Hotel Utopía
Benalup-Casas Viejas
If you want a truly original place to stay, Hotel Utopía is the place to go. Here you are immersed in the 1930s, up to the smallest details. Hotel Utopía is more than just a hotel, it is a combination of a hotel, a restaurant, a museum, and a theatre.
Firstly the rooms: there are 16 in total, every single one of which has been decorated differently. They all harken to a theme from the 1930s, though. Many artists from the area have collaborated on the design, which has resulted in a fantastic interior with many original details and accessories from that era.
The hotel has a large roof terrace with swimming pool that offers you a beautiful view of the area.
Under the same roof there is the combined space wherein the (outstanding!) restaurant, the museum and the theatre are situated. It is a spectacular space of 6 metres high that gives you the feeling of being on a square, inspired by Paris in the 1930s. Within this space you will find the interesting museum, the restaurant and the bar. Centrally located in the restaurant is the stage, where live music is performed every Friday and Saturday. It's something special to enjoy while you dine or have a tasty drink at the bar.
We are very enthusiastic about this hotel, it is extremely originally designed and it is more than worth the detour to spend a few nights here!
Cons:
• None
Pros:
• Extremely original hotel
• The theme of the hotel has been followed through into even the smallest details
• Outstanding restaurant
Hotel Utopía
facilities
Hotel
- There is a restaurant where you can have dinner. Price for dinner approx. € 38 pp.
- Bar.
- Swimming pool on roof terrace.
- Garden and terrace on roof.
- Internet connection in every room.
- Children are welcome.
- One room with wheelchair access.
- No lift.
- Pets are welcome (only in low season).
- The hotel offers a range of different excursions/activities.
- Hotel has its own small parking facilities (not free of charge).
- Hotel is situated in the centre of the village Benalup-Casas Viejas. Note: small streets!
Rooms
Every room has air conditioning, heating, TV, mini-bar and a safe.
Fully-equipped bathrooms with washbasin, toilet, shower, bath and hairdryer.
Hotel has a total of 16 rooms, made up of standard double rooms, superior double rooms and junior suites.
Hotel Utopía
surrounding area
Benalup-Casas Viejas
A typical Spanish village in the innerland behind Vejer de la Frontera, about 35 minutes drive to the beach.
Active
There are plenty of options in the area if you want to be active, such as playing a round of golf, walking, surfing, kayaking and mountain biking.
Culinary
Pay a visit to a bodega in Jerez de la Frontera, the global capital of sherry production.
Family
Go down to Tarifa to catch a boat that will take you whale and dolphin spotting. In August and September you can even spot orcas here.
You can also head for the zoo in Jerez de la Frontera, or check out that city's horse riding school.
In Cádiz you could explore the tourist centre in a horse-drawn carriage.
Nature
From Sanlúcar de Barrameda you can also go on an excursion to the Parque Nacional de Coto Doñana on the other side of the water. This park is one of Europe’s largest swamp lands. This area is especially important for birds. Over 250 bird species have been spotted here, half of which come here to over-winter, such as the spoonbill, stork and the particular favourite of most visitors, the flamingo.
The best time of year to visit this park is winter or spring. In the summer and autumn the swamps are dry, although that is when visitors get excited about spotting deer, boar, buffalos and otters. With a good guide and some luck, you might even spot a lynx.
Between Arcos de la Frontera and Tarifa you will find the nature reserve Los Alcornocales. This area is made up by cork tree forests, easily recognized by the painted trees.
The following villages/towns in the area are definitely worth a visit:
Vejer de la Frontera (21km; 30min)
A lovely white village that is 10 km inland, sitting dominantly on top of a hill above the main road between Gibraltar and Cádiz. Vejer has a medieval centre, with very steep streets and alleys, beautiful whitewashed houses, ramparts and a Moorish fortress. At only 15 minutes from Vejer de la Frontera by car, you will find the stunning beach of Caños de Meca, right in the middle of nowhere (only surrounded by a few small holiday homes. This beach is also very popular with keen windsurfers, and has that typical beach bum atmosphere.
There are also some fine beaches between Caños de Meca and Barbate, which are connected by a coastal road that meanders through the Pinal de Barbate nature reserve, a wide row of dunes filled with pine trees.
Medina Sidonia (21km; 30min)
The white village of Medina Sidonia (between Vejer de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera) is imposingly nestled on a hill surrounded by grain fields. The village’s most striking monument is the Santa María la Coronada church in the higher part of the village. This village is known for its traditional sweet biscuits with honey and almond, alfajores. You can purchase these delights from the bakery on the Plaza de España, among other places.
Jerez de la Frontera (65km; 55min):
Jerez is the sherry capital of the world. A tour of one of its bodegas (Sandeman, Pedro Domecq, Gonzalez Byass) is not only good fun, but you will also learn something. How to distinguish fino from amontillado or oloroso sherry, for example.
Jerez is also famous for its horse riding school, the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Escuestre. Apart from visiting a show here, visitors can also attend lessons and tour the stables.
Other sights include the inviting cafes on the Plaza Asunción and the old town hall from 1575, Casa de Cabildo Viejo. The San Mateo quarter is famous for its flamenco bars, and is also where you will find the official flamenco centre: Centro Andaluz de Flamenco.
Cádiz (63km; 1h):
The modern part of Cádiz is a busy port. A visit to this city would not be complete without a walk along the quays. The old town is contained by fortifications that rise up from the sea. Within the ring of walls and fortresses there are houses and palaces from the 18th and 19th century, side by side with run-down quarters and squares with plenty of bar and cafes.
The city’s sights include the Castillo de Santa Catalina, a bulwark right on the tip of the small peninsula. In the centre you will find the cathedral, Catedral Nueva, and the Museo de Cádiz on one of the city’s nicest squares, the Plaza de Mina. And then there are a number of interesting churches, the baroque church Oratorio de San Felipe Neri and the Oratorio de la Santa Cueva.
Tarifa (69km; 1h5min):
The Moorish town of Tarifa is on the eastern edge of the Costa de la Luz. This area is dominated by the many wind turbines lining the hill tops. It is a windy place, and hence also a great place for windsurfing. Tarifa is the Mecca of windsurfing! Windsurf and kitesurf fanatics are drawn to Tarifa and give the place an informal, alternative flair and atmosphere with their hippy-like attitudes and style.
Surfers dominate the flat beach of the Valle de Vaqueros, just north of Tarifa. This is where they flock to try out new techniques and materials, and is where new trends are born. It all makes for a fascinating spectacle, even if you are not into surfing.
Arcos de la Frontera (61km; 1h5min):
Arcos is one of Andalucía’s finest little towns; it often serves as a base from which to explore the pueblos blancos (white villages); its entire medieval centre has been declared a Historic Monument. In Arcos you should just stroll around its cobblestone streets, past small whitewashed houses, its many squares and its patios. Arcos’ oldest building is the Castillo, a dilapidated castle that is strategically situated on top of the hill. From the town walls you have a great view of the Guadalete valley. The town hall, the ayuntamiento on the Plaza de Cabildo, is also worth a visit because of its fine mudejar-style ceilings.
And Arcos is also well-known for its hand-woven tapestry.
And you can, of course, head for one of these world famous cities for a day trip:
Seville (148km; 1h40min):
The capital of Andalucía is a compact city with a rich past. Most of its major sights are in or near the city centre on the Guadalquivir river’s left bank. And they also know how to party and have a good time in this city of flamenco and tapas.
As you wander through the old Jewish quarter, the Barrio Santa Cruz, through a maze of white streets and patios, you should not forget to take in the imposing cathedral, the Moorish bell tower, La Giralda, and the royal palace Real Alcázar.
You can unwind in the María Luisa park, where you can spend the hottest part of the day under orange trees and palm trees.
The museum Museo de Bellas Artes, one of Spain’s best museums of art, is a real must. And then there are its magnificent palaces and other sights, such as the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza (bull ring); Casa de Pil