10 Must See Attractions In Cadiz, Spain marts 28, 2022 – Posted in: Spain, Travel – Tags: Andalusia, Attractions, Cadiz, Holiday, Spain, Vacation

Tourist attractions in Cadiz

There is plenty to see in the historic maritime town of Cadiz, which also offers some of the best beaches in Spain. But if you are only in the city on a short trip from Seville, it’s hard to get around to seeing it all. The beautiful Atlantic City does indeed deserve more than just a quick day trip, because you also have to see the unique Phoenician ruins, stroll the labyrinthine streets of the old town and eat a lot of seafood tapas.

Even if you have several days available, it can still be difficult to choose what to see, so here is a list of the sights in Cadiz that you will definitely have to visit when you are on holiday in the city. However, there are many other exciting sights in Cadiz and you can read much more and plan your own visit here: Turismo Cádiz.

Opening hours for sights in Cadiz

Note that the mentioned page is in Spanish, but it is also the one that is the most updated in relation to opening hours for sights in Cadiz. If you can’t red Spanish, just run it through Google Translate. Select Spanish and then your language, insert the entire url / page link and click on the link that has now been formed in the translation.

In general, about the opening hours for museums, restaurants and shops throughout Cadiz, it is our experience that they are for guidance only. Click on the link to check the opening hours – but will don’t be disappointed if there is just a small sign in the window saying that the place closed for today.

Other times, you just meet a locked door, and that’s just the way it is in these parts of the world, and now you have an excuse to take an extra glass of fino instead. Did we say we love the pace of Spain? But as a general rule, many museums are closed on Sundays, and on the same day everything is closed after 2 p.m.

A short guide to Cadiz

Before we start telling you about the Muset See tourist attractions in Cadiz, it is important to give you a brief outline of the history og Cadiz. Everywhere in the city you will in the building find examples of the fact, that Cadiz has been an important city which changing rulers would like to possess. Being strategically well located, right here on the way out to the Atlantic Ocean, but still well protected by the big waves and the skerries in the low lagoon, it is easy to understand why.

To give an idea of how important the city has been through the ages, it was also right here from the port of Cadiz that Columbus set out on several of his voyages to America. But the story of Cadiz is somewhat older. The city was originally founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC, who called it Gadir. In 206 BC, the city was conquered by the Romans, where it changed its name to Gades. Later on Visigoths and Moors took over, and it was also under the rule of the Moors that Cadiz in 844 received an unwelcome visit from the Nordic Viking ships during their voyages to Spain.

Cadiz – a prosperous city

In addition to the possibility controlling the entrance to the Mediterranean, Cadiz has also attracted conquerors with its riches. Throughout the ages, Cadiz has been a prosperous city. Not in the flashy way, like Seville, but Cadiz has always been able to rely on their natural ressources. A lot of fish has been landed here, and today Cadiz is helping to make Spain the world’s second largest producer of tuna, with 80% of being sent to Japan.

Under Roman rule, the city was the terminus of Via Augusta, the Roman road that ran across Spain and all the way down to Rome. The city had a special significance, both for the export of iron from the surrounding mines, the salt production and especially for garum. Garum was a fermented fish sauce that was eaten all over the Roman Empire. In Baelo Claudiai near Tarifa you can visit the ruins of the great garum factory of the Romans.

10 sights in Cadiz you must see

Before embarking on a Guided Tour of Cadiz, it is important to know that you should also set aside time to simply stroll around the city. The cobbled streets of the Old Town and the cozy atmosphere require you to slow down and just enjoy life with an ice cream in hand. But Cadiz also has so much exciting to offer, and here you can read about some of all the interesting sights.

1. Torre Tavira

Start your visit in Cadiz with a trip up the Torre Tavira in the center of the Old Town. Here you get a good impression of what the city really looks like and where the Old Town meets the newer part. The tower is one of the 134 watchtowers in Cadiz. Built in the 18th century in the city’s golden age, it was important for the great merchants to be able to scout for their ships that came sailing back with goods from the new land, America. Once you have enjoyed the view, you can book an appointment for the old Camera Oscura, which shows the city via mirrors.

2. Yacimiento Arqueologico Gadir

If you only have time to visit one museum on your entire vacation, let it be here! Few archeological digs around the Mediterranean have found traces of the Phoenicians, a Semitic people who in ancient times built trading cities throughout the Mediterranean. Cadiz is one of those places and here at Yacimiento Arqueologico Gadir you can get a tour of the remains of the Phoenician settlement.

The skilled and English-speaking guides follow you around the excavation, and here you can see what Cadiz looked like 3,000 years ago. 8 houses and two streets have been preserved, and in the clay streets you can still see the traces of the cattle. Also unique is the skeleton of a cat and the reconstruction of the face of Mattan, the man who died in a fire in the 6th century BC. Above the remains of the Phoenician dwellings and roads lie the Roman ruins of a cistern, a dye factory, as well as the large salt tanks for fish salting.

It’s hard to describe how amazing it really is to move around down there at the museum in the dimmed underground. The tour took about 30-45 minutes, and afterwards we were ready to hear and see it all again! The exhibition is free and you can pick up your ticket 30 minutes before the first tour.

3. Museum of Cadiz

The exhibition in the Museo de Cadiz ties together everything you have just seen from the top of Torre Tavira and the excavations. The stars of the museum are the two Phoenician sarcophagi that are believed to have been imported from the Phoenician homeland of what is today Sidon in Lebanon.

However, the museum is filled to the brim with a wealth of exciting artifacts from the Stone Age to the present. In addition to the impressive collection of Phoenician treasures, the Roman statues and amphorae, the Roman penis amulets are also worth the visit. Finally, take time for a stroll through the gallery in the visual arts collection. At the top you will find a whimsical collection of puppets from an old puppet theater.

4. Roman Theater

The Roman theater, Teatro Romano, can also be seen from the street, but the exhibition is still worth a visit – and then it’s free! The Amphitheater, the second largest in the Roman province of Hispania, was an important institution in Roman city life. It could accommodate 20,000 visitors, and in the exhibition you get a thorough explanation of how the theater was built.

5. Cathedral de Cadiz

Although the Cathedral Catedral de Cadiz is relatively new, it is still an impressive sight as it lies there right next to the sea. You can choose to enjoy it from the outside, but you can also pay a small fee to enter. The cathedral was built in the 18th century, and everything you see here was built with the profits from trade with America. It is sumptuous and impressive, yet most impressive is nevertheless the echo in the crypt. When you stand on certain tiles, your voice is reproduced really loud!

6. The long sandy beaches

With all the museums, it’s now time to wash off the dust with a swim. Cadiz offers some of the best beaches in Spain, and the kilometers of sandy beaches provide enough space for everyone. Most popular is La Caleta right inside the Old Town. However, also visit Playa Santa María Del Mar and Playa La Victoria, which have really nice beach bars.

7. San Sebastián and Santa Catalina

At each end of La Caleta beach lies the two forts, San Sebastián and Santa Catalina. San Sebastián has the most beautiful promenade, but there is no access to the fort itself. At Santa Catalina you can walk around and see the fort as well as the changing exhibitions. A visit to Santa Catalina is free.

8. Parque Genoves

From the two fortifications you can stroll further north around the island on the long promenade. A little later you come to Parque Genoves, one of the many beautiful parks in the city. In here the locals meet on the hot summer days to get some shade and just hang out. The many trees are certainly trimmed with a pair of nail clippers, and – apart from the eternal sound of the Atlantic Ocean – it’s beautiful and very quiet.

9. Phoenician and roman ruins

In the three parks Erytheia, Varela and Asdrubal, which are located right next to each other in the new part of town, there is much more to see for archeology nerds. This is not something that you can read about in the regular tourist guides, and we actually found it by chance. However, it is important to emphasize that you must have a special interest in history to think that this is really exciting – otherwise enjoy skip this part and enjoy a nice afternoon at the beach.

For us, it was completely unique. Here in the necropolis of Cadiz you will not find plaster casts, but genuine Phoenician stone sarcophagi and Roman burials. And they are right there where they were placed thousands of years ago. Also the pipes from the Roman aqueduct, located by Plaza Asdrubal are a unique sight.

10. …and something for next time

Even though we had 6 full days in Cadiz, it was far from everything we got to see. If we had had more time, we would also have liked to have seen the excavation of the Phoenician port, the Roman salt factory and Catacumbas Del Beaterio – but then we just have to come back another time! We’ll update the list of recommendations when we’ve been back to Cadiz.

More tips for your holiday in Cadiz

Find a great hotel in Cadiz

Cadiz is right on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and no matter where you live in the city, it is not far to the nearest beach. The neighborhood of La Vina in the old town right on the beach of La Caleta is especially popular with the tourists. But further south, you’ll find miles and milis of lovely sandy beaches at Playa Santa María Del Mar and Playa La Victoria – so where do you stay?

On Booking.com you can see the large selection of hotels in Cadiz, and below you can also read our recommendation for the best place to stay in Cadiz. You can also perform your own search on Booking.com  for a great hotel in Cadiz right here:

Booking.com

A apartment in the Old Town in Cadiz

Being a group of two adults and a teenager on vacation, it required an extra room. We ended up finding a really nice apartment right in the middle of La Vina in the Old Town. There was not one but two extra rooms as well as a sofa bed. In addition, two toilets, a large living room with a dining area and a kitchen.

Back home, we had planned all the food we would buy at the food market, which is only a five minute walk from the apartment. That didn’t happen! The Old Town is packed with cheap tapas bars and restaurants and we ended up eating out every single night.

The apartment is also located right on the local beach La Caleta, loved by families and large groups. Still, the best thing about the apartment was the key box. With all the times we had to with for the owner to show up and let us in, is was excellent to be able to get into the apartment at our arrival. A bottle of wine and a box of chocolates stood waiting for us as we locked ourselves in. We will be back!

Read more about the apartment here: Precioso piso en La Caleta

How do you get to Cadiz?

If you can’t fly out to Jerez, the easiest way to get to Cadiz is by landing at Seville Airport. From Seville Airport, first take the airport bus to Santa Justa Train Station. In March 2022, the airport bus cost €4.

From Santa Justa Train Station in Seville, you can drive on to Cadiz. From Seville and to Cadiz it takes one hour and forty-five minutes by train. At the station you have to buy your tickets at the ticket office (Renfe), where you also have to show a passport before you can board the train. In March 2022, it was €17 from Seville to Cadiz, and the price includes a mandatory seat ticket.

If you want to save time, you can also buy tickets on the Omio app. Note that you still need to enter your passport information in the app.

Read the other articles about Cadiz here!