Cadiz. Top things to do in Cadiz. Travel to Cadiz in Andalusia, Spain.
Location and History
Cadiz is the oldest, continuously inhabited city on the Iberian Peninsula. It is a small city in Andalusia in southern Spain on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the sea, and it could just be the perfect destination for a Spanish holiday.
It's the home of the Spanish Navy. The port boomed in the 16th century as the base for exploration and trade. Cadiz had the monopoly on the trade from the Americas up to late in the 18th century which brought lots of wealth and people settling in the city.
Christopher Columbus left on two of his four exploration voyages from Cadiz.
Watch Towers of Cadiz
With all the wealthy people moving into Cadiz in during the trading time with the Americas, many palatial homes were built. These were two and 3 storey houses with rooftop terraces. The merchants who owned them, then built small towers on top so they could watch out to sea to see the ships arriving and leaving the harbour.
There are still 133 in the old town of Cadiz today.
Fortress of Cadiz
There are two forts that are located, one at each end of Caleta Beach - Castillo de Santa Catalina and Castillo de San Sebastian.
Castillo de Santa Catalina was built on a rocky outcrop at Caleta Beach in the 17th century.
It is an Italian star-like floor plan and served as a military prison. It is now a museum and is used for cultural events.
Castillo de San Sebastian was built in 1706 and isn’t open to the public.
Caleta Beach (Playa de La Caleta)
This is the most popular beach in Cadiz, even though it is the smallest. The tide goes out a long way which leaves the small fishing boats stranded on the sand.
This beach was the setting for a famous James Bond movie scene.
It is where Halle Berry emerges from the water in a bikini and walks up the beach. She is also filmed in the bikini in the old white bathhouse which is was a restaurant in the movie.
Castillo de Santa Catalina was the site of the DNA lab in the same movie.
Genoves Gardens
These gardens were started in the 18th century. The contain one of the largest dragon trees in Europe.
It is known for its large area of plants and manicured trees along shaded paths. One of the highlights of the park is the manmade waterfall in the centre. You can walk under or over the waterfall. Part of the waterfall attraction are the dinosaurs which are realistic, even if a bit smaller than life-size.
Paseo de Santa Barbara
This walkway runs along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and is lined with a hip height wall. Next to the wall is the paved promenade with its huge shade trees, mosaic tiled benches and lookouts. You can stop all along the promenade for magnificent views of the ocean. There is another walkway that runs through some gardens which have pergolas and bright pink bougainvillea growing all over them.
The promenade is usually a quiet place for a walk or stroll and takes past some statues, water features and monuments.
Plazas and Monuments of Cadiz
If you wander around Cadiz for any amount of time you will definitely find yourself in one of the beautiful plazas.
Plaza de San Juan de Dios.
This is the plaza where the town hall building is located. These are lined with palm trees. At the end of the water feature is a bronze statue of Moret – who was a favourite son of the people of Cadiz. There are restaurants and bars all around the plaza with outdoor tables and chairs. It is also where you can find some lovely shops.
Plaza de Espana
This is where the massive monument to the Constitution of 1812 can be found. It commemorates the centennial of the signing of the constitution.
It is located in the centre of the plaza. It is built in a semi-circular shape and has an empty Presidential chair on the lower level. The upper part has many inscriptions as well as equestrian statues.
It is truly a massive monument that you definitely need to visit if you go to Cadiz. You can easily walk around the statue as there are grassed areas on all sides.
Plaza de Flores
There are many flower stands and florist shops in this plaza, hence the name Plaza of Flowers. It is very pretty with all the colourful flowers and there are also bars and restaurants where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere.
At one end of the plaza is the city’s main post office. It was built in 1930’s and is a stunning building made of brick and decorative elements of glazed ceramics.
The Central Market of Cadiz
One of the entrances to the Cadiz market is from the Plaza de Flores. Here you can buy the best fresh produce from vegetables, meat and fish as well as freshly baked bread.
Once you finish checking out all the fresh produce you can visit the prepared food courtyard section. It was refurbished in 2009 and is the perfect spot to try all the local produce that is sold in the market and cooked in the food section including some of Cadiz’s local cuisine.
We ate many fresh oysters that were shucked as we waited. We would certainly recommend you visit the market and try as much of the food as you can.
Cathedral Square
There are two churches in Cathedral Square. The first is the most well-known and most visited – the Catedral de Cadiz or also known as Catedral de Santa Cruz de Cadiz. It was built between 1722 and 1838 so it had many changes during this long building time.
It costs 7 euros to enter, but the entry price also gains you access to the crypt and one of the twin bell towers at over 130 feet.
The cathedral is elaborately decorated. There are 16 chapels and stunning wood-carved choir area and the high altar is the most ornate part of the cathedral.
The crypt is a large area decorated with oyster stone and marble and has a huge dome with five alcoves. The famous Cadiz composer Manuel de Falla and Poet Jose Maria Perman are buried in the crypt.
There are no stairs in the bell tower. You reach the top from a winding ramp which takes you to the observation deck where you have 360 degree views of the city and the sea surrounding Cadiz. Certainly worth the effort to go to the top of the tower for the spectacular views.
The other church that is dominate in Cathedral Square is the Baroque style Santiago Church built in 1635 which is also known as the Cathedral of the Americas. It was built when Cadiz was a wealthy city during the successful trading period with the Americas.
There are many restaurants and bars in the square to sit and enjoy the views of these two spectacular buildings. There is generally some entertainment in the square including merry go rounds, street performances or other small carnival attractions.
The Old Town
The old town of Cadiz is wonderful to explore. It has lots of narrow cobblestone streets. One of the most well-known is Columela Street which is the famous shopping street in the historic centre.
Calle Ancha is another famous street in the old part of town. It is wider than the other streets as this is where the wealthy families built their palacial homes. It now is where you will find many good restaurants.
Day trips from Cadiz
Cadiz has great transport options. There is a railway station as well as a bus station.
Jerez de La Frontera is only 35km by train. It is a very authentic Spanish town which boasts many Flamenco bars and schools.
It is also the heart of the Sherry triangle and is world famous for its sherry production.
Jerez is the home of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian art and its famous dancing horses.
There are 19 white hillside villages around the province of Cadiz. The most popular is Arcos de la Frontera which is situated on the side of a hill overlooking the Guadalate River. You can visit the Castle of Dukes and the Basilica de Santa Maria in this gorgeous white village.
Gibraltar is 117km from Cadiz and Seville on 99km away.
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Favourite places to have a wine in Cadiz
Lyle’s favourite place for a wine was on the rooftop bar of our accommodation Apartamentos Maier as the atmosphere and views of the Old Town were fabulous.
Leanne’s favourite place was in Plaza de San Juan de Dios. It is such a beautiful plaza with the water features and palm trees and the perfect place in Cadiz to watch the world go by.