejas and Vejer de la Frontera in Cádiz The CSIC Doñana biological station has also located the presence of the virus in mosquitoes captured in the Seville municipalities of La Puebla del Río The virus was also detected in a horse in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz province) and a horse in Écija (Seville) and in an imperial eagle chick in La Carolina (Jaén) Regional authorities have alerted municipal personnel of the public health actions to be taken in accordance with the programme of surveillance and control of vectors transmitting West Nile Fever in Andalucía in a bid to significantly reduce the probability of transmission to the population Pest control companies contracted by the Cadiz and Seville provincial councils are monitoring the situation and carrying out controls in peri-urban areas as well as holding meetings with town officials The weekly public health report concludes that the population densities of females of potentially transmitting mosquito species are at high levels in Vejer de la Frontera (Cádiz) and Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville) and at medium levels in Almensilla Gelves and Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville) WNV infection is a zoonosis disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Culex The virus is transmitted among birds through the bite of infected mosquitoes Humans and other mammals can be infected collaterally About 80% of WNV infections in humans are asymptomatic WNF is the most common clinical presentation Elderly and immunocompromised persons are at increased risk of developing WNV neuroinvasive disease The regional ministry of Health insists on the need for the population to maintain preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites during the hours of greatest activity of the species that transmit this disease (around dawn and after dusk) both individual - with the use of registered repellents for topical use and light clothing that covers most of the skin - as well as domestic situations - with the use of mosquito nets or environmental repellents - especially for the vulnerable population with compromised immunity These recommendations include avoiding stagnant water accumulations (gardens etc.) to prevent them from being used for the development of mosquito larvae Jumping Team put forth great efforts in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer de la Frontera CSIO3* at the Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski led the team of Zayna Rizvi and Exquise du Pachis and Jacob Pope and Highway FBH to a third-place finish out of 15 teams The result was even more notable considering it was the senior team debut for Conners and Selleck with Pope having made his senior team debut this spring “It was an outstanding performance from our team,” said Kursinski “For our younger team of athletes and horses to jump against 15 top teams with several Olympians on these other teams it was really an awesome performance today.” a 2010 Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Optimus Agro NV and cared for by Arturo Vidal and started off the competition in an impressive fashion with a clear round Pa.) had some struggles during her round with Falcon de Hus Z a 2009 Zangersheide gelding owned by Caitlyn Connors LLC and cared for by Liam Hough to tally 29 faults but determinedly finished with her sights set on the second round a 2011 Holsteiner gelding owned by Descanso Farm and cared for by Lucie Rae a 2012 KWPN gelding owned by The Highway Group and cared for by Jacob Catloth had an unlucky rail in the final combination for four faults to close out the first round With multiple teams sitting on four faults sat in second place based on total time heading into the second round Rizvi and Exquise du Pachis (Vagabond de la Pomme x Toska Hero) led off with a four-fault round Connors and Falcon de Hus Z (Florian de la Vie x Alidiva) proved their mettle by coming back and having a clear round Calif.) and Cloud 39 (Clarimo x Wanda VII) had another clear round earning one of the few double-clear rounds of the day Md.) and Highway FBH (Plot Blue x Belona) had a misstep at the water jump for four faults ended on eight faults for an excellent third-place finish After a jump-off for the top placings tied on four faults Spain claimed the win on their home turf and France took second place Kursinski noted that the results in Vejer de la Frontera show the success of the U.S “Our program pathway is really working,” said Kursinski who has done the juniors and the young riders [at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final] here in Europe we are really developing the future of our U.S athletes to be real team contenders and to get to the biggest events of the sport.” Once competition concludes in Vejer de la Frontera, the U.S. Jumping Team will next head to FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vilamoura CSIO3* in Vilamoura Kursinski said she hopes for a strong performance at the next Nations Cup in three weeks as another opportunity for the athletes and horses to gain more experience It is always wonderful that they can experience this and say they can take a breath before doing it again,” said Kursinski “I am looking forward to Vilamoura now that they’ve got this under their belt I think they are looking forward to it as well ‘Give me another chance!’” Nations Cup results Competition at Vejer de la Frontera continues through Sunday with the Grand Prix closing out the week’s classes Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer de la Frontera CSIO3* in Vejer de la Frontera and the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vilamoura CSIO3* in Vilamoura The team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski at both competitions The following athletes have been named to the U.S Jumping Team and are listed in alphabetical order: FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer de la Frontera CSIO3* while the Grand Prix closes out the competition on Sunday Event website | Schedule | Start list and results | Live stream while the Nations Cup closes out the competition on Sunday Many factors inspired Annie Manson to buy a house in Vejer de la Frontera There’s the multilayered history threaded through the province of Cadiz with its magnificent Moorish architecture and culture Its close proximity to Portugal and Morocco makes a cross-border dash for lunch possible But more than anything it was the food that inspired her — and still does “The best way to experience any culture is through its food and wine and both are phenomenal here,” Manson says As a professional chef I thought I knew all about world cuisine