North of the lighthouse, Playa de la Cruz del Mar is the second of Chipiona's main beaches — smaller and more sheltered than Regla, with a backdrop of low cliffs and the original fishermen's chapel at the water's edge. The cross that gives the beach its name marks the spot where, according to local legend, the body of a drowned sailor washed up centuries ago.
The beach is best at low tide, when extensive rock pools appear and the corrales de pesca a little further north come fully into view. Several decent restaurants line the promenade just behind.