Puerto de Santa Maria

This attractive if somewhat dilapidated little fishing port on the northern shores of the Bay of Cádiz, with lovely beaches nearby, has white houses with peeling facades and vast green grilles covering the doors and windows. The town is dominated by the Terry and Osborne sherry and brandy bodegas. Columbus once lived in a house on the square that bears his name (Cristobal Colón), and Washington Irving spent the autumn of 1828 at Calle Palacios 57. The marisco (seafood) bars along the Ribera del Marisco (Seafood Way) are El Puerto de Santa María's main claim to fame. La Dorada, Romerijo, and Casa Paco Ceballos are among the most popular, along with El Beti, at Misericordia 7. The tourist office organizes several tours around the port, and some include visits to the more than 70 (!) tapas bars in the town.