The ultimate in Tarifa luxury holiday villas in this exclusive resort next to Zahara de Los Atunes. The best area for a very private luxury vacation rental.
Atlanterra is a private residential area neighbouring the charming village of Zahara de los Atunes, 40km northwest of Tarifa on the Costa de la Luz in Cádiz province. Occupying an area between Playa de Zahara and Cabo de Gracia at the southeastern end of Playa de los Alemanes, the development is an exclusive enclave of luxury vacation villas, hotels and restaurants nestled between the sandy beaches and cliffs and watched over by the Faro de Camarinal and the Torre de Cabo de Gracia. Residents and visitors benefit from exceptional privacy as there is no through traffic, and Atlanterra can only be accessed by the road leading south from Zahara de los Atunes.
Atlanterra was conceived in 1962 by developers whose mission was to design a sustainable development and protect and preserve the natural beauty of the area. Their ambition was to create a secluded haven for residents and renters looking for high-end holiday rentals, luxurious homes and above all total privacy. The development offers luxury villas for sale and holiday rentals, as well as select plots of land for those wishing to have their property designed and built to their own specifications. There are also several luxury hotels in Atlanterra, including the Meliá Zahara Resort & Villas, the boutique beachfront hotel El Varadero, Q-Hotels’ El Cortijo de Zahara, and the 5-star Blue Zahara Beach & Spa which is just on the border with Zahara de los Atunes.
One of the most exceptional features of Atlanterra is its idyllic natural setting, and particularly the glorious semi-virgin beaches. The development straddles two of the most spectacular stretches of sand on the coast, separated by the rocky outcrop of Cabo de Plata, with its WWII bunker. Playa de los Alemanes is a beautiful bay backed by vegetation and gently sloping hills, with crystal-clear waters just made for swimming and snorkelling; and the 8km Playa de Zahara is an almost untouched expanse of Blue Flag beach, smoke-free since 2020, which remains uncrowded even in high season. If you’re on the hunt for hidden coves, take one of the trails past the Camarinal lighthouse down to Playa de El Cañuelo – it’s a bit of a scramble, but so worth it! Northwest of Zahara are the beaches of Barbate: the family-friendly Playa de Barbate, backed by a promenade with first-rate facilities, and Playa de la Hierbabuena, a wild 900m arc of white sands and dunes on the other side of Barbate port, which is a continuation of La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park. Heading southeast from Playa de los Alemanes, you come to another natural beauty – Playa de Bolonia – where you can bathe in rock pools, scale the giant sand dune and step back in time among the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia. Continue towards Tarifa and you’ll understand why the town is known as Spain’s surfing capital: Playa de los Lances and Playa de Valdevaqueros are the surfer hotspots, but Tarifa’s 20km of beaches can easily absorb the crowds and provide quieter shores for folk seeking peace and tranquillity.
If you can drag yourself away from the blissful beaches, Atlanterra is surrounded by four magnificent national and natural parks. To the northeast is Parque Natural de los Alcornocales, spanning 1,677 square kilometres across the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga and home to one of the largest expanses of cork oak forests in the world. To the northwest, Parque Natural de La Breña y Marismas del Barbate encompasses marine, marsh, dune and forest habitats and its 90m-high cliffs dominate the coastline. To the east of Tarifa, the 190 square kilometres of Parque Natural del Estrecho contain no less than 18 habitats and unique formations of beaches, cliffs and caves. North of Cádiz, straddling the provinces of Huelva and Seville, is one of Europe’s most beautiful and important wetlands – Parque Nacional de Doñana – a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site with stunning landscapes of marshes and peat bogs, lagoons, coniferous and oak forests, and 38km of unspoilt beaches. These protected areas are home to an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna, including many native species and migratory birds that cross over from Africa to Europe and back again. There are myriad marked routes and trails for hiking, biking and horse riding, so don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and witness these impressive and unique sights!
There are several excellent restaurants within Atlanterra and many more within easy reach. Restaurante Vambú offers a fusion of Mediterranean tradition with a generous serving of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine, in the Balinese-style tropical gardens of the El Varadero hotel; and La Bodega in El Cortijo de Zahara – set in a 19th century Andalusian farmhouse – dishes up hearty Cádiz-style cooking made from the freshest local ingredients. Just a couple of kilometres towards Zahara de los Atunes village, Restaurante Antonio is an elegant beachfront locale which excels in time-honoured Andalusian favourites and a vast selection of seasonal fish and seafood. The nearby Blue Zahara Beach & Spa hotel’s Restaurante Tarik creatively reinterprets Mediterranean favourites adding Asian accents, and the hotel’s Sky Bar, as it suggests, is the perfect place for a drink with stunning sunset views. And if you’re tempted to explore the superb selection of nearby eateries and those further along the Costa de la Luz, take a look at our suggestions here.
Other than fine dining, a luxury holiday in Atlanterra should undoubtedly include some spa-style pampering. Let us organise an indulgent beauty treatment for you in the comfort of your luxury villa or book a facial or massage at Ikebana Wellness in the Meliá Zahara hotel. If you’d prefer the whole spa and pampering package, the Blue Spa Zahara has it all: a relaxation pool, a treatment pool with hydromassage jets, swan-neck fountains and cascades, cryotherapy (cold therapy) to heal sore muscles, reduce inflammation and stimulate circulation, a sauna and Turkish bath, bithermal and mist showers, foot spas, an indoor chill-out area and outdoor sun deck, as well as a delicious menu of soothing massages, invigorating body exfoliations, and rejuvenating facials. You’ll leave feeling brand new!
Our luxury villas in Atlanterra are idyllic holiday retreats set in a stunning natural landscape and offering complete privacy and luxurious modern comforts. Whether you wish to spend lazy days by the pool or on the beach just steps from your villa or try out the myriad activities on offer along this part of the coast, Atlanterra is a great base for rest or play. From here you can also explore the Costa de la Luz or the beautiful white villages of Cádiz and Huelva province. And if you’d like to visit another continent, a mere one-hour ferry ride from nearby Tarifa will have you in Tangier, where you can experience the Medina, Grand Socco and exotic souks and immerse yourself in yet more culture.