Merida to Vejer de la Frontera, Spain …. about as far south as we will go !

September 29th to October 10th, 2025

A beautiful morning greets us as we prepare to leave Merida, which, though challenging weather wise was a nice experience…a final look at the viaduct and we are off…

The drive from Merida to Vejer de la Frontera (about 350 km / 3.5–4 hours) takes us from Extremadura’s rolling plains into the sun-drenched hills of Cádiz province. The first stretch south of Mérida passes olive groves, cork forests, and whitewashed villages. Crossing into Andalusia, the landscape becomes more rugged, dotted with grazing ibérico pigs and distant mountain ridges. Approaching Vejer, the scenery shifts again, with gentle hills, windmills (of which we saw hundreds), and glimpses of the Atlantic coast before climbing to the town’s hilltop perch overlooking the sea and surrounding countryside.

…the Osborne Bull

Little Clio

windmills & more windmills

Vejer de la Frontera

We had been seeing bull billboards (see above pic) along many highways, but with no discernible advertising…after some sleuthing, we learned the bull silhouette was created in 1956 as a billboard for Osborne’s Veterano brandy, with the first wooden signs being installed in 1957. As the signs became a ubiquitous feature of the Spanish landscape, they transcended their commercial purpose and became a symbol of Spain itself. Finally, in 1997, a law was passed that required the removal of all advertising from highways. However, public and political outcry led to the bulls being protected as a “cultural and artistic heritage” by the Spanish government >>> so the bull lost its name but not its identity and its fame!

Vejer’s history goes back to the Bronze Age, with settlements on the hilltop. It was a Carthaginian and Roman settlement, known as Besaro and Bessipo, respectively. The Moorish era left a lasting impact, evidenced in the town’s layout and architecture. Its name, “de la Frontera,” originates from its location on the border between Moorish and Christian territories during the Reconquista.

For those of you who have read our blog, we have visited many towns and historic sites over the last month….while super interesting, it can also be a tiring experience. Over the next twelve days, we intend to scale back a bit using Vejer de la Frontera (Vejer) as a base, thus reducing the changeovers that require a lot of effort and time expenditure.

Parking in Spain is a never-ending adventure, and our AIRBNB hosts have devised a strategy where they “reserve” a spot with their vehicle and when the guest arrives, they move their car, with the result being the guest can park close to the apartment. As in many things in life, “the devil is in the details”, and while we texted back and forth, it did not go super smoothly. In any event, we finally met up, they helped us with all our “stuff”, and explained the workings of the apartment. WHEW, being a hilltop town, access is either up or down, and most of the town is a “casco antigua”, so cars are largely limited. The unit is very nice, well-equipped, and the rooftop patio is super cool, although access would definitely not be to “code” in Canada…time to chill:

Vejer AIRBNB

Vejer AIRBNB

Vejer AIRBNB

Vejer AIRBNB

Afterwards, we enjoyed a pleasant walk along the beach and the Duna de Bolonia (90 meters or over a 100 feet high), followed by a relaxed and longish lunch at the Restaurante Bolonia Miramar adjacent to the Roman ruins and Bolonia Beach…this area of Southern Spain enjoys a strong fishery for red tuna, so what better place to taste this local dish:

Beach days are great, but there are also hilltop towns in the vicinity, and Sidon Medina was recommended as a small town with a rich history..Phoenicians, Visigoths, Muslims, with the Christians finally recapturing it during the Reconquista. Today, landmarks like Roman sewers and bridges, Saint Mary’s Church, and the Castle are still standing. Not a major site but interesting nevertheless. The church is in major need of renovations …seeing it in a “raw” state was informative, and the pride of the locals was evident. The lady issuing the entry ticket came over to us several times, trying to explain some of the features, as did another person with modestly better English, not the usual approach at major sites…

 

Vejer itself is a very pleasant and well-kept village: garbage is picked up daily, streets are washed, houses whitewashed,  flowers and plants wherever space allows…

…the heart of the town, though, is the Plaza de Espana with a lovely fountain as its centrepiece…restaurants, bars and various stores. We were only a 5-minute walk away, so several meals were consumed there, and we sometimes just sat on the benches watching life go by…