Its origin as a fishing village, in the lower Middle Ages, is not hard to see, and in 1983, Conil was declared a site of historical importance, with good reason considering its historical and cultural heritage.

Viewing the towns surroundings, such as from the Torre de Guzmán, reveals the unique location of Conil. It is situated between two oceans and two continents; the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Oceans, and the continents of old Europe and the even older Africa, respectively. Situated near the mythical Pillars of Hercules (the real rock outcrops of Jebel Musa in Morocco and Gibraltar), Conil's geographical position in the classical world has meant that the town has seen succeeding civilisations come and go. Although the current town's origins lie in the Medieval era during the Reconquista (the Christian re-occupation of the Iberian Peninsula), the result is that Conil has been part of the civilised western world for over 3,000 years, and even before as part of little known Tarsessus and, some say a satellite settlement of the legendary Atlantis (1.). Consequently, a closer look at Conil reveals a fascinating and long history.

Conil is bounded, and its growth limited, by the adjacent Rio Salado (which until the late 20th century curved around the entire sea front of the town) to the south, the sharp slopes to the east (now Pocito Blanco and Cañada Honda) and the hill of Atalaya to the north. The topography slopes gently down from the puerto de Cádiz (“Cadiz Gate” at the end of the Calle Cádiz) to the present-day port. Until the 20th century, the town was set back from sea to avoid periodic flooding from the Rio Salado and the sea.