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.jpg) The
village Arcos de la Frontera in the
province
of Cadiz, through which the Guadalete
river flows, stands out because of its
pretty white houses and fertile gardens.
It was declared a Historical- Artistic
Centre in 1962 it is on the 'White villages
route'.
The climb up to the old part of Arcos
de la Frontera is spectacular. Visitors
are advised to leave the car at the
entrance to the town, and spend the
day exploring the narrow streets and
beautiful buildings on foot.
What to see in Arcos
de la Frontera:
- Santa María de la Asunción
church, Gothic style with a beautiful
plateresque facade
.jpg) San
Pedro church, whose renaissance
tower rises elegantly above typcial
Andalucian architecture. This church
has also got the oldest altarpiece
in the whole of the province of Cadiz
and a collection of paintings including
some by Pacheco, Zurbarán and
Ribera. An interesting anecdote is
that this church was in confrontation
with Santa Maria Church until the
18th century over which was older.
Finally A tribunal in Rome ruled in
favour of San Pedro- Santa Mariade la Asunción
church: 13th century church constructed
on the foundations of a Mosque built
during Arab occupation of Spain.
- Other interesting churches lining
the narrow streets of Arcos include
La Encarnación, San
Francisco and San Augustin
.jpg) Convent
of the Encarnation with its beautiful
entrance dating from the Middle Ages.- Convent of the Mercedarian Nuns
- Arabic Ducal castle which
was once residence to the 'Reyes de
taifas'
- La Caridad Convent, colonial
style
- The 'Casa de la Cuesta de Belén':
another historically important
building. It was built in the 14th
century and has one of the oldest
facades in Andalucia (in civil architecture).
Fiestas in Arcos
de la Frontera
Easter week is very important in Arcos,
especially Easter Sunday with the 'Toro
del Aleluya'. In August they celebrate
the 'Virgen de las Nieves' and
in September the 'Cristo del Romeral'
festivities take place.
.jpg) Hotels
in Arcos de la Frontera:
- Parador de Arcos de la Frontera:
Good quality three-star hotel with
lovely views and the reliability you
expect from one of the Spanish
parador hotels
- Hotel
Los Olivos: Another good-quality
3-star hotel in the center of Arcos.
Refurbished in 2002. The hotel has
whitewashed walls, wrought iron railings
on the windows, ochre-coloured roof
tiles and a pretty central courtyard
full of plant pots and decorated with
chairs and coffee tables. Guests are
served under palm trees. 19 bedrooms.
- Hotel
El Convento: Charming 2-star
hotel in a refurbished part of an
old convent. Just 11 rooms. Lovely
views and a very good restaurant serving
traditional local dishes.
Restaurants in Arcos
de la Frontera:
- Restaurante El Convento: run
by the owners of the hotel this very
good restaurant specialises in dishes
made from local produce, pulses and
game.
- Cortijo Faín: This
restaurant is a few km. from Arcos
in the luxury golf complex Arcos Gardens.
Modern and innovative cuisine using
organic ingredients grown in its own
gardens.
Useful links:
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