Labyrinths of narrow streets filled with history, the smells of paella and the sounds of flamenco, magnificent architecture, wide sandy beaches and the boundless Atlantic Ocean – everything that Spain is so loved for is in small Cadiz.

Claiming to be the oldest city in Western Europe, Cadiz was built more than 3,000 years ago almost on the southernmost point of the continent. The Greeks and Byzantines called the city on an island surrounded by water on three sides, the edge of the world. It is connected to the mainland only by a narrow sandy isthmus, built up with multi-storey buildings, and three bridges.

How to get there

  • by plane (to the cities of Jerez de la Frontera or Seville, tickets from 100 euro one way*);
  • by Renfe company train ;
  • by Alsa bus from Seville, Granada, Valencia, Murcia and some other cities.

Buses run in Cadiz itself, connecting the old city with new areas and the nearest settlements on the mainland.

Where to stay

Cadiz is a popular destination for domestic tourism, so there are many accommodation options here:

Casa Caracol (rating 8.6) – hostel, from 30 euro per night *.

Casual Duende Cádiz (rating 8.4) – guest house, from 70 euro per night *.

Parador de Cádiz (rating 9.1) is a four-star hotel, from 200 euro per night*.

What to see

In the old fishing quarters of Cadiz, where sunlight sometimes does not penetrate, among houses that are closely stuck to each other, you can wander for hours, forgetting that you are on a small piece of land in the ocean. And then suddenly come out on a wide, light-flooded elegant square or a high embankment. For example, to the spacious Plaza San Antonio with the church of the same name, or the fragrant Plaza de las Flores immersed in flower stalls , to the shady Plaza de Mina surrounded by trees or the cozy, quiet Plaza Candelaria .

The architecture of Cadiz over a long history has turned into an elegant cocktail, mixed from the cultures of numerous city owners: Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arab Moors and, finally, the Spaniards.

Catedral Santa Cruz Cathedral – the main temple of the city – combines baroque, neoclassical and rococo styles. It looks especially majestic and mysterious at night, when the towers stand out clearly against the dark sky. The steps of the cathedral were chosen by local youth and tourists. Street musicians and flamenco singers often perform at Plaza de la Catedral – the acoustics there are amazing.

On the north tower there is a paid observation deck with a postcard view of Cadiz: white walls, red roofs and a blue ocean merging with the sky.

Another popular vantage point is located on the tallest building in the city – the 45-meter tower Torre Tavira . In addition to magnificent panoramic views, here you can watch an impressive performance with a camera obscura. This optical instrument, the forerunner of the camera, is a marvel of medieval engineering.

The difficult fate of Cadiz, full of stormy battles, forced its rulers to build defensive bastions. Many are well preserved to this day.

Castillo San Sebastian was built on a small island in 1706 to protect against attacks from the sea. The citadel, where the lighthouse is now located, is connected to the city by a stone dam. It’s great to sit there, admiring the Gulf of Cadiz. At low tide, you can go down to the bottom and wander around the exposed rocks of a bizarre “alien” look.

Nearby is another fortress – Castillo Santa Catalina , designed in the form of a regular five-pointed star, unusual for Andalusia. The citadel has hardly changed since 1598. Now there are museums and halls for temporary exhibitions, educational events and master classes.

On the other side of the island, the fort of Candelaria , which looks like a ship’s bow, is well preserved . Exhibitions and concerts are held here, and often, walking nearby, you can hear a powerful baritone flying over the bay.

The beaches of Cadiz

Cadiz, with its long line of gorgeous sandy beaches, is a mecca for beginner surfers. There are many surf schools here, and you can often meet groups of people with boards and instructors near the water. Really big waves come from late October to May, when autumn-winter storms begin. In the summer, the Atlantic Ocean off the coast is often calm, and Cadiz is ideal for a casual beach holiday.

La Caleta beach

A small beach 450 m long in the bay of the northern part of the island next to the boat station. The shore frames the white building of the Subaquatic Center. Beautiful photos are obtained against its background, and vacationers are hiding in the heat in the shade of its foundation.

Algae is washed ashore here, but there are never big waves, a very gentle entrance, and the water, although not the most transparent, warms up much faster than on other beaches. Therefore, La Caleta is great for families with children and those who love the calm ocean.

Here it is customary to meet the sunset and there is even a touching urban ritual: romantic music plays in the street speakers when the sun leans towards the water’s edge.

Santa Maria del Mar beach

A beautiful spacious beach on the outskirts of the old city, 850 m long. Soft sand, clean, warming up to + 24 ° C ocean, a gorgeous view of the cathedral and old Cadiz, breakwaters along the edges of the beach and buoys denoting a large area for safe swimming, make it ideal for any holiday. There is a shower, toilet, cafe, first-aid post. And, of course, the same, tanned merchants with carts who will not let you die of thirst.

In Cadiz, fluctuations in the ebb and flow of the tides are very noticeable. Therefore, sometimes you have to go a couple of additional tens of meters to the water. But at low tide, this beach is great for jogging or active barefoot walks.

Victoria beach

A wide three-kilometer beach is entirely located on a sandy isthmus leading to the mainland. It is one of the six best beaches in Spain and has been awarded the international award – the Blue Flag. Despite the safety, convenient entry into the water and the cruising athletic-looking lifeguards, you should be careful here. Sailing from the shore, you find yourself face to face with the giant Atlantic Ocean with its difficult temper and undercurrents.

At night, at low tide, the lights of lanterns wandering far from the shore are often seen here. These are local fishermen collecting marine life from the exposed bottom.

Cortadura beach

Beach with golden sand in the suburbs of Cadiz, stretching along the highway for 4 km. It is separated from the road by a strip of trees and bushes. There are no restaurants, shops and crowds of loud-voiced tourists. This place is suitable for secluded relaxing holidays, and rocky areas are good for relaxing snorkeling.

All the beaches of Cadiz are free, but you will need to pay extra for sunbeds and umbrellas.

Places for long walks

Almost all of Cadiz can be bypassed, moving along the promenades and embankments along the ocean. Even if you get lost in the back streets of the old city, sooner or later you will come to the water. And on the embankment it will be easier to understand where to move in order to get to the right point.

A long walk with picturesque views can be arranged starting from La Caleta beach towards Sta beach. Maria. The promenade on Campo del Sur goes along a high fortified shore. From there, the sparkling ocean is visible to the horizon, and in bad weather, splashes of waves crashing against the wall reach passers-by. Fishermen with long fishing rods often sit here, distributing compliments to girls walking by. And between the stones, street cats are hiding, which are fed by compassionate citizens.

After the beach Sta. María, you can continue along the coast along the Paséo Marítimo promenade until you leave the new city.

If you go the other way from La Caleta, then the path will lie along the Gulf of Cadiz along the promenade Paséo Santa Barbara .

There is also the Parque Genovés park – a garden where more than 300 species of trees and flowering plants grow, there is an artificial pond, a waterfall and a grotto. But the most interesting thing here is curly haircuts of crowns of trees and shrubs, giving them bizarre shapes.

Walking a little more along the embankment, you will find yourself in the secluded Alameda Park with huge ficus trees, among the roots and curved trunks of which unusual photographs are obtained. The park is decorated with black and white paving slabs, fountains and traditional Spanish ceramics – azulejos, which Cadiz inherited from the Moors.

Fishermen and local teenagers also gather on the waterfront in the area in the evenings. From the promenade, you can watch the multi-storey cruise ships moving towards the horizon, leaving the parking lot in the port of Cadiz . At night, the lights of other cities on the mainland are visible in the distance.

Moving further along the bay, you will meet more and more landscapes with silhouettes of port cranes and less and less passers-by and tourists. In this unpopular place for walking, it is good to wander after sunset: the rumble of the city is drowned out by the sound of the waves, and bright stars burn overhead.

Cafes, restaurants, bars, shopping

Cadiz is full of interesting places where you can eat deliciously without parting with your vacation budget for the evening:

  • the Mercado market in Plaza Libertad with fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables;
  • tapas bars on Calle Zorilla ;
  • restaurant Balandro , where the bar serves restaurant food from the chef at affordable prices; 
  • libreria cafe La Clandestina with the best carrot cake in Cadiz;
  • restaurants with beautiful terraces on Calle de la Palma ;
  • supermarket chains Mercadona, Día, Carrefour , where there are always high-quality famous Spanish cheeses and jamon.

Bars where you can have a noisy rest in the evening with your company and inevitably make new friends are located on Calle Sagasta and nearby. 

A pedestrian shopping area with mass-market stores, famous Spanish and world brands stretches along the streets of Calle Sacramento and Calle Columela . And small craft shops with authentic gizmos are hidden in the alleys near the main cathedral.

Keep in mind that the townspeople reverently honor the traditions of their beloved siesta, and many establishments, including restaurants and grocery stores, can be closed during the day in the heat. Cafes are filled with talkative Spaniards closer to 9 pm.

Entertainment and cultural program

The main event in the city, for which residents are diligently preparing for the whole year, is the colorful February Carnival of Cadiz, famous throughout Spain. There are many musical groups and ensembles in Cadiz. In the summer, rehearsing right on the street, they practice singing, playing instruments and walking at the same time. So don’t be surprised if somewhere on the embankment or in a secluded lane you meet a brass band, a male choir or a drum ensemble, performing world and Spanish classics. Music, reflected from the ancient walls of the city, sounds bewitching.

Cadiz is rich in museums and theaters:

  • the Grand Theater Falla ( Teatro Falla );
  • puppet theater ( Teatro Tía Norica );
  • the museum of Cadiz ( Museo de Cadiz );
  • the archaeological museum ( Yacimiento Arqueológico Gadir );
  • the Museum of the History of Cadiz ( Museo de las Cortes );
  • the puppet and lithography museum ( Museos del Titere y Litográfico );
  • the remains of an ancient Roman theater ( Teatro Romano );
  • the space of contemporary culture ( Espacio de Cultura Contemporánea de Cadiz ECCO ).

You can listen to Spanish guitar and traditional flamenco in many theater bars in Cadiz: Peña Flamenca la Perla de Cádiz , Taberna Flamenca La Cava , Café Teatro Pay Pay. Some concerts are free, sometimes they are transferred to free areas on the embankment.

There are often open exhibitions in the city center, for example, works by Spanish and European artists and illustrators are displayed on the walls of the Mercado market building.

Cadiz is definitely one of those cities whose atmosphere you will be drawn to again and again.

*Prices are current at the time of publication.