Playa de Santa Maria del Mar, Cadiz: Costa de la Luz beach guide
A mini surfers’ paradise in the heart of the major tourist port city of Cadiz
The urban beach of Santa María del Mar is a short but beautiful stretch of sand located in the city of Cadiz, Spain. It is one of the most popular beaches in the city, being located right between the old town and new town, and is uncommonly popular with surfers.
Playa de Santa María del Mar beach faces onto the open water where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, meaning the waves can get quite big and the water choppy and chilly. However, it’s protected by a couple of groynes, one on either side, that provide some shelter to the small beach. Still, when you go in the sea at the Playa de Santa María del Mar it gets deep very quickly, so it isn’t necessarily the best beach for young children to swim in.
That doesn’t stop many people from swimming there, of course, and it is also an extremely popular spot to do kitesurfing, surf foiling, windsurfing and above all surfing and bodysurfers. Surfers can be seen in the summer peak tourist season and even all through the winter riding the waves of the Santa María beach.
The beach consists of a stretch of sand barely 1 kilometre long, so there’s not a lot of space considering how popular it is, and especially in comparison with the extremely long neighbouring beach, the Playa Victoria.
Playa de Santa María del Mar is tucked down in a sort of cove, and to get down to it you have to go down one of two long ramps or a winding staircase (this latter is not recommended as you then have to clamber over rocks to reach the beach). From the top there are fantastic views of the beach, though.
Parking is tight near the beach as it’s a busy urban centre, but public transport links are good, with several train, tram and bus stops within walking distance. There is no shortage of hotels and tourist rental apartments nearby, so there are plenty of places to stay.
Just a few short metres from the beach, there are lots of bars, restaurants and shops, and on the beach itself there are a couple of ‘chiringuitos’ or beach bars.
In the tourist high season in July and August, there are lifeguards on duty on the beach during the day. Itinerant salespeople walk up and down the beach selling cold drinks, snacks and souvenirs.
As well as being popular amongst surfers in the know, the Santa María del Mar beach is popular among Spaniards, and especially gaditanos from the province of Cadiz, but also just people from all over Spain who choose this place for their vacations. Given its convenient location, it is also well-known among international travellers, and as such it can get quite busy and crowded, a drawback which is only compounded by its small size.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach. It is generally kept very clean.
How to get to the Playa de Santa María del Mar
By car
It is located parallel to the Avenida Andalucía, but parking close by is hard to come by.
By train
The stop San Severiano, which is the second to last on the Cádiz Cercanías train and Trambahía tram lines, is just a short walk from the beach.
By bus
Buses numbers 1, 7, M-950, M-960, M-961 and M-967 all pass close to the Playa Santa María del Mar.
By plane
The closest Spanish airport to Cadiz is Jerez de la Frontera airport, which has a direct connection via Cercanías train, although there are only about four trains per day going in each direction that go all the way to the airport, which is at the end of the line.
Other tourists who choose to visit the province of Cadiz often fly to Seville airport as it is larger and has more connections, and is only about an hour away from Cadiz by train or car.
For British tourists, flying to Gibraltar airport from the UK is also a popular option when visiting Cadiz as there are lots of flight connections and it is also only about an hour away.
Images: Junta de Andalucía
See more beaches in the province of Cádiz:
