SUMMER VACAYYY - Cádiz, Andalucía, Spain

Las Dunas de Bolonia | When I close my eyes and think of this week, this is what I see.

Hello, Friends! I'm a few days late posting, but hey, I've been on summer vacation after all! I'll be back to posting weekly on Fridays next week.

The past week has been nothing short of spectacular. Sunshine, fresh seafood, refreshing tintos de verano con limón, solving Agatha Christie's Detective Poirot mysteries as the crystalline waters of the Atlantic roll over the shores…soaking up these last couple of weeks with my friends, Ali + Elena! Simply the best! There's almost too much to share. SO, I've created a "Best of Cádiz" list below--enjoy!!

Les Presento a Cádiz

Cádiz, Spain | Iconic and historic coastline - We took relaxing, long walks along the relaxing sea wall each day.

There's all kinds of historical information about Cádiz (fun fact: The Phoenicians founded the city--now, the oldest in Western Europe--about 3,000 years ago!). It's also one of the end points for the picturesque Costa de Luz and refers to both the maze-like city (where my friends and I stayed) and the province (where we spent our days exploring) extending past the wind and kitesurfing sports capital of Tarifa. This is one of the southernmost points of Spain and has a unique feel from where I've been staying in Catalonia. The accent of the people is distinct; atún is king; and, the sun is delightfully strong. On a clear day, you can see neighboring Morocco from across the way!

Tarifa, Spain | Gibraltar looking on as we windsurfed.

I recommend visiting Cádiz in April-early June. Already, the temperatures are climbing, and I can see how this lovely place becomes quite hot very quickly in summer. Plus, the tourist crowds have been minimal. We haven't had to wait in any lines, fight for parking, squeeze into a spot on the beach, or feel like we're not getting a feel for local life. Depending on your preferences, you might find that this section of coast is a bit too windy (hence, the abundant kite and windsurfers). We compensated in the mornings with a little pullover if the wind picked up. Mostly, by lunch, we were swimming in the cool water and bronceando until about 7 or 8pm. Now for the core memories!

Best Bite

A bite so good I had to have it twice--and still failed to take a picture before devouring it! Malabata, nestled in the blanched white village of Conil de la Frontera, was divinity come to earth with every bite!

Conil de la Frontera | A little paseo after Malabata

Imagine starting the day on an endless, fine, sandy beach…rolling sunflower fields at your left and sparkling hues of blue to your right…you work up an appetite (I mean, beaching is hard work after all!)…and decide to walk over to the white town overflowing from the rocky cliffs and hills. A little up a stone-paved hill incline and to the right--you're greeted by a menu boasting award-winning tuna, bacaloa, tuna tartar tacos to die for (and that's coming from a former San Diegan!), and the freshest pesto, olive oil, pine nuts, and cheeses you could wish for. A close second was the assorted tuna crudo spread at El Campero in Barbate I enjoyed on our last full day in Cádiz.

Finest Beach

Las Dunas de Bolonia | Happy, sandy, & sunny!

Choosing a favorite beach is not easy, but I'd say Las Dunas de Bolonia takes the cake! The beach is natural, picturesque, clean, and decorated with soft, lightly colored, rolling sand dunes. There's green landscape, too, as far as the eye can see…I've gone twice to this beach (we visited several others) and would gladly go again. Walking up the dunes reminded me of the first time I climbed dunes in Ica, Peru, in the Atacama Desert. My friend, Jessa, and I worked our butts off to get to the top--thankfully, these were not so challenging! The Peruvian dunes were far steeper and taller. I'll give myself some credit here, too, and say that I was helped by the fact that I'm in better shape and no longer a skinny 19 year old. Let's hear it for the gains! ;-)

Sweetest Treat

El Campero in Barbate, Spain | Flavorful perfection!

Elena, Ali, and I take our sweets very seriously. On Saturday night, we hustled through the city streets to arrive at our favorite ice cream shop, Limonero, before they closed at midnight (made it with a minute or two spare, but we still got our scoops!). I think this week's top sweet treat goes to the Payoyo cheesecake we shared at El Campero. Payoyo is a distinctly flavored goat cheese produced in Spain (you can read more here). Personally, I prefer it to the goat cheeses I've had previously. Bee pollen, honey, helado de yogur, fresh berry, and what we think were classy pop rocks adorned the cheesy prism. Yum!

Back to Reality

There's too much to share in one blog post, but Instagram has some other photos and videos, too. My friends and I are heading back to Barcelona tomorrow...and then it's back to work on Tuesday! I feel refreshed and recovered after last week's woes--sometimes a change of scene is exactly what we need to gain a fresh perspective.

One thing that has been reinforced through this nomadic exploration is that, as cool and exciting as cities can be, I thrive near the sea and under the sun. Reconnecting with the ocean again through windsurfing made the week extra special--I've been dreaming at night about longboard shopping and catching waves in San Elijo and Grandview with my surf crew back home in San Diego. If I miss anything, that's the thing. Looking forward to building something new and just as beautiful over here, too! Next week, I'll be in Barcelona before popping over to Rome for a rendezvous with a friend from SoCal--already fantasizing about the foods I'll eat in Italy!

Xo, Nikki