Do you want to get a feeling of the Spanish ´campo´? Meet cows, horses, donkeys and other animals walking on the road? Go to Betis and experience it. A very small town, with only about 50 houses, close to Bolonia, roughly between Tarifa and Zahara de los Atunes on the Costa de la Luz.

Betis is still a hidden place. If you don’t know that it exists, you won’t find it accidentally. Driving on the N340, coming from Tarifa and driving into the direction of Cádiz, after 10 kilometers you first pass the exit on the left to Punta Paloma. About 200 meters further on there’s another exit on your left, a small road between 2 white pillars. Next to the entrance of the road there’s a sign saying “Zona Militar, paso prohibido”, but don’t let that scare you off, you are allowed to take this road. The military zone only begins a few kilometers further down the road. After about 1,5 km driving uphill, there’s a road to the right, with a sign ´Betis´.

In this small town you won’t find any big tourist attractions, but if you like to do some walking, mountain biking or rock climbing you will enjoy it. Betis is situated in the Sierra de San Bartolome, part of the Parque Natural del Frente Litoral. In a crow line only 3 kilometers away of the Atlantic Ocean. The highest point is 442m. There are more than 200 climbing routes in this area, both for beginners and for more experienced people. A few companies offer climbing courses in this area, in Betis ´Aventuras del Sur´ offers beginners courses, special courses and courses for children. Two other companies are Girasol Adventure Shop and Osmundasur.

If you don’t want an organized trip, you can also do some walking or climbing yourself. Near the entrance of Betis (coming from Tarifa) there´s a parking space. From this point there’s a small footpath going uphill, which leads you to an area where you can do some nice walking. From the top of the hill you have a nice view of the surrounding area.

There is only one road leading through Betis and it is a few kilometers long. On your left side you have a view on the mountains of the Sierra de San Bartolome, on your right side you have a magnificent view of the mountains of the Parque Natural de los Alcornocales. It is also worth it to have a look at the houses and especially the animals that are walking around. Although more and more houses are sold or rented to people who originally don’t come from this area, there are still some old farmers here, who let their cattle walk around freely during the day. So don’t be surprised if you have to wait a few minutes to let some cows pass. After a few kilometers you end up on the road to Bolonia.

As it is a very small place you won’t find any big hotels here, but some people rent out their house during summer. Prices are not cheap, but still reasonable in comparison to other bigger towns nearby like Tarifa or Zahara. Just drive through the town and look out for signs “se alquila (for rent)”. There are also some agencies that rent out holiday homes in this area; try for example Costasur or the internet.