Chiclana de La Frontera - Geography and Climate

Geography and Climate

Chiclana de la Frontera is located on the Costa de la Luz of the southern coast of Spain, in lower Andalusia on the southwest coast of the province of Cadiz. The municipality borders Puerto Real to the north, San Fernando to the north-northwest and Conil de la Frontera to the south-southeast. The town itself is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the city of Cádiz which lies to the northwest and is about 95 kilometres (59 mi) west of Algeciras by the A-390 road through the mainland and passing through Medina-Sidonia, which lies about 24 kilometres (15 mi) east of the town of Chiclana. Villages in the municipality include La Coquina, Los Gallos Cerromolinos, Pinar de los Guisos, Llano de las Maravillas, Las Veguetas, La Barrosa, Novo Sancti Petri, Melilla, Campano, El Olivar, Torre del Puerco, El Colorado, Barrio Nuevo, Hozanejos and Pago del Humo and Las Veguetas, although it is difficult to distinguish the exact boundaries of many of the settlements as many of the villages are joined.

The Chiclana channel opens approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the bar of the Sancti Petri. It continues southeastward to the town, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the river at the base of mount Santa Anna. The coastline is characterized by extensive beaches including the Sancti Petri, the 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long La Barrosa (most important) and El Puerco. It has an average elevation of 11 metres (36 ft), its highest point being Cerro del Aguila at 52.3 metres (172 ft) above sea level. Another high point and landmark is Cerro de Santa Ana, located at 49.8 metres (163 ft). There are numerous hills to the northeast of the municipality. The municipality and town of Chiclana is crossed by the River Iro which rises in Lago Salado and empties into the small Bay of Sancti Petri. The relief of the land in the municipality is irregular but smooth, with slight undulations.

Chiclana's climate, as in the Bay of Cadiz, is typical of the southern Atlantic coast of Spain. The town is humid with an average temperature around 19 °C, approaching the maximum 30 °C in August, with minimum temperatures are around at 2 °C (in January). The town has approximately 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. The average rainfall is about 600 mm, with December the wettest month and the summer months the driest, but at times the municipality can receive heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions, making the town vulnerable to flooding. The mean wind ranges between 10 and 15 km / h. The strongest winds usually rises in the east or southwest during the summer and late autumn and spring. The municipality has a number of pine, olive, oak and chaparral trees growing within it and it contains the Parque Forestal Municipal "Pinar del Hierro y de la Espartosa"; the park is popular with hikers and mountain bikers.