IT is in a sleepy backwater, up a dead end road close to Vejer de la Frontera that I found one of the last redoubts of quintessential Andalucia.

Tricky to find and easy to miss even when right outside, there are few places left in the region that are quite so unpretentious. Authentic in the extreme and little changed for decades, Venta el Toro is where those locals-in-the-know go for a dose of nostalgia and a darn good tapas lunch.

It is here that you will find local hoteliers escaping their clients and lovers heading for a secret rendezvous. Slowly becoming something of a magnet for foodies, the hamlet of Santa Lucia now boasts three good restaurants , including the amazing Castilleria, which has been constantly evolving for a decade.

All part of greater Vejer, which is arguably Andalucia’s food capital, within ten minutes of here you can find easily a dozen good places to eat. It has been a r e m a r k a b l e turnaround for a place that two decades ago you would probably only stop at for a coffee or maybe a venta lunch if you couldn’t make it to Tarifa or nearby Conil in time.

The name Vejer de la Frontera, however, says it all… a hilltop fortress, seen for miles around, was once a last frontier of Christian Spain. The scene of invasions and bloodthirsty battles for hundreds of years, this much sought after strategic outpost changed hands numerous times, finally becoming part of King Ferdinand’s Spain in 1248.

Later, in 1805, the sound of heavy gunfire could be heard again as Admiral Nelson destroyed the unified French and Spanish armada at nearby Cape Trafalgar. The Civil War years were violent too, with calls for land reform from residents met by General Franco by sending 24 soldiers to occupy the town, killing anyone who stepped out of line. 

Nowadays, however, the only thing likely to knock you over in Vejer is the wind. That and the stunning views from this delightful white village, exposed to the gusting Atlantic from its hilltop perch between the sea and the sierra. An unmissable component of any visit to the Costa de la Luz, the medieval quarter oozes history, its castle walls intertwined with white- washed homes discovered along twisty-turny, cobbled streets. The Moorish castle – or Alcazaba – hides down a side street lined with eucalyptus trees.

The jasmine-scented courtyard houses the den of the local scout group, who will happily show tourists around the ramparts of what is otherwise mostly residential now. The streets all tend towards the town’s central square, the highly picturesque Plaza Espana – known locally as ‘Plaza de los Pescaitos’ – with its exquisite, bright fountain decorated with 19th-century Triana tiles from Sevilla.

The plaza takes its name from the little goldfish – pescaitos – which used to swim in the fountain when it was built in the 1920s. The surrounding streets and alleyways are a hive of activity, belying their sleepy appearance. There are handicraft shops, art galleries and flamenco haunts, as well as cafes, bars and restaurants serving up the best produce from the turbulent Atlantic and encircling farmland and forests. In particular look out for Pajarra, a shop that for over a decade has providing visitors to the Costa de la Luz with an amazing range of stylish, original, hand-printed t-shirts… right in front of your nose.

Above all, make sure to head up to the turreted walls, from where views spread out across cultivated fields to the mountains and the 5,000 hectare Las Brenas Natural Park. It’s easy to see why this immaculate village was voted second Most Beautiful in Spain on Trip Advisor. There is certainly something special about Vejer, which appears to lord it over its neighbouring fishing villages from its exalted hilltop eyrie, its white cubist houses tumbling down the hillside like tossed dice. And it’s a safe bet, if you’re new to the Costa de la Luz, that you’ll be leaving nothing to chance if you take a trip to the former final frontier.