There are an infinite amount of choices when it comes to things to do on the Costa de la Luz from whale watching to bird watching, surfing to horse riding, if you are looking for an adventurous and active holiday then this is the place to be.

Andalucian Horses
The elegant Andalucía horse, also known as the Pure Raza Española (PRE), is one of the oldest and most famous breeds in the world. One of the best places to see them is at the choreographed shows in the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez de la Frontera. The horses are sashayed around the arena performing to music showing off their amazing ability and agility. Another good place to see them is at The Feria de Caballo (Horse Fair) in Jerez every May, where all things equestrian are showcased and celebrated.

Bird Watching
The Costa de la Luz is a bird watchers paradise and has some of the rarest breeding birds on the Iberian Peninsula. This area is superb all year round due to the temperate Mediterranean climate and the peak seasons for spotting are in spring and autumn. The region has several natural parks where you can see a great range of species with the Straits of Gibraltar being the main migration route for birds between Europe and Africa.

Cycling
Cycling is popular all over Spain and hosts over 5,000 annual cycling races, including the Tour de España in April and May. With the Costa de la Luz clement temperatures and long daylight hours you can cycle here throughout the year. In addition to this the quiet country roads, Via Verdes routes and Natural Parks ensures that you can cycle in some fantastic places.

Diving
The crystal clear waters of the beautiful Atlantic Ocean make this the perfect place for scuba diving. There are great spots all along the coast to dive, which include Isla de las Palomas a small nature reserve island that is connected to Tarifa. Other good areas to dive are Punta Umbria, the Cape of Trafalgar near Canos de Meca and the sea around Gibraltar that has over 30 shipwrecks.

Flamenco
The Costa de la Luz is the best place to come and see authentic flamenco as it was created here in Andalucía by a mixture of cultures that were persecuted by the Catholic Church. Flamenco in this area is not a diluted showy version that is just put on for tourists, but the real thing. Keep a look out for posters advertising shows or visit the local tourist office or peña club (flamenco club) to find out where the best ones take place. If you have the opportunity go to one of the many ferias, you will be guaranteed to see the locals flamenco dancing until the early hours of the morning.

Golf
The area is a paradise for golfers and has fast become one of Europe`s best golfing destinations. It attracts thousands of golfers each year as well as the biggest names in golf, with the great Seve Ballesteros designing the course at Novo Sancti Petri in Chiclana. The range and quality of the courses across the Costa de la Luz are excellent and they are all located in stunning natural environments with superb scenery and views.

Several of the courses have held prestigious competitions. In the Cadiz province, the Montenmedio course in Vejer de la Frontera and the Sherry Golf course in Jerez de la Frontera have both been used as venues for the European Tours. The Montecastillo course also in Jerez de la Frontera hosted the Volvo Masters for five years in a row and was designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Also one of the best and most difficult courses in Europe is situated in the Cadiz area, the superb Valderrama. With one of the warmest climates in Europe and the stunning natural light of the Costa de la Luz playing golf here is an unforgettable experience.

Horse Riding
Horses and Spain are synonymous with each other and the Costa de la Luz has a great choice of places for horse riding. You can take your pick of trails in the stunning Natural Parks, ride through the native cork forests and gallop through the surf on the wild unspoiled sandy beaches.

Jerez Motor Racing Circuit
Every year the circuit hosts the exhilarating Jerez Moto GP, with the first one dating back to 1987. It attracts thousands of visitors from all across Europe and holds up to 250,000 spectators. Due to this region`s excellent weather it`s also regularly used as a test circuit by Formula One teams.

Kayaking
This area is perfect for kayaking with its wide choice of rivers, wetlands and beautiful coastline. There are many routes where you can either sea kayak or paddle through rivers and wetlands in the stunning natural parks. You`ll find a great range of schools across the region that caters for the complete beginner to the more experienced.

Kitesurfing
This new sport is a combination of power kite flying and surfing. The Costa de la Luz is considered to be one of the best places in the world to practice this sport and in the last 3 to 4 years it has become massively popular all along this spectacular coastline.

A hotspot for kitesurfing is Tarifa, where in the summer months the sea and sky are awash with all the differently colored kites. Many important competitions are held in Tarifa including the Kiteboarding World Tour.

Mountain Biking
This sport has always been popular in Andalucía and with the varied terrain of hills, mountain ranges and dramatic coastline it means that you are guaranteed a great choice of excellent trails. You can choose from gentle cross-country rides, steep ascents, endurance rides and exhilarating descents. Whatever you do, you will be sure to have a great time with fabulous views and backdrops. If you need to hire a bike or would like to go on an organized trip there are many biking shops and companies throughout the region.

Paragliding/ Hang-gliding
With its superb climate the Costa de la Luz has great conditions for paragliding all year round. The Sierra de Líjar mountain range in the Cadiz Province has the perfect pick of great flying sites and attracts flyers from all across Europe. If you are a complete beginner then you will find several schools to choose from, for the more experienced flyer there are many local guides who will show you the best flying sites. You can also fly all along this stunning coastline with several sites to choose from.

Sailing
Sailing is a fabulous way to experience this beautiful coastline. All along the coast you will find a good choice of modern marinas with great facilities. There are many facilities along the coast where you can hire boats or book sailing lessons whilst on your holiday.

Surfing
With over 3000 hours of sunshine a year and the steady waves of the warm Atlantic Ocean this coastline has some of the best surfing spots in Spain. Surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing... Over the past 20 years, the area has become one of Europe`s hotspots for lovers of wind-propelled sports, with several important international competitions taking place there. The beaches around Tarifa, especially Playa Los Lances and Playa de Valdevaqueros, attract the windsurfers and kitesurfers. Surfing takes place right along the seashore from Tarifa to Cadiz, but the beach of El Palmar is a favorite.

Yet you need not be an expert to enjoy the scene (though if you do intend to get in the water you`d better be able enough to cope with the strong winds). You could just get the look; take a stroll around the main streets of Tarifa`s new town and you`ll find plenty of surf shops. Or just sit on the beaches and soak up the atmosphere, watching the rainbow colors of the sails fill the sky.

Walking
There is some fantastic countryside waiting to be explored across the Costa de la Luz with springtime being one of the best times due to the beautiful flora and fauna. The Via Verdes are a great way to see this area; these are stretches of unused and abandoned railway lines that have been converted by the government into specific tracks for walking, horse riding, cycling and wheel chair users. They are kept in good condition, well signposted and have several picnic areas along the routes. There are also six natural parks to enjoy which have a variety of marked routes.

Whale and Dolphin Watching
The beautiful waters off this stunning coast are home to several species of dolphins and whales. Depending on the time of year you will be able to see anything from Bottlenose dolphins to Orca whales.

Windsurfing
The coastline of the Costa de la Luz is the ideal place for windsurfing all year round. The hip and trendy resort of Tarifa is the most popular place due to its perfect conditions, in fact it is known as the windsurfing capital of Europe with people flocking here from all across the world. Several prestigious events and competitions have been held in Tarifa including the PBA Windsurfing Speed World Cup.
Another good place to go to is Los Canos de Meca, its popular all year round and has enormous waves in the wintertime.