TOURIST WALKS
Los Barrios is a very attractive municipal territory which is undergoing expansion and development. It occupies a large part of the Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales (The Alcornocal Nature Reserve), known as the “last Mediterranean jungle”. The reserve provides the opportunity to take part in various outdoor activities and be in constant contact with nature. Los Barrios has some of the most beautiful and interesting routes of the entire park, which makes it very conducive to walking. The town council’s tourist office has created a guide of the main paths with all the necessary information for walkers.
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Travelling on foot and enjoying the large pedestrianised areas of the urban centre and other populated areas is a great way to get to know the most charming aspects of the town. A number of routes that can be done on foot or with a bicycle have been designed by the tourist office for visiting Palmones, Guadacorte and of course, the Los Barrios town centre. Another option is to take a guided bus tour from the “La montera del torero” natural monument visiting the ruta del toro (route of the bull) farms.
NIGHTLIFE
Los Barrios’ town centre, and more specifically on Paseo de la Constitución and on the pedestrianised Calle Contigua there are bars, live music, amusement arcades, pubs, cafés, etc. The Tendido 5 nightclub is underneath the La Montera Bull Ring.
As has been described, Los Barrio’s municipal area includes the Centro Gastronómico del Campo de Gibraltar (The Gastronomic Centre of Campo de Gibraltar Region) in Palmones. All kinds of restaurants can be found here as well as places for young people to have fun, bars, open-air terraces, cafés, ice-cream parlours… the summer brings even more fun and the atmosphere is intensified with the beach and the beach-hut bars that open around it.
BULLFIGHTING
The Los Barrios bullring was inaugurated in April 2000, has a capacity of 5,000 spectators and is named “La Montera” (The Bullfighter’s Hat) after the natural monument buried in the heart of the Los Alcornocales nature park, which is similar in appearance to a bullfighter’s hat.
Bullfights and Novilladas (bullfights using young bulls) take place here during the week of the Feria Real de la Villa de los Barrios (The Los Barrios Royal Festival) in the second half of May. There is also the Corpus Christi bullfight and the taurine and equestrian shows of the Feria Ruta del Toro.
During the summer the bullring is host to the “conciertos bajo la luna” (moonlit concerts) and the theatre season.
PARKS AND GARDENS
Los Barrios boasts a great many parks and gardens in which to enjoy in leisure activities. One of the access roads to the town, Avda. Chamizo de la Rubia, is sandwiched between the “Betty Molsworth” botanic park and the Botanic Gardens. The park is named in memory of the Australian botanist of the same name, who impressed European botanic circles with her discovery of the fern “Psilotum Nudum”. It has 47,000m2 making it the largest in the Campo de Gibraltar region.The Botanical Garden is home to the largest collection of native and foreign plant-life in Los Barrios, is spread across 17,500m2, and its design is characterised by ample areas for walking with alberos (fine, yellow kind of earth) and borders. There are adjoining recreation areas including a children’s play park with special unique features such as an early 20th Century locomotive and carriage.
Parque de la “Cigüeña” (Stork Park) is in the town centre and its highlights include the plant-life as well as an area dedicated to the elderly with activities such as petanca (petanque) and physical exercise. El Lazareto is also home to a magnificent park covering and area of 17,200m2.
There is an artificial lake at Guadacorte inhabited all year round by ducks and swans and bordered by expansive grasslands of grass, poplars and plane trees.
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Parque de la Torre (Tower Park) in Palmones envelopes the “Entre Ríos” (Between Rivers) watchtower with its 9,850m² area. It has a Big Wheel in the centre, a children’s area and narrow pathways that invite relaxation. Palmones also has a green area of 24,000m² accompanying the riverside Paseo Marítimo (esplanade) with large borders of assorted plant-life and extensive areas for walking with albero (fine, yellow kind of earth) underfoot.
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Plaza de los Faroles (Lantern Square) in Los Cortijillos is home to a church, an open-air auditorium, recreation areas with characteristic furnishings imitating tree trunks, two main bordered paths and various enclosures including a central paved area, great for relaxing.
PLAYA
The Los Barrios area is blessed with a beach of around two kilometres in length, at the mouth of the Río Palmones. It is a very safe urban beach in the heart of Palmones with fine golden sand and calm waters.
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DE COMPRAS
The town of Los Barrios is celebrating the 300 year anniversary of its foundation, but even so, it is becoming a modern town in which it is pleasant and enjoyable for exploring, shopping and stopping for a drink and something to eat.
The Los Barrios town centre has a great many shops and products that are traditional and typical of the town, such as pastelitos (cakes), tortas de aceite (focaccia style bread), anis Cózar (the local aniseed liqueur), chicharrones (pork scratchings), pottery, etc… that can be bought from specialist shops.
Equally, the most fashionable brands and designs can be found at the Parque Comercial y de Ocio (Shopping and Leisure Park) “Las Marismas de Palmones”. It is the biggest of its kind in Andalucia and has the best facilities for leisure and entertainment. The park gets its name from the nearby “Las Marismas del Río Palmones” nature spot. It is the only shopping and leisure Park in the Campo de Gibraltar area and its location is enviable due to its accessibility to the N-340 motorway that links the Bay of Cadiz with the Costa del Sol and the C-440 and the C-440, the so-called Ruta del Toro motorway that joins Jerez and Los Barrios.
All in all, here you will find the greatest choice for shopping with renowned stores such as Decatlón, Leroy Merlín, Factory, Toys″r″us, Idea, Menaje del Hogar, Noraulto and many many more. It is also home to the Centro Comercial UGC Cine Cité (a multiplex cinema and shopping centre) covering 18,803m² and with 1,750 parking spaces. The cinema has 18 screens, and the centre contains bowling alleys and a shopping street that combines food and drink, leisure and shopping at various well-known establishments. The centre can be accessed by car or with public transport.
There is also a small flea market in Los Barrios. On Saturday mornings locals and visitors from all over the region come to the market to take advantage of the offers on clothes and shoes, fruit and vegetables, etc.