Chris Gravett

Arriving in Conil after a few days in the mountains was something of a culture shock.

Conil is a pueblo blanco for sure. It is also a beach resort. It is where the folk from Seville and Madrid come to be by the sea. It is also where the young from those cities come for hen and stag dos!

But that should not put you off. Somehow young families, older familes, clubbers and stag and hen dos and every type of person in between rub shoulders and do their thing harmoniously. There are around 350 bars,restaurants and clubs in this fairly small town. There are miles of golden beach which near the town get well occupied from late afternoon until sunset (curretly around 9:30 pm) but you can always find acres of space after a walk along the shore.

If you are feeling energetic before dinner you might walk to the watchtower about a mile and a half along the beach.

Not the most popular idea though!

If things get hectic in Conil (and they can) you may take some respite a short drive away in Verger.

Conil appears to be dominated by the Spanish it is as though it is their sercret resort. Verger though has a smattering of other European visitors - not enough to be obtrusive.

You may be lucky enough to find the locals at work. How many Spaniards does it take to deliver a fridge freezer to the third floor? In this case eleven and the job is not yet complete.