Playa de Los Caños de Meca

About Playa de Los Caños de Meca

Los Caños de Meca is the beach on the Atlantic coast of Barbate east of the Trafalgar lighthouse: about 2.8 km of fine golden sand between the lighthouse and a cliff some 100 metres high. Some maps label this spot Playa de Guadalupe, a name not used locally.

Pine woods behind the beach belong to the Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park, which also protects the tall cliffs to the east, where coves and caves give more seclusion. The water is clear, the beach is windy and popular with windsurfers, and several reefs nearby make diving possible. There is a nudist area at the far end of the beach.

There is no promenade, but summer facilities are good: lifeguards, sea-state flags, toilets, showers and changing rooms, boat hire, a picnic area and around ten restaurants and five beach bars. The A-2233 between Conil and Barbate gives easy access by car.

Come in June or September, when the Atlantic is warmer and Caños is quieter than in August. Check the wind forecast first: windy days suit windsurfers more than sunbathers. Late afternoon is the best time of day, when the light softens and the sun goes down towards the Trafalgar lighthouse.

Playa de Los Caños de Meca in pictures

What you’ll find

• Beach boatsBoat rentalRent
• Beach lifeguardSupervised swimmingFree
• Public showersWash bodyFree
• Public toiletsPersonal SanitattionFree
• Sandy beachRest on beachFree
• Sea shoreSwimmingFree

Nearby places to visit

Playa del Cabo de Trafalgar (2 km) is the closest of these, also on Barbate's stretch of the Atlantic coast. East along the A-2233, the town of Barbate has Playa del Carmen (8 km), the urban beach of fine golden sand that runs from the port along the seafront promenade to the mouth of the Río Barbate. North-west towards Conil, Playa Punta Lejos (12 km) lies at the south-eastern end of Conil de la Frontera's seafront, and inland Dehesa Montenmedio Golf & Country Club (12 km), near Vejer de la Frontera, is the nearest golf course.