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Latest update: 28 February 2025
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. And it’s a great hiking option too!
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). In 2023, after passing the housing, when you reached a wider street, you could still descend directly to the beach. There’s now a fence there, although quite a few people seem to ignore it. I walked back a short distance and took the path to the sea from the ‘small hamlet’, which ends with a staircase. 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. Hiking this trail in 2023, it was all still very pristine and wild and I sometimes had to guess what the right path was. In early 2025, a hiking trail was built on the first section. On the way back, you walk along the beach, so you can’t miss it.
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. Booking.com is always a popular choice. But you could also check Homecamper | campspace or Hostelworld for more options. HostelWorld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. You can also check out WithLocals. Book ‘free’ walking tours at Freetour.com or GuruWalk and try Baja Bikes for bike tours.
- Attractions and museums. Interested in a 5% discount on museums and other attractions? Use this discount code at Tiqets: KIMOPREIS22
- Bus and train. If you want to travel by bus or train to or in Spain, Busbud and Omio are excellent companies for planning your transportation.
- Boat. You can take a boat from Barcelona to the Balearic Islands, or take a ferry between the islands. Check out the options at Direct Ferries.
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Be sure to check out Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? You could try Expedia or CheapOair.
- 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 guides. I like paper travel guides to browse through, for sale at Amazon, among others.
- Yoga retreat. Or treat yourself to a yoga retreat in Spain.
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First published: May 2023. The article has been updated since!
