Things To Do in Isla Canela

It’s a bird… it’s a plane… no, it’s a kite-surfer. Thanks to its sheltered location, Isla Canela Beach is a mecca for kitesurfers who swoop and somersault through the sky. There are places to learn and hire all the essential kit at the western edge of the beach. Though if you fancy keeping your feet on the ground, they can sort you out with windsurfing and catamaran hire, too.

Isla Canela has a wide Blue Flag beach that stretches for over 6 kilometres. It’s easy to find a private spot along the sandy dunes where it’s just you, the sea and a patch of juniper trees. As for watersports, you can get kitted out for windsurfing and kitesurfing at the centre nearest the town.

To the north of Isla Canela are vast protected wetlands, home to flamingos, snipe and spoonbills. Here there are little inlets and swamps to explore by boat – you can join a tour group in town or rent out your own canoe. It’s also just a short 10-minute walk from Isla Canela Beach to a wooden boardwalk that takes you over the water.

The night hums quietly in Isla Canela – whether you’re lounging under the stars at a beach bar, or sipping cocktails at the waterside hotels. There’s a bit of a livelier vibe at the bars and restaurants around Punta del Moral marina, though even these tend to empty out on the early side. For more of a late-night buzz, try the discos and clubs around the harbour in Ayamonte.

Our Lady of Angustias takes centre stage in Ayamonte in September – it’s said a portrait of her was found miraculously in the sea back in the 18^th century. It’s a week-long festival building up to the saint’s day on September 8th. All the action happens at the fairground, just off Ayamonte’s main street – here you’ll find painting and photography exhibitions, plus concerts by well-known Spanish singers.

Once the sun’s gone down, there are only a few places to go out for a drink on Isla Canela. In the marina you’ve got a sprinkling of bars including an Irish pub where you can count on a Guinness or ice-cold sangria. If you want to do as the locals do, wander over to the chiringuitos on the beach. Here you can sip mojitos to the sound of local DJs and salsa bands.

La Pamela has claimed pole position in the marina, with a little garden overlooking the million-pound yachts. The chef is a seafood specialist, so on the menu you’ll find dishes like tuna served with spicy mojo sauce, and seafood paella. They do a good line in sandwiches for the kids, too, and the prices won’t make you blush.

There’s a scenic path for walkers and cyclists that takes you around Isla Canela’s protected salt marshes. You’ll spot flocks of herons, storks and flamingos cooling off in the water among the tall reeds. For an even longer trail, jump on the boat to Isla Christina and follow the Sendero de Molino Mareal from Pozo del Camino to Ayamonte. This one takes you along a disused rail line.

Foodies flock to this month-long tapas festival shared between Isla Canela, Punta del Moral and Ayamonte. The idea is to sample loads of mouthwatering tapas dishes, and once you’ve munched your way through 10, rate them between 1 and 5 to help decide the year’s best dish. A previous winner was the mini-cylinder of veal with melted Brie and mushroom sauce. We reckon it’d go down a treat on MasterChef.

This chiringuito, or beach bar, is a collection of thatched parasols and plastic tables scattered here and there in the sand. But what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in spirit. You get live salsa bands here in the evening, the fresh mint mojitos are first-rate, and they’re served with little plates of tapas – perfect if you’re peckish.

The Saturday market in neighbouring Ayamonte has all kinds of fresh food on offer, from chunky legs of Serrano ham to giant tunas, sliced up into steaks. You can pick up local handicrafts and wines here, too. Before you head off, grab a fresh churro, or Spanish doughnut, from the kiosk outside the entrance.

Dinner lands on your plate at Isla Canela’s seafood restaurants, most of which are along the waterfront. The catch of the day might be grilled tuna fish or squid and shrimp served up in an arroz marinero, an Andalusian-style risotto. You might also like to try the region’s famous jamón jabugo, cured ham.

The marina is crammed with authentic Spanish seafood restaurants that line the water’s edge and overflow into the shopping centre, so it’s a case of taking your pick. Along with the fresh seafood, don’t forget to sample the ‘arroz marinero’, AKA sailor’s rice. It’s a local twist on seafood paella, which you won’t find served anywhere else in Spain. And the fried ‘chocos’ or cuttlefish, are pretty unique, too.