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Breña y Marismas de Barbate Natural Park - Walks
The park has some excellent signposted walks, some with superb views along the coast.
Sendero de los Acantilados is a linear route of around 6km along the coastal footpath that links Barbate to Caños de Meca, with wonderful views along the coast and out to sea. Don't go too the near the cliff edge, since there are sheer drops of up to 100m down to the sea.
You can start in either village. If you begin in Barbate, there is a car park by the beach, the Playa Yerbabuena. The path ascends for 3km to the Torre del Tajo watchtower. There are a few viewpoints along this route; the first, the Mirador Torre del Tajo, is before the tower and the second, the Mirador del Acantilado, is soon after. After the tower the path descends to Caños de Meca. Alternatively, you can walk from the tower inland, using the Sendero del Torre de Tajo.
Sendero del Torre de Tajo is a linear 1.6km walk, one of the easiest and most attractive ones in the park. It starts from the car park at Km 3.5 on south side of the A-2233 between Barbate and Caños de Meca and passes through a forest of umbrella pines, junipers and wild olive trees, which obscure the view of the tower and coast almost until you arrive.
Sendero del Torre de Meca is a 3.4km easy walk leading to the Torre de Meca watchtower. It begins at the Jarillo picnic area, just north of the A-2233, by San Ambrosio village. Halfway along the route is a good stopping place, the Majales del Sol picnic area. The path then follows the former road to Caños de Meca to the tower, from where there are great views to the coast and over the farmland towards Vejer de la Frontera.
Another option for the Torre de Meca is the 3.3km Sendero de Caños al Torre de Meca, which starts at the Meca picnic area, just outside of the village on the A-2233 road to Barbate. This sendero, along the old road from Caños de Meca, passes through Aleppo and umbrella pines.
Sendero Marismas del Barbate is the longest walk in the park, a circular route of 9km, and takes around four hours. It starts from the A393, 1½km from La Barca de Vejer towards Barbate, near the Cortijo Monte Marisma. It passes the Virgen de la Oliva allotments and follows a former flood defense wall on the eastern flank of the marsh before looping round to the western edge.
La Breña Walk. (by Guy Hunter Watts) This wonderful circular walk gives you the chance to sample the twin natural habitats that make the Parque Natural de la Breña such a special treat, introducing you to its vast forest of stone pines as well as to the spectacular cliffs which rise 100m above one of the best beaches in Andalucía. The walk begins with a section of forest walking as you follow sandy paths and tracks towards San Ambrosio. After heading on towards Barbate via a broad forestry track you cut south through the stone pines to reach the A-2233. From here you angle down a sandy gully to reach the cliff path that leads back to Caños past the Torre del Tajo. The cliff path is the highlight of the walk and I recommend building in time for a leisurely picnic at one of the viewing points just beyond the tower. I've graded the walk Medium/Difficult not so much for the distance covered but rather because of the additional effort required when walking on sandy paths. You could shorten the walk by taking a taxi from Caños to the Punto de Información that is to your right as you arrive in Barbate coming from Caños along the A-2233. You'll see signs here marking the beginning of the cliff path. More>
