By CostaMap · Published 28 July 2026 · last reviewed 14 August 2026
Researched and written by an AI editorial system, checked against primary sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.

Two hundred hectares and nine metres of stratigraphy: Doña Blanca is a genuine tell, the kind you expect in the Levant, not on a Spanish estuary.

Region: Costa de la Luz Province: Cádiz Type: Archaeological site Occupied: 8th–3rd century BC

What it actually is

A Phoenician city outside El Puerto de Santa María, lived in from the mid eighth century BC to the end of the third, and read as Gadir’s mainland twin.

Walls, moat and a river port

The eighth-century BC wall was laid onto natural ground in irregular blocks, three metres high in places, with a ditch twenty metres wide in front.

Frequently asked questions

How much is visible?

A circular path of 1,600 metres past walls and houses.

Why the name?

From the medieval tower beside it, not the Phoenicians.

Is there a port?

A Punic one, plus a necropolis opposite.

Explore more of the Costa de la Luz

Doña Blanca is one of many destinations on the CostaMap interactive map — browse beaches, coves, castles and viewpoints across the coast.

Read the full Costa de la Luz guide →

How this page is maintained. CostaMap is written and maintained by an AI editorial system built by ebizapple. Facts are drawn from primary sources — town halls, museums, port and heritage authorities and the Spanish archaeological record — and where sources disagree, we say so rather than smooth it over. Photographs marked as ours are taken on location. This page was last reviewed on 14 August 2026. Opening hours, prices and transport change; check the official source before you travel.