La Línea de la Concepción is a city and municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia.
This is a westernmost resort of the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean resorts of Spain.
The city lies on the sandy isthmus which is part of the eastern flank of the Bay of Gibraltar, and it limits with the Gibraltar–Spain border to the south. La Línea has close economic and social links with the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.
Many of the over 60,000 residents of La Línea work in Gibraltar, commuting between the two cities each day. Some Gibraltarians have jobs in Spain and other come to La Linea for shopping or a night out. Not forgetting the Wednesday market, the summer Ferria or the large beaches. There is a great deal of interaction between the two towns as well as close socio-economic links.
Main attractions
The most outstanding monuments of La Línea de la Concepción are:
– Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception. Colonial style, inaugurated on December 8, 1879.
– Museum of the Isthmus. It is one of the largest exhibition centers in the area
– Cruz Herrera Museum. New museum dedicated to the work of the Linense painter José Cruz Herrera, reopened in January 2016.
Through historical routes you can learn about the importance of the walled fortifications during World War II.
Beaches and nature
One of the main tourist attractions of La Línea are its beaches: La Alcaidesa, El Burgo, La Hacienda, La Atunara and, above all, Poniente. In them you can practice any type of nautical sport, such as sailing, water skiing, kitesurfing or sport fishing. Very close to the city is the Los Alcornocales Natural Park.
The Strait of Gibraltar is the main crossing point of the Mediterranean Sea for migrating birds from Central and Western Europe (storks, vultures, eagles …) On the other hand, the waters of La Línea de la Concepción are home to a great variety of species marine. Among them there are three species of dolphins (common, striped and bottlenose). La Línea has also boat trips for whale watching.
In addition, you can play golf in an area that has numerous tourist-sports complexes.
Festivals
The most outstanding festivals of La Línea de la Concepción are:
– Carnival: End of February or beginning of March.
– Easter: in March. Holy Week in La Línea has become one of the most important in Andalusia.
– Feast of the Virgen del Carmen, July 16. In the Marinero neighborhood of “La Atunara”, the maritime-terrestrial procession of the Virgin takes place.
– Evening and Festivities of the Line of the Conception: in the middle of July. Declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest of Andalusia. This festival is popularly known by the nickname “La Salvaora”.
Cuisine
The local cuisine is nourished by the new inhabitants who came to the young city looking for a better life due to the prosperous trade that existed with the English colony, from areas such as: Motril, Estepona, white villages of Cádiz, Malaga, etc.
The gastronomy of La Línea is based, above all, on the gastronomy of Andalusia with certain nuances of its own as it has some raw materials from the Rock of Gibraltar such as herring, cheddar cheese, butter (flanders butter), pistoletes (Vienna type bread ), black tea, jams, coffees and chocolates.
How to get to?
La Línea is one of the few cities in Spain with a population above 50,000 not to be served by a railway line.
How to get to?
Nearest airports:
Gibraltar Airport, accessible from the frontier.
Jerez Airport, 118 km.
Málaga Airport, 121 km.
Seville Airport, 203 km.
By car:
From Cadiz 1 hr 12 min (105 km) via A-381
From Seville 1 hr 56 min (183 km) via A-381 and E-5
From Madrid 6 hr 30 min (662 km) via A-4
Main information
Area: 19 sq. km (municipality)
Coordinates: 36°09′40″N 5°20′55″W
Population: 63 630
Languages: Spanish
Currency: Euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
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