The almadraba is the traditional tuna trap fishery that has operated along this coast for millennia. In late April and May, Atlantic bluefin tuna pass through the Strait of Gibraltar on their annual migration from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean to spawn. The almadraba captures them in a maze of nets anchored offshore, culminating in a dramatic group harvest.
Conil is one of four almadraba towns along the Cádiz coast (the others are Zahara de los Atunes, Barbate, and Tarifa). The almadraba season runs roughly from April to June, and its influence on the local food scene is unmistakable during that period. Bluefin tuna caught this way is genuinely exceptional — the fish are mature, wild, and killed quickly — and the restaurants serving it during the season are unlikely to disappoint. The atún de almadraba from this coast has Protected Geographical Indication status and commands a premium.
You cannot watch the levantá harvest as a tourist, but the port activity and the restaurant menus in May and June make the tradition very much alive. The best way to experience it is simply to eat the tuna at one of the town's fish restaurants during the season.