Alot of the Spanish Costa's are very commercialised now it's true.

However, the Costa de la Luz which is in Andalucia and is the coast between the Algarve and Gibraltar has so far managed to avoid the mass tourism.

It's split into 2 areas, the Cadiz provence in the south and the Huelva province in the north.

I confess to only being familiar with the southern Cadiz area as I have a house there and it is still an area where it's predominantly spanish holidaymakers that visit although the British are discovering it now!

The area has the Spanish good weather, the beaches are long wide stretches of white sand that are rarely packed although they can be busy in August. There are an abundance of good restaurants many serving local dishes but few if any nightclubs.

The scenery is lovely, much greener than you would imagine and if it's culture you're after, Cadiz and Seville have it in spades and are both near enough for a daytrip. A visit to a Sherry Bodega which the area is famous for also makes for a good afternoon.

There's also a fantastic site of Roman ruins in the area and it's location right next to a beautiful beach makes it quite stunning and best of all if you take your passport it's free entry to EU citizens

Looks fantastic and exactly what I'm after! Just a bit confused.. when trying to cost prices on travel sights would I put in Costa De La Luz as region and then Cadiz? Just that I seem to be struggling finding this on many package websights?

Hi thomson do isla canella which is down near ayamonte beach is fab it`s close enough to go to seville for the day take about 1 hour if you hire a car, very spanish not many brits and not very commerciallised.

The trouble is (depending on your viewpoint) that avoiding mass tourism and therefore commercialism probably means that not many Tour Operators are in the area so DIY is by the far the most common means of booking.

My house is on the outskirts of a resort called Novo Sancti Petri and I know that if you google that you will get some Tour Ops come up. The hotels in the resort do tend to be a bit swish and I have to say seem lovely to me.

There is alot of self catering accomodation available http://www.costa-luz-holiday.com/ will give you an idea, there's lots of Tourist info on here about the whole region. If you PM me I'll happily give you a link to my website where there are some photo's.

It really depends on what constitutes the perfect holiday for you, I love the area but then I'm biased I bought there!!!

Hi - Hubby and I holiday in costa luz every year now since discovering it 4 years ago. We stay at Novo Sancti Petri in the south, flying into Jerez, and stay at one of the very swish hotels that line the beach front, all 4 and 5 star. Unfortunately not many tour operators go to this area, this is why it is still lovely and quiet, so we pick up a cheap ryanair flight and book our own hotel, bliss!!!

I have to agree wilson2579, they're lovely hotels, we often go down for a coffee or to use the internet!! Which one is your favourite and what time of the year do you tend to visit?

Hi Jan, Don't really have a favourite. Would like to stay at the Melia hotel, but much too expensive for us. Our next favourite is Iberostar andalucia playa, which we have stayed at several times. We have also stayed at the Barossa Park and RIU Chiclana, although the RIU was very busy with children as this was July/August, but great value for money as it was all inclusive. We normally stay July/August, but also stayed last week of May last year, but unfortunately had to cut the holiday short because my Father died suddenly. Have to admit to having had a nosey in most of them and would stay at any and I am quite fussy about where I stay. I would recommend any of them.

All the hotels do look gorgeous don't they and the beaches they are located near take some beating ! May is a gorgeous month as is September - these are my favourite months to visit the Luz really. June, July & August are lovely as they have a real buzz about them as this is when the Spanish holiday in the area (they know a good thing ) but then you also have the other months where you can take a complete chill out holiday and have nearly the whole beach to yourself.

Have you ever thought of holidaying in a private rental Wilson? There are some cracking properties in the area and you get complete privacy that way, the site Jan mentioned above shows the calibre of properties out there.

The Costa de la Luz is beautiful and relatively unspoiled and if I were sitting where you are it would be pencilled in. However, you may be looking for choice and it can be easier to discount the overcrowded places in mainland Spain. Obviously you would know these places e.g. Benidorm etc.

Don't forget to pencil in Mojacar Playa, Costa Almeria which has a half Spanish, half ex-pat community. Ibiza it is not, but it is an established holiday destination which is not as busy as most of the other Costas. Many of the Brits living there have escaped from the hustle and bustle from elsewhere in Spain.

There are two Mojacars (Pueblo and Playa) separated by a distance 3 kms. The playa is the main holiday strip and has a healthy selection of Spanish, British, Italian, Argentinian, Bolivian, Chinese, Inidan etc cuisines. There are good supermarkets also.

The pueblo is a white mountain top village with narrow streets colourfully decorated. There are magnificent views of the surrounding countryside from several areas of the pueblo.

There is a good local cost effective bus service linking the pueblo to the beach if you don't feel like the walk. Another inexpensive coach service links the area to the surrounding villages where there are extensive markets.

The beaches are clean and there are free childrens' play areas along the promenade. Walking (as difficult or as easy as you wish) is recommended. Granada is a two hour drive by motorway and the city itself is beautiful with much to see, but do not miss out on the Alhambra Palace (bookable online in advance to save queing). Do your homework before you leave, otherwise you could miss out.

Driving in the Costa Almeria region is easy and there are panoramic views everywhere. Cabo de Gata Natural Park is worth a visit.

Almería, Murcia, Alicante airports are 45, 90, 125 minutes drive respectively from Mojacar. Each airport is served by low cost airlines from the UK.

Costa Almeríá is the driest and warmest area of mainland Europe.