Shall we walk through the lonely streets of this corner of Chiclana?
two tuna they look at each other face to face on the blue background of a crumbling wall. They give the note of color to the environment, where the old houses that were in their day fisherman's home , resist today with great difficulty so as not to collapse.
A little further on, the tuna are accompanied by huge whales, sea turtles, dolphins, mermaids and even jellyfish that, reflected in the facades, also take over a space that seems to tell stories. And it is that it tells them: it narrates, for example, how it has been abandoned for decades, conquered by nature that manifests itself with roots that twist in its windows. With plants that grow, free, on their roofs.
In the background, islet of Sancti Petri
is the old fishing village of Sancti Petri, located in the Cadiz town of Chiclana , a song to the almadrabero past of the area. Because here, among solitary skeletons of cement and iron that allow us to remember better times, and in front of Punta del Boquerón -already belonging to the island of San Fernando- Not so long ago, an entire industry dedicated to tuna fishing and canning was created. **
It was the last decades of the 19th century when what would be its moment of great splendor began, although its origins really went much further back in time: you have to go back to the Phoenician era to recover that tradition of tuna fishing; or to the Muslim roots to find the beginnings in the trap technique.
In fact, it was in the seventeenth century when they settled in Sancti Petri the first chancas, deposits used to cure mackerel, anchovies and other fish , and then put them in preserves.
The industry prospered at such levels during the last century that it had up to two thousand seasonal workers . The town was then transformed into a prosperous place that, in addition to dozens of houses, also had school, church -la del Carmen, still in use-, food market, bars and even a cinema . The decline came when the tuna, that acclaimed fish, began to be scarce, which meant the diaspora of all those who lived from the business.
In 1973, finally, the marine nucleus was depopulated , and in 1979 the land was expropriated by the Ministry of Defense, which used it for military maneuvers until 1993, when the town of Sancti Petri fell into oblivion.
Art as a tribute to the sea
Walk around the lonely streets of this corner of Chiclana is today a most captivating activity. The abandonment to which the entire area has been subjected may generate a certain nostalgia even for those who have never known better times. And yet it is precisely that decadence that gives him a je ne sais quoi that makes it special.
Much has to do with it the work of Antoni Gabarre, Barcelona artist that, traveling in a van, fell through these lands by chance 30 years ago and here he stayed. "It was love at first sight" , tells us who has been in charge in all this time of transforming those forgotten walls into an authentic ode to the sea. “It is an immense vindictive photocall; with that blue brush stroke I try to redirect the kind, the sweet, back to the sea, which is ** the origin of the town: the sea and its species”, he tells us. **
On his initiative, absolutely altruistic , arises this kind of homage to the past that today illustrates part of the abandoned facades of Sancti Petri. Go through it calmly, and if possible, camera in hand, give landscapes and unique postcards . Because where least expected life suddenly arises through his drawings.
Mural by Antonio Gabarre
“One day 30 years ago I came here without asking permission or anything and I started painting. I was doing a seabed with tuna when suddenly a couple from the Civil Guard appeared, but they looked at me and after a while they left . Shortly after, the same thing happened with the National Police: they arrived, looked and left. And so until today”, recalls Antoni when recalls the origins of the project , adding that nowadays, every time he approaches retouch some of the murals , the Civil Guard continues to appear, but to take photos of their work.
Jobs whose absolute protagonist is the tuna , which appears everywhere; Gabarre says that he has even been taking care of baptize them: Miri, Bel, Ant or Mar are just some of their names. “For me it is like a symbol of return to life: I return their souls to the ocean." he counts.
And it is that, committed to the cause, Gabarre defends that he has always worked in the line of rights, whether they were of nature or of the human being. During the war in Bosnia he went to paint murals and motivate the population to recover the destroyed buildings.
He also did it in Northern Ireland. For years, the tuna has occupied a key place in his work: for him this place is special, and in his struggle to give him life is the desire for his recovery. But, yes: maintaining the soul of what one day was.
Oh, his sunsets...
The other side of the town
Nevertheless, not everything is literally abandoned in the town of Sancti Petri . Several of those old houses are still inhabited, some of them by the descendants of those who once lived their best times. They have also survived two fishermen's clubs -Caño Chanarro and La Borriquera- where those who dedicate their lives to the sea continue to meet daily. The most authentic gastronomy is prepared in its kitchens of the place.
A few meters further on, the epicenter of current life: that of the Leisure port, sports port and the various nautical companies that offer activities to enjoy the natural environment unique in the area.
That is why it is not uncommon to run into some other fan of paddle surfing on his surfboard, paddle in hand and between colorful fishing boats, the waters of Caño Sancti Petri , which separates Sancti Petri from island lands. There are also those who are encouraged to do it in a kayak, canoe or on another board: the windsurf board. The less adventurous, yes, find the peace of this little paradise lying on the sand of its almost virgin beaches . In short, what better pleasure than basking in the Cadiz sun?
Sancti Petri Castle
At the other side of Caño de Sancti Petri, at Punta del Boquerón , the dunes once again take over the landscape: they star in a spectacular postcard and add more richness, if possible, to the flora and fauna that inhabits the area.
And while all this is going on and Gabarre tuna watch from their facades, another wonder, in this historical case, also claims its importance. Its about old Castle of Sancti Petri, from the 17th century : from his islet he cries out to the world for having witnessed feats and key moments in the development of the area, but he also remembers the legends that hang over him. **
There are those who assure that in that same place he was buried, centuries ago, to Melqart, god-king of the Phoenician city of Tires to whom the mythical temple of Hercules was consecrated, so the historic sanctuary would have been built here. Of course: remains have never been found to confirm the theory.
An ideal plan to complement the discovery of the fishing village is the guided tour of the castle, which can be booked at any of the nautical companies in the area -the Zaida Sailing School, Gurri and Albarco Nautical Activities are some of them-. Although, things as they are: it won't be completely perfect until the gastronomic point is given to the experience.
And here things get serious: you can choose one of the two historic yacht clubs , where the product is of the highest quality - famous in the area are the oysters, the island's mouth crab (the only European fiddler crab that can also be seen by the thousands on the banks of the Caño), and the exquisite cuttlefish.
Also for one of the two beach bars in the area: Apretaito and Bongo. But if you want to give the theme a twist and try a more innovative cuisine, you have to bet on La Casa del Farero: enjoy its elaborate dishes while you contemplate the views of the Bay of Cádiz, the Caño and the San Fernando salt flats , or enjoy a delicious cocktail on its terrace with the sunset background , priceless.
The best? The place where you are: the building that actually housed the lighthouse keeper's house in the past and in which space has also been left for an interpretation center on the town of Sancti Petri.
A wonderful way to understand, even more so, what is special about this unknown place that steadfastly refuses to forget its past. Let's cross our fingers that it stays that way.