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Latest update: 1 August 2023
Mentioning Bolonia to someone who knows of, or even lives in, the Cádiz region often leads to a dreamy sigh. “Ohhhh, so beautiful!” And that’s true. Bolonia in Spain is beautiful. It is the perfect destination for a sun and sand-drenched day at the beach in Andalusia.
Enter dreamy sigh: Bolonia beach
Why do people sigh when they hear the word Bolonia? It’s not even so much the village. Not at all, actually. Bolonia is mainly a long stretch of wide beach in unspoiled nature. Yes, it draws enough tourists to justify the development of resorts, but that would mean Bolonia would lose its appeal. So hopefully, it stays as it is.
Beach day in Bolonia
Come to Bolonia in Spain for a day at the beach. There are basic facilities and a handful of simple beach bars and restaurants. At Bolonia Windsurf Center, you can rent equipment for windsurfing, wave surfing, or paddle boarding. They also teach various water sports. If you feel like being active on the water, drop by. You can find them here.
Before you go to the beach of Bolonia, check the wind. Because if the wind is strong, you will be sandblasted – hard.
Hiking along the coast of Bolonia
Bolonia beach is bordered by cliffs, pine forests, and more natural beauty. The perfect environment for a hike. From the parking lot (here), you follow the trail straight ahead, above the beach, through the woods.
After a little over an hour, you will pass some houses and a restaurant (Justito de Copas). After this ‘ hamlet ‘, I took the first opportunity to descend to the beach and ocean. You can follow the coastline back or the slightly higher path. Whether you can go back over the beach and the rocks depends on how high the water is.
Please note: some parts of this hike are a bit scrambled and steep. Good walking shoes are a must. And my phone regularly had no coverage, so it was sometimes a blind guess of which path to follow. So it’s definitely a trail for the more adventurous hiker.
The sand dune of Bolonia
If you are facing the sea on Playa de la Bolonia, you will see the dune of Bolonia on your right. 30 meters high, 200 meters wide. The dune of Bolonia has been a protected natural monument since 2001. However, you can climb it, which is quite hard with that loose sand! It’s what many people do at sunset. Because I had done a long walk already, I was ok with skipping this activity.
Visit the Roman ruins Baelo Claudia
The Baelo Claudia ruins in Bolonia are much bigger than I thought. After a bit of Googling, I thought it was a few pillars, and that’s it. But no, it’s a whole area with the remains of ancient streets, the forum, shops, sewers, and the theater. You can visit the Roman ruins in Bolonia for free.
Parking in Bolonia
You can park your car very close to the beach of Bolonia. In the winter, many campers and vans stay there overnight. There was no parking attendant when I parked, but there should be one normally.
Hotels in Bolonia, Spain
In Bolonia, you will find mainly simple accommodations. Many people only come for a day. But if you’d rather enjoy the beaches a bit longer, check out these hotels and apartments in Bolonia:
- Apartamento Triana II: fully equipped apartment for four people.
- Hostal Rios: small, simple rooms and a restaurant right on the sea.
- Apartamentos Turísticos Carmencita: clean apartments with barbecue facilities.
More Spain inspiration?
Helpful links for your Spain trip
- Accommodation. All-time favorites: Booking.com and Campspace. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide and Viator. Another good option is WithLocals. And Freetour.com and GuruWalk both offer ‘free’ walking tours, while Baja Bikes has bike tours.
- Attractions and museums. Get a 5% discount at Tiqets on museums and attractions with the discount code: KIMOPREIS22
- Boat. You can catch a boat to Mallorca from Barcelona, for example. Book your ticket at Balearia. You can also get to the other Balearic Islands with Balearia. Compare ferry prices at Direct Ferries.
- Bus and train. Travel to Spain with NS International or Flixbus. Other useful companies are Busbud, 12go, and Omio, also for buses and trains within Spain.
- Car rental. My go-to car rental companies are EasyTerra and Sunny Cars as they have all-inclusive / worry-free offers. Want to compare more prices? Check out Discover Cars.
- Flights. Have a look at Transavia and Vueling, but do compare prices! Definitely check out Momondo, Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Money. Your debit and credit cards may not get accepted everywhere. You could opt for a Revolut card as an additional card when you travel.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? From The Netherlands, there is plenty of choice. ANWB vakanties, Tui, Shoestring or Sawadee, of rather D-reizen, Sunweb, Corendon or Vakantie Discounter?
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high calling and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Travel gear. Buy your gear at Bever or Decathlon, or simply at Bol.com.
- Travel guides. Let’s get you ready for your trip! Order a travel guide to browse through. For example, at Bol.com or Amazon.
- Yoga retreat. Or why not treat yourself to a yoga retreat in Spain!
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