HOLIDAY INFORMATION ON Cadiz

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Totally Spain has organized several 7 day tours within Spain and Portugal for groups of 24-30 people that I’ve put together for friends and myself. All three were executed perfectly and Ken and his team were a pleasure to work with. They are ve...

Sue Denison, New York, USA
2023-04-12

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Cádiz stands on a peninsula jutting out into a bay, almost entirely surrounded by water. Named Gadir by the Phoenicians, who founded their trading post in 1100 BC, it was later controlled by the Carthaginians until it became a thriving Roman port. It sank into oblivion under the Visigoths and Moors but attained great splendor in the early 16th century as a launching point for journeys to the newly discovered lands of America.

Cádiz was later raided by Sir Francis Drake during the struggle to gain control of trade with the New World and managed to withstand a siege by Napoleon's army. In the early 19th century, Cádiz became the bastion of Spain's anti-monarchist, liberal movement, leading to the declaration of the country's first Constitution here in 1812.

Some of the city's 18th-century walls still stand, such as the Landward Gate. The old central quarter of Cádiz is famous for its picturesque charm, with many buildings reflecting the city's overseas links. Worth a visit are the city's Cathedral and the churches of Santa Cruz and San Felipe Neri, the latter famous throughout Spain as the site where, in defiance of Napoleon's siege, the provisional government was set up with its own liberal Constitution. Other points of interest include La Santa Cueva, home to several paintings by Goya, and stately mansions such as the Casa del Almirante and Casa de las Cadenas.

The old city has a Moorish appearance, with narrow cobbled streets opening onto small squares. The golden cupola of the cathedral looms high above long white houses, and the whole place has a slightly dilapidated air. It takes just an hour to walk around the headlands, allowing you to visit the entire old town and pass through lovely parks with sweeping views of the bay. Unlike most other ports of its size, Cádiz feels immediately relaxed and easygoing, even at night. Perhaps this is due to its reassuring shape and size, the presence of the sea making it impossible to get lost for more than a few blocks. This relaxed atmosphere also owes much to the town's tradition of liberalism and tolerance, which was maintained throughout the years of Franco's dictatorship, despite Cádiz being one of the first cities to fall to his forces and the port through which the Republican armies launched their invasion.