Geography
Chiclana
de la Frontera is situated at the south of Cadiz Bay.
To the east is the river, Cano de Sancti Petri, separatingChiclana
from San Fernando and Cadiz. At the mouth at of this river, on the Atlantic
coast lies the beautiful island of Sancti Petri, where more than three thousand
years ago a Venetian shrine of Melkart was built.
Later in the era of Roman Spain the most famous temple to Hercules was
established.
Chiclana’s natural landscape is formed by the marshlands, the movement
of the tides through the river of Sancti Petri, forming part of the National
Park of Cadiz Bay, the pine woods, cliffs, and very fine sandy beaches along the
Atlantic coast.
The
warm
climate with the average temperature of 20 degrees centigrade, 3225 hours
of sunshine a year makes Chiclana a bright place.
Ideal coast that is complemented by hotels and sports complexes makes
Chiclana a high quality tourist destination.
History
Since
ancient times Chiclana has been bound to Cadiz history (prehistoric and
Palaeolithic and calcolithic). Remains document mans presence in this
territory, on the coast as well as in the interior.
Venetian, Punic, and Roman remains were found in Chiclana and now
can be seen Cadiz’s archaeological museum.
Chiclana’s
history continues in 1303 when King Fernando the fourth donated this
then uninhabited place to Alonso Perez de Guzman “El Bueno” (the
Good) with the intention to populate it.
The Duke of Medina de Sidonia, successes of Perez de Guzman would
be the town’s lords until the 19th century.
The
discovery of America led to an uprising of the Bay villages including Chiclana,
when production and export of wines from the region began.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, this development
became more evident with the transfer of the centre of the Fleet (1680) and the
Hiring Bureau (1717) to Cadiz. The
urban and rural landscape changed notably.
The church of St Martin, the church and convent of Jesus Nazarino and St
Telmo, as well as the ancient country church of St Sebastian, converted into a
parish church are all from these centuries.
The
second half of the 18th Century shaped the old city of Chiclana as
beautiful civic buildings were constructed promoted by the middle class of
Cadiz. Additionally, an agricultural expansion took place due to the
same wealthy classes’ investments in vineyards, olive groves, fruit and
vegetable growing zones and pine forests.
At
the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century,
Chiclana was the birth place of the eminent speaker and the outstanding
naturalist Antonio Cabrera, as well as the famous politician and financial
expert Mendizabal, and of the playwright Antonio Garcia Gutierrez, author “El
Trovador” (the Troubadour), the greatest success in the romantic theatre.
Over
the years, in bullrings all over Spain, the masters of Chiclana bull fighting,
Jose Candido, Jeronimo Jose Candido, and Francisco Montes “Paquiro”, and
Jose Redondo “El Chiclanero” stand out.
After
the French occupation (1810 to 1812) Chiclana needed a time of recovery that
lasted until the second half of the 19th Century.
The wealth off people and the nobility once again chose the town for
their vacations and cures at the Braque and Fuente Amarga spas. At the same
time, Chiclana’s wines experienced a renaissance. It is because of the
important increase in the wine industry that King Alfonso XII granted Chiclana
the title of city (1876).
During
the 20thC, especially in its second half, Chiclana reached its highest
demographic growth, together with a spectacular economic development based on a
diversification of activities in all sectors, but particularly in the secondary
and tertiary. Currently Chiclana has the highest number of hotel beds in the
province of Cadiz – due to an effort that sensibly combines this booming
economy with environment protection.
Food
and drink
Chiclana’s
cuisine takes part in the excellency of Andulucian gastronomy, but we
with emphasis on the vegetables, fishes and seafood that are raised in
the salt marshes and salt ponds.
Furthermore
Chiclana offers a variety of different sausages and meats. Regarding
confectionery Chiclana counts on many reputable pastries, the famous Almond cake
“Torta de Almendras” made by Augustinian nuns is worth a mention.
Sherry wine from Chiclana is traditionally the most notable contribution
in this sector: there are dry (fino), fragrant (oloroso), and muscatel wines.
All of them are made by strictly traditional and historic processes.
In
our city there are a lot.
Chiclana
has a long tradition in the vineyard and wine culture.
Not long ago this municipality in the Sherry zone, one of the most
important producers.
Even though that production has been considerably reduced, Chiclana is
still proud of its wine cellars where wines of an excellent quality are still
produced, above all the fine white and muscat wines.
A visit to some of these to taste their products may be an unforgettable
experience for those who holiday in this town, as they will have the opportunity
to discover that besides sun and sea, Chiclana offers to its visitors the
treasure of wines stemming from the best vintages.
The
wines of Chiclana are without a doubt, a highly acclaimed product that has
always been elaborated in this town with thoroughly traditional craftsmanship.
They deserve by themselves to be included in any visit.
Chiclana’s
wines may be the ideal accompaniment to the variety of dishes offered by the
local cuisine, which follows the trends of the Andalucian cuisine, though there
are some ones that Chiclana claims for her very own, such as her fish and
seafood, breed in Chiclana’s own tide pools and estuaries that make up the
marsh region.
Famed
as well as the Chacinas (sausages) like Butifarra, and Longaniza, and the
Chicharrones (oven roasted pork meat).
Chiclana’s most characteristic dish is Berza (cabbage based stew).
Chiclana’s
pastries, which includes a wide range of specialities, have been the object of
well deserved fame around the area.
Worthy of mention are the Tortas de Almendras (Almond pastries) baked
exclusively in the convent Augustinian nuns, that is why they are commonly
called Tortas de las Monjas.
Beaches
The
beautiful Barrosa Beach with its fine sand, forms a nice arch, eight
kilometres long that spans from Cano de Sancti Petri in front of the
homonymous island and castle to the watch tower of El Puerco.
It is situated at six kilometres from Chiclana.
Within
its eight kilometre extension, La Barrosa offers two different stretches: an
urbanised promenade with all kinds of tourist services; the other stretch
appearing like a virgin beach. The
cleanliness of its water has won the European Blue Flag Award for Clean Beaches.
It
is considered to be one of the best beaches of the Andulucian coastline. It is characterised by its fine sand, protected by dunes and
beach shrubbery that mark the entire coastline.
Along
its urbanised stretch it is equipped with Coffee bars and restaurants and a
shopping centre; at the end of the virgin beach stretch there is Novo Sancti
Petri, a tourist sports resort provided with four star hotels, golf course with
club, shopping centre and horse riding centre.
Before
entering Novo Sancti Petri there is the Barrosa Municipal Park formed by a large
pine grove equipped with picnic facilities, coffee bar and restaurant.
The
two kilometre long Sancti Petri beach is provided in summer, with bars and
toilets.
It is in front of the homonymous island and castle, near the deserted
village Sancti Petri village where tuna fish cannery existed.
now it is a yachting and fishing harbour with nautical club, sailing and
windsurfing school.
From this port sails a ferry for sea excursions as well as for visiting
the channels of the Natural Park of Cadiz Bay.
Sports
Chiclana
de la Frontera has the following municipal sports facilities:
Municipal
Athletic Field
-Cycle
Track
-Municipal Sports
Centre:2 tennis courts, open air swimming pool,2miniture soccer fields,2
basketball courts,1 enclosed gymnasium.
“Ciudad de Chiclana”
Sports Palace: multi purpose court, divisible in 3 smaller ones, musculation
room, and gymnasium.
In
Sancti Petri harbour:
-maximum
capacity of 724 sail boat/speed boat moorings
-one
yachting club with radio and salvage station
-one
shipchandler’s shop
-one
stranding ramp for boat careening
-one
sailing and windsurfing school
In
Novo Sancti Petri:
-one
27 hole golf course with its club buildings
-three
football fields
-eight
tennis courts
-four
squash courts
-three
climatised swimming pools
-one
horse riding centre
In
“Campano Golf” Km 14 of Cadiz-Malaga road:
-one
9 hole golf course
-two
tennis courts
Near
Barrosa Beach in the Moskito Tennis Club:
-six
tennis courts and club buildings
Downtown:
-four
gymnasiums
Festivals
FEBRUARY
CARNIVAL
Fancy-dress parades and merrymaking in many places(wildest in Cadiz),usually
ending on the Tuesday 47 days before Easter Sunday.
MARCH/APRIL
SEMANA
SANTA(Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter Sunday) parades of lavishly
bedecked holy images, long lines of penny tents (nazarinos) and big crowds in
almost every town and village.
In
major cities there are daily processions from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday;
smaller places tend to omit Monday and Tuesday.
Seville
has the most famous celebrations; Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Arcos de la
Frontera, Jaen, Baeza, Ubeda, and Huercal-Overa also stage big or spectacular
processions. Village events can be
just as unique and touching.
JUNE
San
Antonio festival is the most popular festival combining religion and flamenco.
JULY
Romeria
de la Virgen del Carmen, where thousands of people make a mass pilgrimage from
the shrine of Santo Cristo through the city to Sancti Petri. On the feast day
the patron of the fisherfolk, her image is carried into the sea, or paraded on
it amid a flotilla of small boat.
Santa
Ana festival is a big exhibition with fireworks.
SEPTEMBER
Chiclana
celebrates with a big festival the day of the patron, Virgen de los Remedios.
NOVEMBER
Halloween
is famous for the unusual markets specially the fruits and vegetables shops.
