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Cádiz is part of the Andalucian
Autonomous region. It is located in the
South of Spain on the Atlantic coast.
It has a mixed climate partly mediterranean
and partly Atlantic with temperatures
not usually rising above 34º in summer.
Winter temperatures are usually quite
moderate too with the average yearly temperature
of around 18ºc. It has moderate rainfall
and never snows. However it can often
be very windy. Cádiz covers an
area of 592kms and has a population of
402,256.
.jpg) Fishing,
commerce and tourism provide Cadiz with
its main sources of income. It's main
ports are Cádiz, San Fernando,
Puerto Real, Puerto de Santa María,
Chiclana and Algeciras.
In recent years Cádiz has grown
in popularity as a holiday destination
especially among families seeking good
weather, wonderful long sandy beaches
and fewer crowds than the nearby and busier
Costa del Sol. As a result the number
of hotels, apartments and other services
has risen over the past few years, and
the standard is generally very good indeed.
Cadiz is also very popular with surfers,
as it is one of the few places in Spain
to offer great weather and high waves.
And for visitors who want to explore the
province, the white villages dotting the
inland mountains are beautiful.
History of the province of Cadiz.
Cádiz is considered to be
the oldest Western city due to its strategic
location on the coast dividing Europe
and Africa. It has been occupied several
times over its history and there is some
evidence to suggest that Cadiz was a Fenecian
settlement around 1000 B.C. and that it
formed part of the Fenecian trade route
to the Atlantic. Later on came the Greeks,
the Cartagens and then the Romans. From
the 8th century onwards it was taken over
by the Moors. The in the 11th century
Alfonso X took control of the province
reconverting it to Christianity. In the
13th century Cadiz gained importance as
the place where Christopher Columbus set
sail from on his discovery voyage to America.
The city wall and its entrances which
surround the old part and many of its
ancient monuments were built by Cristóbal
de Rojas in the 17th century. Thanks to
him the first plan of the city was drawn
up in 1609. In 1713 following the treaty
of Utrecht, Spain handed over Gibraltar
to the British.
During the 17th and 18th centuries Cadiz
grew rapidly due to its trade with Amercia
and the liberalisation of commerce. Sherry
made in nearby Jerez began to be exported
all over the world. And it was during
the 18th century, known as the 'golden
century' that Cadiz monopolized sea trade.
In 1812, during the French occupation,
the Cadiz parliament met and the first
Spanish Constitution was written converting
Cadiz into the political centre of Spain.
What to do and see in Cadiz
Walks : Cádiz is a port
city with grand avenues, squares and gardens
so just strolling around is a good way
to soak up the atmosphere and get a feel
of the place.
Palaces and Castles in Cadiz:
- Puerta Tierra: Part of the
city wall with two fortifications (San
Roque y el de Santa Elena), built in
the 18th century. The city entrance
is in the middle of the wall.
- San Sebastián castle:
This is a building located on the small
island off la Caleta beach. It was built
in 1706 as a fort to defend the northern
side of the city.
- Santa Catalina Castle: This
is a 17th century building built for
defensive purposes to defend the northern
side of La Caleta beach. It is now used
as an exhibition centre and concert
hall.
- Baluarte de la Candelaria: This
is a fort located in Cadiz bay. Built
in 1672.
.jpg) Torre
Tavira: c/Marqués del Real
Tesoro, 10. Located in the upper part
of Cadiz's it has a good view of the
horizon. It is now an exhibition centre.
The room called the Cámara
Oscura is particularly
interesting.- Teatro Romano: Cadiz's roman
theatre which was only discovered in
1980. Located in the area known as the
Barrio del Pópulo
between the old Cathedral and the Arco
de los Blancos. It is thought
to have been built in the 1st century
B.C. during the time of Julia Ceasar.
- Baluarte de San Roque y Santa Elena:
Two forts located on either side
of the city entrance in the city's wall.
- Arco de los Blancos: Located
next to the old Cathedral in the area
known as the barrio de Pópulo.
This is the Western entrance to the
city built by Alfonso X el Sabio in
the 13th century.
Cathedrals and Churches in Cadiz:
- The Cathedral: Construction
of this cathedral started in 1722 and
ended in 1838. During construction it
had 7 different artchitects something
which is reflected in its various styles.
- The old Cathedral: Located
in the area known as the Barrio
del Pópulo, next to the
Arco de los Blancos.
Used as Cadiz's cathedral until 1838.
It was built upon an ancient mosque
under the orders of Alfonso X el Sabio.
Destroyed various times over its history,
only the vault and entrance remain.
- Nuestra Señora del Rosario
and Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church:
.jpg) A
temple built in the 17th century by
Antón María Calafate and
Bartolomé Ruíz. It was
reformed in 1666 by Luis de Lojo. It
was restored in the 20th century. The
marble altar is particularly interesting.
- Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
del Convento de San Francisco Church:
Founded by the Franciscan order in the
16th century.
- San Agustín Church:
Founded by the Augustinos in 1617 -
neoclassic style.
- Oratorio de San Felipe Neri Church:
Located in the Plaza San Felipe
Neri. 17th century church which
during the French occupation was the
place where Cadiz's parliament met.
It is the place where the first Spanish
constitution was written in 1812. Its
walls are adorned with plaques commemorating
those who took part in drawing up the
constitution. Some of the members of
Cadiz's parliament are buried in the
crypt. There is an interesting painting
by Murillo.
- Oratorio de la Santa Cueva Church:
c/ del Rosario, E. This is a small chapel
in a neoclassic style. It has 3 paintings
by Goya.
- La Palma Church: Located
in the area known as the Barrio
de la Viña. Built in
the 18th century in a baroque style.
- San Antonio de Padua Parish Church:
Built in the 17th century and remodelled
in the 19th century in a baroque style.
.jpg)
- Nuestra Señora de las Angustias,
del Caminito Church: A beautiful
chapel, built in 1701, located in the
old part of Cadiz on a cliff edge. It
offers some wonderful views.
Museums in Cadiz:
- The Archeological Museum: Located
in the Plaza de Mina in
a 19th century building by Juan Daura
- Real Academia de Bellas Artes Museum:
Located in the Plaza de Mina.
It houses a collection of Fenecian and
Roman art. it has a sarcophagus and
Spanish 17th to 19th century art mainly
by Murillo and Zurbarán.
- The Municipal Museum:
c/Santa Inés/ next to junto San
Felipe church. This museum covers the
city's local history very well.
- Cádiz Museum: Located
in the Plaza de Mina built
by Juan Daura. The museum has 3 sections:
Archeology, Bellas Artes and Ethnology.
Other interesting Buildings in Cadiz:
- The Town Hall: Located in the
Plaza de San Juan de Dios.
Built in 1799.
- The Central Market: Located
in the Plaza de las Flores.
Built in 1837 in a neoclassic style.
- The Chamber of Commerce: c/
Antonio López/plaza de Mina.
Built in 1801 by José Gabarrón
in a neoclassic style. This was the
headquarters for the Bank of Spain before
it became the Chamber of Commerce.
- Aramburu House: c/ Veedor,
3. This is a 18th century palace built
which was restored in the later part
of the 19th century.
- Cádiz University Rector's Office:
c/Atocha,16. Built at the beginning
of the 19th century in a neoclassic
style.
- Palacio de la Diputación:
Located in the former Customs building
in the Port. Built in 1765 by the architect
Juan Caballero.
- Balneario de La Palma: c/ Duque
de Nájera, 3. This is where the
Centre for subaquatic archeology is
based, it is located on La Caleta beach.
- The Provincial Archives: Located
in a 16th century building called Casa
de las Cadenas.
Parks and Gardens in Cadiz:
- Parque Genovés: This
park was created in the 19th century
when the Paseo del Perejil was expanded.
It has many different species of trees
brought over from America.
Monuments
- Monument dedicated to the Cortes
de Cádiz de 1812 (Cadiz Parliament):
Located in the Plaza de España.
Designed by the architect Modesto López
Otero and the sculptor Aniceto Marinas
between 1912 and 1929. It consists of
2 bronze statues which represent peace
and war and a central pillar where the
text of the constitution is written.
Shopping in Cadiz: Typical Cadiz
products include wine, cold meats, cheese,
sherry, olive oil... The most important
food markets are Mercado Central
de Abastos, la Merced and
San José. There is also
a lot of craftwork on offer such as ceramics,
furniture, blankets and ponchos.
Cádiz Province:
It has 1,260 Kms of coast, of which about
200 Kms are beaches. Cádiz is Spain's
most southern province and covers an area
of 7,385 kms with a million inhabitants.
The most outstanding features of this
province are its beaches and coastline
with clean sparkling water. There are
many different types of beaches from natural
untouched coastline to more developed
touristic areas. It has an average temperature
of 34ºc in summer with fresher temperatures
at night.
What to eat in Cadiz: Cadiz cuisine
has clear Fenician, roman, arab and colonical
traits, and differs according to where
you are. Delicious fresh seafood, fish
soups and rice dishes on the coast contrast
with dishes made with game, beef, goat,
pork, river trout and vegetable-based
stews inland. Try the excellent hams and
other pork products and local olive oil
on offer in the mountain villages. Typical
dishes from Cadiz include:
- Coastal areas: Tortitas de Camarones
(small thin crispy omlettes with tiny
prawns), calamares en su tinta (squid
in its ink), fideos con gambas y almejas
(noodles with prawns and clams), all
kinds of shellfish including sea urchin,
crab and lobster...
- Inland: the local vinager and sherry
produced in Jerez plays a key role in
dishes inland. Try la perdiz estofada
(partridge casserole), revuelto de esparragos
trigueros (scrambled eggs with fresh
asparragos), aceitunas aliñadas
(marinated olives), ajo caliente (warm
garlic)...
- Mountain villages: caldereta de cordero
(lamb casserole), guiso de rabo de toro
(oxtail stew), wild game, esparragos
trigueros (grilled asparragos).
Wine is very important to the local economy
in the province of Cadiz and there are
important bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera,
El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar
de Barrameda y Chiclana de la Frontera.
Where to eat in Cadiz: These are
some of the best restaurants in Cadiz:
El Faro: c/San Felix, 15, (Tel:
956 225 858): excellent sea food and tapas;
La Leyenda, Pº Marítimo,
20 (Tel.: 956 262 185): seafood and creative
cuisine; Ventorrillo El Chato,
Vïa Augusta Julia (Ctra.Cádiz
a San Fernando) Tel.: 956 250 025: traditional
andalusian cuisine with a modern touch;
El Algibe, Plaza Plocia, 25, (Tel.:
956 266 656): good locall dishes; El
Balandro, Alameda Apocada, 22, (Tel.:
956 220 992): imaginative dishes using
local seafood; Doña Pepa,
General Muñoz Arenillas, 1 (Tel.:
637 215 818): regional cuisine, excellent
fresh fish
Where to stay in Cadiz: Click
on Cadiz
hotel guide for a review of the
best hotels in Cadiz capital city and
surrounding areas. See also our selection
of cheap
hotels in Cadiz for comfortable
hotels offering an excellent price:quality
ration and hotels
in Jerez for nearby alternatives.
What to see and where to visit in
the Province of Cadiz:
Sports in Cadiz: Water sports
such as sailing, windsurf and flysurf
are popular due to the fact that it is
often very windy on the coast. Also a
lot of people enjoy fishing, diving and
riding jet-skis. Hunting is also a popular
pastime in this province where there are
60 hunting reserves.
Golf is currently very popular. There
are 21 golf courses in the province. In
general all of them are good and some
are exceptional such as Sotogrande or
Montecastillo where major tournaments
like the Ryder Cup take place (in Jerez
de la Frontera). Here is a selection of
the best golf courses in Cadiz (click
on name for details):
In the mountains you can do sports such
as hand gliding, bungee jumping, cycling,
pot holing and horse riding. There are
many horse riding schools throughout the
province. In Jerez de la Frontera there
is a famous motorbike and car racing circuit.
Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos (white
villages route): These white villages
located towards the north of the Province
are mountain villages made up of small
white houses. These villages normally
have Roman or Moorish archeological remains.
This area has been declared a Biosphere
heritage site by UNESCO. There are 19
white villages, the most interesting being:
- Grazalema: The rainiest place
in Spain.
- Arcos de la Frontera: It has
a lovely parador hotel clinging on to
the side of the mountain, lots of winding
streets and monuments
- Bornos: Visit Castillo de Fontanar
and its renaissance gardens.
- Algar
- Espera: Visit the remains of
Roman city Carisa Aurelia ,
2 Roman necropolis, the wall and a mausoleum
(2nd- 4th century).
- Algodonales: This one of the
entrances to the Grazalema National
Park.
- Villamartín: El Dolmen
de Alberite a megalithic monument dating
back 6000 years.
- Puerto Serrano: Mountain sports:
horse riding and hiking.
- Olvera: Declared a historical
and artistic centre.
- El Gastor:
- Setenil de las Bodegas: Village
with houses built in spaces between
the stones caused by river erosion.
- Torre Alhámique: A Nazarite
fort fortaleza nazarí de la que
se conserva la muralla
- Grazalema National Park:
You can visit the villages El Bosque,
Benaocaz, Villaluenga del Rosario and
Ubrique.
Ruta de pueblos Romanos (Roman villages
route): You can take two routes, one
in the interior and one on the coast.
Some of the villages also form part of
the white villages route.
- Roman route on the coast: Cádiz,
San Fernando, Chiclana, Conil, Veger,
Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes, Tarifa
and Algeciras.
- Roman route in the interior: Medina
Sidonia, Paterna de Rivera, Arcos de
la Frontera, Espera, Bornos, Villamanrique,
Prado de Rey, El Bosque and Ubrique
Jerez de la Frontera: This city
is recommended for its charm, elegance
and historical monuments. It has Palaeolithic
origins and other cultures such as the
Fenecians, Romans and especially the Moors
have also left their mark on the city.
Located in the middle of countryside,
28 kms from Cadiz, there are many things
which make this an attractive place to
visit: the old part which was declared
a historical artistic centre, the famous
riding school, the motorbike and car racing
circuit and wine cellars.
Places of interest along the coast of
Cadiz
- Sanlúcar de Barrameda: 18th
century botanic gardens designed José
Celestino Muti. Located on the Guadalquivir
estuary at the entrance to the Doñana
national park (considered to be the
most important nature reserve in Spain).
- Chipiona: Village popular with
summer tourists with 4 beaches and good
facilities.
- Rota: Two excellent beaches:
Punta Candor and la Almadraba
- Puerto de Santa María:
Located in Cadiz bay. A lot of historical
sites: San Marcos castle (10th century),
Prioral Mayor church (15th century)
and a bullring. The best beaches are:
La Puntilla, Valdelagrana, Fuentebravía,
Puerto Sherry and la Caleta Real. Busy
in the summer, good bars and restaurants.
- Puerto Real: Fishing and industrial
city
- San Fernando: Known as "La
Isla", salt marshes and sea.
- Chiclana de la Frontera: Salt
marshes, pine forests and 9 kms of beaches.
La Barrosa, located in the tourist resort
of Novo Sancti Petri, is one of the
best beaches in the province. Sancti
Petri: tourist resort with lots
of hotels, chalets, apartments, restaurants
and sports facilities: golf, horse riding,
sailing, water skiing, diving...
- Conil de la Frontera: Fishing
village with 14 kms of beaches. Good
nightlife.
- Vejer de la Frontera: Medieval
village with some Moorish remains located
on top of a hill. Nearby beaches are:Trafalgar
and El Palmar.
- Barbate: Santiago castle. Touristic
fishing village with beaches: Carmen,
Yerbabuena and Caños de Meca.
- Zahara de los Atunes: Touristic
fishing village.
- Tarifa: Good for water sports:
windsurfing, sailing... beaches:Bolonia,
Los Lances, Punta Palomas, La Plata,
Valdevaqueros and Torre de la Peña.
- Algeciras
- San Roque-La Linea-Sotogrande:
Beaches: Torreguadiaro, San Roque, Guadalnilón
(virgin beach with sand dunes), El Cabrero
(virgin beach with sand dunes), Torrecarboneras
(virgin beach).
- Sotogrande: Exclusive beach
belonging to the Sotogrande complex.
Good for water sports. Polo championships.
It also has one of the best golf courses
in the province (Valderrama).
National Parks in Cadiz:
There are 5 National Parks in Cadiz province
covering 200,000 hectares of forests,
wetlands, beaches and salt marshes.
- Doñana National
Park: Avda. de Bajo de Guía
en Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Tel:
956 36 07 15 - 3,400 hectares. Considered
to be the most important nature reserve
in Spain.
- La Bahía de Cádiz
National Park: Callejón Cohegen,
13, San Fernando, Tel: 956 88 24 11
- 10,000 hectares of dunes, canyons,
cliffs. Beaches: Abarcs Sanlúcar
de Barrameda and Trebujena.
- La Breña and Marismas de
Barbate National Park: Tel: 956
59 00 71 - with its 4,737 hectares this
park covers an area from Barbate to
Vejer. You can go cycling, hiking and
bird watching here.
- La Sierra de Grazalema National
Park:36,000 hectares. You can do
lots of mountain sports here such as
hiking, horse riding, cycling and pot
holing as well as activities like bird
watching.
- Los Alcornocales National Park:
170, 205 hectares (161,000 are in Cadiz).
This is the largest area in Europe with
cork oak trees. You can do lots of sports
here such as hiking, abseiling, canoeing,
cycling and more. The mountains here
are rich in flora and fauna you can
also find some caves with cave paintings
dating back to the neolithic period.
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