Cádiz

On a weekend in November we thought it would be the perfect time to check out the famous town of Cádiz which everybody’s talking about. After catching a ride there we were full of expectations when we got out of the car.

Cádiz is one of the oldest cities in Europe. According to a legend the place was founded by Hercules who placed one of his pillars right here. Later (i.e. after Hercules) it was ruled by the Romans and the Visigoths, then the Moors, finally the Spanish. Lots of history, as everywhere in Andalusia.

It is a uniquely situated place as it lies on a bit of land that sticks out of the main peninsula. Apart from this it seems to be a pretty typical Andalusian city with lots of white washed houses, windy streets which all lead to a nice looking square.

We walked along the (slightly windy) seaside...

...explored a designed garden with some random dinosaurs in it...

...then just wandered around its streets.

Cádiz also has a cathedral, its golden dome is visible from miles and is one of the city’s iconic monuments. It was built in two different times, that’s why the stones have different colours.

The only place we actually visited from inside was the Tavira tower. In the 18^th century the town had loads of towers so that the local merchants can check the arriving merchant ships. The Tavira is one of these watchtowers that happens to be the tallest. On the top there’s a cámara oscura, which means from a dark room on the top you can see panoramic views of the Historical Centre.   

The fact that the town is almost entirely surrounded by the sea means that there are many great seafood restaurants to try. We ventured in one that seemed to be favoured by the locals and found a sunny spot. Turned out to be a great choice.

We did well for going at this time of the year as there were hardly any tourists on the streets. If you go to Cádiz I would suggest ditching the tours and just explore the town by wandering around its streets. The Old Town is not big so you practically can’t get lost. Do this and you will have a very special experience in this lovely place.