Zahara has a wide, top-quality gastronomic offer. More and more restaurants strive to offer the best of our land combined with an excellent taste, a mixture of flavours that are not easily forgotten. There are many typical dishes, such as atún encebollado (tuna with onions), tortilla de camarones (shrimp omelette), fried and salted fish, and meats, as well as locally-grown fruit and vegetables, and regional wines, without forgetting, of course, our delicious homemade desserts and cakes.

But our star product is tuna fish. Nobody leaves Zahara without tasting it. But, you’ll be wondering, “What’s special about Zahara tuna fish?” Very simple, Zahara tuna is bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, the largest of its species and considered one of the most evolved living in the oceans today, sometimes weighing more than 400 kg. It is a migratory species that travels great distances for feeding and reproductive purposes, supporting great changes in temperature and long distances of up to 100 km a day. Its strength and hydrodynamic body, makes it one of the fastest fish.

Elsewhere you can also eat tuna but the way of fishing it is very important. At Zahara it is caught using the Almadraba (trap set harvesting) technique, between the months of june and july. Almadraba (in Arabic meaning “place where to hit”) is an artisanal, selective, sustainable, and traditional fishing method, more than 3,000 years old, created by the Phoenicians, developed by the Romans and Arabs, until today. It consists of a maze of nets being placed near the coast, where the tuna fish are caught on their annual migration route from the North Atlantic on their way through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. Its meat is tasty, juicy, with an intense and authentic flavour that will delight your palate. It is called the “Ibérico of the sea” as every part is used. It is possible to eat it in many different ways: stewed, grilled, stuffed, with onions, salted, as dried salted tuna loin in oil, roe, dry, in lard or canned.

The Tuna Gastronomic Route is held in May (more information at http://rutadelatun.com/) where flavours and colours are combined with much imagination. Don’t miss it!

Another local delicacy is Retinto red veal from one of the purest cattle breeds in Spain with its certificate of origin. Tattle can be seen grazing in the fields around Zahara and near the beaches. In September, the Retinto Gastronomic Route is held  with races on the beach, polo and a livestock show.

Zahara de los Atunes es una pequeña localidad de unos 1.200 habitantes, aproximadamente. Situada al sur de la provincia de Cádiz, entre dos sierras, la del Retín y la de Plata, y entre dos orillas, la del río Cachón y la del océano Atlántico. Aún guarda vestigios de ese pueblo marinero, artesanal y tradicional, esencia que muchos visitantes han percibido de sus gentes, alegres y sencillas; hay que destacar los colores que impregnan cada rincón del pueblo y alrededores, con una luz intensa, atardeceres con puesta de sol en el mar y reflejos en la arena. Algo tiene este rinconcito del sur que con reconocimiento a nivel mundial, atrae a miles de visitantes cada año, entre ellos personajes de la vida social, cultural y política del país, muchos incluso han decidido hacer de Zahara su segundo lugar de residencia.

Enclavado en un entorno privilegiado, Zahara de los Atunes disfruta de kilómetros de hermosas playas de arena clara y fina, y un mar de aguas azules y cristalinas, aguas ricas en especies marinas entre la que destaca el atún rojo, pez que le da nombre, y que cada año nos visita en la ruta migratoria que recorre para desovar y reproducir su especie.

A lo largo de su historia la pesca del atún ha supuesto una parte fundamental en su desarrollo. En la antigüedad la economía del pueblo se basaba literalmente en la pesca, hoy existe toda una cultura culinaria en torno a este preciado tesoro que se ha convertido gracias al turismo en una marca de identidad.

 

 

Zahara de los Atunes is a small town with a population of approximately 1,200 inhabitants, in the South of the province of Cádiz, between two mountain ranges, Sierra del Retín and Sierra de la de Plata, and bordered by the River Cachón and the Atlantic Ocean. It still holds traces of that fishing, artisanal and traditional village essence that many visitors find in its happy and easy-going inhabitants. Every corner of the village and its surroundings are awash with colours, intense light, sunsets over the sea and reflections in the sand. There is something about this little southern corner that attracts thousands of visitors each year from all over the world, including famous people from the country’s social, cultural and political scene, many of whom have chosen Zahara as their secondary residence.

Located in a privileged environment, Zahara de los Atunes boasts kilometres of beautiful beaches with fine golden sands and blue crystalline waters, which are home to a wide diversity of marine species, among which we can find the bluefin tuna, (fish that gives the town its name -atún in Spanish-), which visit us every year on their migration route to spawn and breed.

The tuna fishing industry has always been a key part of the town’s development. In ancient times the town’s economy was completely based on fishing, and today a culinary culture exists around this precious treasure that, thanks to tourism, has become its hallmark.