Vejer de la Frontera

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Overview

Vejer – the jaw drops, the eyes blink, the eloquent adjectives dry up. Looming moodily atop a rocky hill above the busy N340, 50km south of Cádiz, this serene, compact white town is something very special. Yes, there’s a labyrinth of twisting old-town streets plus some serendipitous viewpoints, a ruined castle, a surprisingly elaborate culinary scene, a smattering of exquisitely dreamy hotels and a tangible Moorish influence. But Vejer has something else: an air of magic and mystery, an imperceptible touch of duende (spirit).

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Walls

Vejer de la Frontera

Enclosing the 40,000-sq-metre old town, Vejer’s imposing 15th-century walls are particularly visible between the Arco de la Puerta Cerrada (of 11th- or…
Estatua de la Cobijada

Vejer de la Frontera

Just below the castle is a lookout guarded by this statue of a woman dressed in Vejer's cloak-like, all-black traditional dress, the cobijada, which…
Museo de Vejer

Vejer de la Frontera

Housed in a 17th- to 18th-century mansion, Vejer's museum has a small, impressive history and archaeology collection, running from the area's early…
Castillo

Vejer de la Frontera

Vejer's much-reworked castle, once home of the Duques de Medina Sidonia, dates from the 10th or 11th century. You can wander through the Moorish entrance…
Iglesia del Divino Salvador

Vejer de la Frontera

Built atop an earlier mosque, this unusual church is 14th-century Mudéjar at the altar end and 16th-century Gothic at the other. In the late afternoon the…
Iglesia de la Concepción

Vejer de la Frontera

This 16th-century Renaissance church houses Vejer's Museo de Costumbres y Tradiciones, with displays highlighting local history and culture, including a…
Casa del Mayorazgo

Vejer de la Frontera

If the door’s open, pop into this private 18th-century house to find two stunning flower-filled patios (home to 450 potted plants!) and one of just three…
Plaza de España

Vejer de la Frontera

With its elaborate 20th-century, Seville-tiled fountain and perfectly white town hall, Vejer's palm-studded, cafe-filled Plaza de España is a favourite…