Walk along Bajo de Guía, facing Doñana

What it is

Bajo de Guía is Sanlúcar's old seafaring quarter, on the banks of the Guadalquivir, with Doñana National Park on the other bank. A walk of a couple of kilometres from the centre leads to the row of fish restaurants facing the beach, to the landing stage of the boats that cross to Doñana and to the sand from which you watch the sun go down over the river. It is free, flat and works well with children and pushchairs.

What you will find

The quarter's history can be read in its restaurants. Casa Bigote, for example, began in 1951 as a tavern where Fernando Hermoso served manzanilla to sailors; his sons added tapas and stews in 1969 and the first dining room in 1979, and the original tavern is still open. It is a good place to understand that here the fish from the river mouth and Sanlúcar prawns are the local thing.

Next to the landing stage is the Fábrica de Hielo (Ice Factory), the Doñana visitor centre on Avenida Bajo de Guía. According to the Andalusia Tourism listing, it explains the park's nature, flora, fauna and ecosystems, and the history of Doñana and the Lower Guadalquivir. It is also the meeting point for the boats: you gather there half an hour before departure.

Crossing to Doñana

The boat trip on the Guadalquivir leaves from here: two and a half hours with a stop at the Poblado de la Plancha, from €30. From November to February there is only a morning sailing, at 10:00, so you can take the boat and eat afterwards at Bajo de Guía.

The August races

Each August, the beach between Bajo de Guía and Las Piletas becomes a racecourse. The Sanlúcar horse races, of international tourist interest since 1997, are held in two three-day rounds whose dates depend on the tide: they need a good low tide so that the horses can run along the shore. According to Cádiz Tourism they start at about half past six in the evening, end around half past nine and watching them from the beach is free. If you coincide, arrive early.

When to go

At sunset, when the sun goes down over Doñana; in summer, the promenade fills up at that hour. Dogs may go along the promenade on a lead.