“Have car, will roam” – this was our unspoken thought when we set off from the base of our trip of southern Spain, the little mountain town of El Bosque, for the ancient city of Cádiz on the south-western tip of Spain. The drive took us just an hour. It would take 1.5 to 2 hours from Ronda or Seville. You can get to Cádiz by train as well, either from Madrid (4 hours) or Seville (2 hours).

Route Map to Cadiz, Southern Spain

Cádiz goes back all of three thousand years, until the time of the Phoenicians who founded the city in 1,100 B.C., though legend says that the city was founded by none other than Hercules himself. Cádiz has a magnificent natural harbour which is today a hub for cruise ships. It is a popular beach town as well.

Like many old cities the streets of Cádiz are narrow and ‘one-way’ in most areas. So we decided to park our car at the northern end near the Park Genoves and walked around to explore the city’s highlights.

BEST HIGHLIGHTS IN CADIZ

 

Cádiz Cathedral (Catedral de Santa Cruz)

Cadiz Cathedral
Inside Cadiz Cathedral
Cathedral at Cadiz

The highlight of Cádiz is the Cathedral. Its beautiful architecture comprises both baroque and neoclassic style and its golden dome adds majesty to its imposing presence. Admiring it from the outside is probably better than roaming around the interior, though a climb to the clock tower may be worthwhile for getting a panoramic view of the city.

The cathedral museum is a great place to view its exhibitions of the city of Cadiz and the religious paintings and sculptures.

Tavira Tower (Torre Tavira)

View from Torre Tavira

Another great option to enjoy a scenic view of Cádiz is from the highest point in old town Cádiz – Torre Tavira. This well-preserved tower was used by local merchants to watch the approach of ships. We explored a couple of exhibition halls and found the Camera Obscura exhibit which gave us a city tour in a unique way. Real time images projected from the tower top gave a 360 degree of Cádiz, and a 15 minute ‘guided tour’ took us around Cádiz.

Castle of San Sebastián (Castillo de San Sebastián)

Side view of Castillo San Sebastian
San Sebastian Castle
Castillo San Sebastian

A visit to an old Spanish town is never complete without taking in a castle, and the Castillo de San Sebastian is definitely worth a visit.

This fortress is at the end of La Caleta beach on an islet separated from the mainland by a long walking path.  It is one of the oldest castles in Western Europe. It shares the islet with a chapel, an ancient lighthouse and watchtower and the Marine Research laboratory.

Apart from the castle itself, the walk to it along the breakwater, where the crashing waves broke into amazing colors, was an attraction too. This was also a place to get good photographs of the harbour with the Cathedral and other buildings facing the sea.

Cadiz skyline
Gulls in Cadiz seafront
colors of the sea
Harbour view

Park Genovés (Parque Genovés )

Our long walk along the breakwater, the home of sea-gulls, finally led us back to Park Genoves, a lovely park with fountains, caves, a lake and waterfalls. Its botanical gardens nurture many species of trees and shrubs, and there are birds and a small aquarium too.

One of the highlights of the park is La Gruta, a lake with a waterfall where several species of birds co-exist – a great place for family. Along the way you will find interactive exhibits to keep the kids engaged.

Unique trees at Park Genoves, Cadiz, Spain
La Gruta in Parque Genoves, Cadiz, Spain
Park Genoves, Cadiz, Spain

Cádiz has some good beaches too, but a day trip may not be enough to enjoy them.

Well, if you walk such a lot you gotta eat too! The maze of narrow streets in the old city are full of traditional Spanish restaurants, many of them with street seating – the best way to enjoy eating in Cádiz.

FOOD AND DRINKS

Being a port city, Cádiz has excellent seafood, of which blue tuna and oysters are specialities. We opted for a good Salmon tartar with avocado (not so much Spanish) and some standard tapas with a glass of the Jerez Blue Sherry wine. The local favourites – Salmorejo (gazpacho’s thicker, creamier cousin), Dorada (Mediterranean fish) and Tortillitas de camarones (crispy shrimp pancakes) – are on the menu, of course. Cádiz is also known for traditional little cookies, and there are bakeries all over the city – almond cookies, jelly filled pastries and more.

Tip: If you are in a mood to take a short break on your drive back, Jerez is an interesting town, 30 minutes drive from Cádiz, where you will find the famous horse riding schools and the Blue Sherry wine.

Cádiz has so many attractions – history and architecture, beaches and city tours, food and wine – it is impossible to enjoy all of it in just a day. But if you can’t have it all, at least have a great day trip from anywhere in Southern Spain!

Cadiz in Spain
Cadiz seafront in Spain

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