Playa de la Cortadura

Beach of the municipality of Cádiz, it is located at the entrance of Cádiz next to the walls of the Cortadura, outer limit of the defenses of the city from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The beach also extends along the left bank of the CA-33, until reaching the pipe that divides the municipalities of Cadiz and San Fernando. It is the longest in the municipality, with a length of 3,900 meters and a dry beach width of about 60 meters. It is considered a "virgin beach", the only one in the municipality of Cadiz.

It is of great interest for study, as it is made up of a dune cordon, a large intertidal zone and a rocky area that is exposed at low tide. The dune cordon consists of a primary dune cordon on which vegetation characteristic of active sandbanks is established, such as barron, sea caterpillar and barilla pinchosa in the areas closest to the sea, as well as others towards the interior, such as sea grass, sea holly and sea lily, among others. Behind the primary dune is an area of relatively active secondary dune, where the richness of species increases and exotic species appear, such as lion's claw and reed. In this inner area there are several artificial depressions in the form of a basin, which fix the sands, stabilised with exotic vegetation, where other species, such as reeds, establish themselves. Along the entire dune system there are several walkways that reach the beach from the parking area, of which only three are elevated. However, the whole dune appears very fragmented due to the passage of bathers through the system. Sheet piling and wicker catchers have been placed in some sectors and in others fill material has been added to reconstruct the dune topography.

In previous years, during the Carranza Trophy, this beach, along with Victoria Beach, used to be where most barbecues were held on Barbecue Night. From the afternoon of the Saturday of the trophy until the early hours of Sunday morning, the locals organize barbecues with family or friends who come to congregate a lot of people, more than 200,000 people on the beach, according to the City Council. Barbecues are currently not allowed.

Nowadays Cortadura beach, more specifically the area known as "La Gallega", is a nudist beach. In the rest of the beaches nudism is not allowed.