Vejer de la Frontera

Vejer stands on a hill about two hundred metres above the surrounding plain, ten kilometres inland from the Atlantic, and it kept its Moorish street plan almost intact: a walled centre entered by four gates, lanes that twist and climb, whitewashed walls with wrought-iron grilles, and a castle of the eleventh century at the top with a horseshoe-arched gateway. The church of the Divino Salvador combines Mudejar and Gothic work on the site of a mosque. Castile first took the town in 1250, lost it in a revolt in 1264 and held it for good from 1285, and the layout still reflects the Muslim centuries; the walled centre has been a protected historic ensemble since 1976. Since the 2000s it has become known for its food, with several ambitious restaurants for a town of its size, and the surrounding countryside supplies retinto beef and Atlantic tuna.

Highlights

• The walled centre - four surviving gates and stretches of wall.
• The castle - an eleventh-century fortress with a horseshoe-arched entrance.
• The Divino Salvador church - Mudejar and Gothic work over a former mosque.
• The plain view - the Atlantic coast and countryside from the ramparts.

When to go

Spring and autumn for walking the steep lanes comfortably; summer is hot and the town fills with visitors from the coast. Holy Week and the Easter bull-running tradition are significant local events.

Before you go

The lanes are steep, stepped and impossible to drive, so cars are left outside the walls and the walk up is demanding. Restaurants are good but book out in season. The town is small, seen in a day.

Nearby

El Palmar and Zahara de los Atunes beaches are on the coast; Tarifa and Cadiz lie south and north.

Key facts