Daily Trip to Zahara de Los Atunes and Restaurant El Campero in Barbate
Last weekend, tired after so many weeks under lock down in Marbella, we decided to make a short trip to Zahara de Los Atunes and Barbate, famous for their beautiful beaches. It took us around 2 hours by car from Marbella to get there – along picturesque and comfortable road.
We stopped at the view point at the narrowest point between Spain and Africa to enjoy the incredible views and make some selfies. It is always windy in this area of the coast, that is why it became the paradise for kite surfers.
Standing on the top of the mountain with warm wind into your face, you really feel like your are flying!
Zahara de los Atunes is a cute fishing town. It is a place where you can appreciate the tranquility and beauty of its beaches, sample gourmet snacks and dishes from its extensive range of restarants, appreciate the calm and informal atmosphere of its copa bars, go horseback riding along the coastline or simply walk around and gaze at the ships in the horizon.
Its 7 km of fine golden sandy beaches, connected by the blue ocean, emerge from the town of Zahara de los Atunes and go into the bay of Cabo de Gracia. Its waters are crystal clear, not very warm but rather refreshing. Although I took my snorkelling mask and fins, there was not much too see under the water, so I just enjoyed swimming and sun bathing.
The fact that the coastline is so big prevents the people from gathering in the same place, which is especially important now when everyone is looking for social distancing.
The entrance to the water was safe – no big stones or sharp shells on the bottom.
After enjoying sun, beach and ocean we went to Barbate, the town just 10 minutes away to eat at the famous El Campero restaurant and enjoy fresh red tuna, which is cooked there in one thousand and one ways.
The restaurant is located in this modern building. Usually it is impossible to get a table without prior reservation. We had to wait in a line to be able to sit at the terrace.
Interior of the restaurant is quite spacious and modern, built around its main theme – tuna, fishing and everything related to it.
El Campero is its chef Pepe Melero and Pepe Melero is El Campero. The many hours of work, passion, dedication and creativity of Pepe Melero and his team can be seen in every corner of this restaurant. With decades of history, El Campero has become a pilgrimage center for all tuna lovers.
In the menu we could find different recipes of fish and seafood from the area. Updated classic recipes, or its new avant-garde cuisine, but without fuss of foam and air with a flavor of … The undisputed king of El Campero cuisine is tuna, but not just any tuna, we are talking about wild bluefin tuna, caught in the nearby traps from the Cadiz coast – one of the best tuna in the world! Here is what we tried:
Have you been to Barbate and the restaurant El Campero? Did you like it? Looking forward to your comments!
