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Slow Lane Magazine, August 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • Dancing with the devil on Lanzarote
  • Madeira - six of the best
  • A foodie in 'Sherry Country'
  • Our Slow Moments photo competition is back
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New Year in Vejer de la Frontera

Moorish flavours of the Costa de la Luz
 
This self-guided, single-centre walking break is the ideal way to start the New Year: mark the occasion with a celebratory dinner, and spend your days exploring with your included hire car – Vejer is an atmospheric hill town offering quick access to the coast for gentle strolls.
New Year in Vejer de la Frontera. 3 nights
New Year in Vejer de la Frontera. 3 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A New Year break on the Costa de la Luz

Deep in southern Spain, fewer than 60 kilometres as the crow flies from the Moroccan port of Tangier, Vejer de la Frontera sits on a ridge above an inland plain, its Moorish roots clear to see in its rectangular, whitewashed houses.

There’s no shortage of history to delve into in the surrounding area – from the Phoenicians and the Romans to the Napoleonic Wars, via several centuries of Moorish rule – but, equally, Vejer is an atmospheric place in which to look ahead to the New Year.
What’s more, you are a mere 15-20 minutes’ drive from the sweeping beaches of the Costa de la Luz, where, at this time of year, you will often just have the waves rolling in off the Atlantic for company.

You stay in the heart of Vejer at the Casa del Califa, which, with its labyrinthine passages and individually decorated bedrooms, is as characterful as the town itself. The hotel's vaulted restaurant makes a particularly charming setting for a celebratory meal on New Year’s Eve.
 
Gallery
 

Walking & more

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights. There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of our suggested walking routes as the mood takes you.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 15 15 16 18 20 24 27 27 25 24 18 16
    mm 113 101 79 66 40 19 4 5 20 68 130 130
  • Choice of routes: 8.5km to 10.5km

    Circular walk from Vejer: 8.5km, 3hrs
    Step out of the whitewashed streets of Vejer, passing windmills to take an undulating, shaded path through woodland. Along the way you are accompanied by excellent views over the Barbate river plain.

    Linear walk to Barbate: 8.5km, 2.5hrs or 10.5km, 3hrs
    You’ll need to drive to the coast for the start of this walk, perhaps taking in the dune-backed headland of Cape Trafalgar (site of the famous naval battle), before setting off on sandy tracks through a forest of pines to reach the 16th-century watchtower of Torre del Tajo. From here you gently descend beneath biscuit-coloured cliffs, to the evocatively named beach of Hierbabuena (mint). Your target is Barbate, where you can relax on its attractive seafront promenade before returning to your car by taxi (pay locally).
    The circular walk from Vejer
  • Vejer, Baelo Claudia & Tarifa

    Town trail around Vejer
    Vejer de la Frontera’s Moorish influences are clear to see in its flat-roofed, whitewashed houses. We provide a short walking trail to introduce you to the town, taking in its main points of interest and some of its many pretty courtyards.

    The Roman settlement of Baelo Claudia
    Baelo Claudia is one of the best-preserved Roman settlements in Spain. There is an excellent visitors’ centre explaining the site’s main features, which include an aqueduct, forum, school, theatre, temples, salting factory and baths. (Closed 31 December and 1 January.)

    Tarifa
    Tarifa, mainland Spain’s southernmost town, is well worth exploring. While its coastal setting is very different from that of Vejer, this is another fortified town with strong Moorish roots and a rich history (it was here that the Moors first landed, that Guzman the Good later gave up his own son to end a siege of the castle, and an Anglo-Spanish force withheld a siege by the French during the Napoleonic Wars).

    Take a boat trip to Tangier
    Tangier can be reached from Tarifa – the crossing takes just 35 minutes by catamaran – so why not take the rare opportunity to visit two continents on one holiday?
    Tarifa
  • Celebrate with a special dinner
    The highlight of the break is, of course, New Year’s Eve, when we include a celebratory dinner (with wine) in the hotel’s vaulted restaurant. The four-course meal – fusing Spanish and Moroccan cuisine and featuring locally caught fish and seafood – is rounded off with the customary uvas de la suerte  (‘lucky grapes’) as the clock chimes midnight, after which you can head outside to join in the street celebrations.
    Hotel Califa restaurant
    Excellent cuisine
 

Accommodation

Your hotel’s 2-star classification doesn't do it justice – it is a fantastic find, with good facilities, plenty of character and excellent service.
Casa del Califa

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
Currency converter

We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.

Please enter an amount Please enter a valid amount British Pound Sterling (GBP)
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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 3 nights: 29 December - 03 January 2020

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    29 - 31 December £315 £125
    3rd & 4th person discount -£30
    Single traveller supplement £30

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Price includes: 3 days' category B car hire (eg VW Polo (255, 255, 255) or similar with manual transmission)

    Driving time to/from the hotel: Jerez 1h30, Malaga 2h, Seville 2h15

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Casa del Califa, Vejer de la Frontera
    'Africa' suite: 29 Dec - 03 Jan 2020 £45
    'Especial': 29 Dec - 03 Jan 2020 £12
    Junior suite: 29 Dec - 03 Jan 2020 £25

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Casa del Califa, Vejer de la Frontera (B&B) Double room Single room
    29 Dec - 03 Jan 2020 £68 £108
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Jerez, Málaga, Seville

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Málaga. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Malaga Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Malaga Aer Lingus,  easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Malaga Flybe,  jet2,  Norwegian,  Ryanair,  TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Malaga Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Malaga easyJet,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Bristol - Seville easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Malaga TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Doncaster Sheffield - Malaga Flybe,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Malaga jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Nottingham East Midlands - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Malaga jet2,  Norwegian,  Ryanair 
    Edinburgh - Seville easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Exeter - Malaga Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Malaga easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow Prestwick - Malaga Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Inverness - Seville (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Malaga jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Leeds Bradford - Seville (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Malaga easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Malaga British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Jerez easyJet 
    Gatwick - Malaga British Airways,  easyJet,  Norwegian,  TUI 
    Gatwick - Seville British Airways,  easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Malaga British Airways 
    Heathrow - Seville (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Malaga easyJet,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Luton - Seville easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Malaga easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Jerez Ryanair 
    Stansted - Malaga British Airways,  easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair 
    Stansted - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Jerez easyJet 
    Manchester - Malaga easyJet,  jet2,  Norwegian,  Ryanair,  Thomas Cook,  TUI 
    Manchester - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Malaga easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Norwich - Malaga Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Southampton - Malaga Flybe 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Málaga. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £30 per person for our flight booking service (£50 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 3 nights
  • 1 celebratory dinner (with wine)
    3 breakfasts
  • route notes and maps
  • category B hire car
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa (if you are travelling after 31 October 2019, see the Brexit question below for more information). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found through the following NHS link: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/ You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. EHICs may cease to be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; in Catalonia, for example, Catalan has equal status. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 8/18/2019 1:53:27 PM