Things To Do in Cadiz

On the map, Cádiz looks uncannily like an outstretched arm and a hand giving a thumbs-up sign. Most visitors will spend their time on the hand, which is less than 2km (1.25 miles) from knuckles to wrist.

A good way to start is to promenade around the fortified ocean walls, the Castles and Bastions route on your tourist office map. They were built out of grim necessity. In 1587, Sir Francis Drake attacked the harbor in a preemptive strike on the Spanish Armada, the so-called “singeing of the King of Spain’s beard.” Then, in 1596, English and Dutch troops torched Cádiz, taking several of its prominent citizens hostage. Felipe II—beard well and truly on fire—responded by commissioning a series of fortifications around the fist of the city, which would repel raids for the next 200 years.

 At the south end of La Caleta, Castillo de San Sebastián (tel. 95-624-10-01; free admission; daily 9am–sunset) stands on an island across a long causeway. It is named after a chapel built in the 15th century by the crew of a Venetian plague ship who were allowed to stay on the island. At the north end stands Castillo de Santa Catalina, Calle Antonio Burgos (tel. 95-622-63-33; free admission; daily 11am–7pm). Built in 1598, it has a star-shaped floor plan and a moat on the land side, making it extremely secure. Once used as a military prison it now houses exhibitions and cultural events.

 Between the castles lies La Caleta strand, one of two in-city beaches. In the evening it’s a beautiful place to watch the sun go down, with small boats bobbing in the glittering bay and the whiff of frying fish in the air.

Heading north, past the modern parador, the paseo takes you through one of the city’s many public gardens, the mannered Parque Genovés, with exotic trees and plants from around the world, including a palm garden, just like the type enjoyed in the oases of North Africa across the sea. Chattering monkeys are always on hand and summer concerts are presented here. Past another fortress, the Baluarte de la Candelaria you’ll reach the less formal gardens at Alameda Marqués de Comillas, with its ancient, twisted tree trunks and fishermen casting from the ramparts.

The promenade stretches all the way to the New Town and can be entered at many places, especially Plaza Argüelles or Calle Fermín Salvochea, off Plaza de España. Along this promenade, some of the most beautiful places or squares in the city look across to the far shore of Bahía de Cádiz.

The Old Town of Cadiz

Even if you have to skip all the monuments, take a stroll through the Old Town. Start at Plaza San Juan de Dios, one of the busiest squares, directly south of the water-bordering Avenida del Puerto and the wide "green lung" of Paseo de Canalejas. This is an ideal place to sit at a sidewalk cafe and people-watch. You'll also be in the shadow of the neoclassical Isabelino Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), Plaza San Juan de Dios s/n. Built in two sections, one in 1799 and the other in 1861, the town hall is dramatically illuminated at night. Inside there's not much to see except an impressive chapter house.

If you follow Rosario Mendizabal west from Plaza de San Juan de Dios you arrive at another bustling landmark square, Plaza de San Francisco. Enveloped by white and yellow town houses, the square is studded with orange trees and adorned with beautiful streetlamps. It is one of the best places for an evening paseo (promenade).

To the immediate west of Plaza de San Francisco is Cádiz's third landmark square, Plaza de Mina, site of the Museo de Cádiz. This is a big, leafy plaza studded with palm trees. There are plenty of benches about if you'd like to anchor here and watch the world go by. On the western side of the plaza, you can gaze on the stunning, heavily ornamented facade of the Colegio de Arquitectos (College of Architects).

The former home of Manuel de Falla, at Calle Ancha 19, is in Old Town. It boasts a plaque identifying it as the home of the composer, and a pair of the most elaborate door knockers in Cádiz, plus a tiled entranceway laid out in Mudéjar patterns. There's nothing else to see, since the rest of the building was locked up tight after its subdivision into private condominiums.

Cádiz is loaded with hidden treasures, many of which appear unexpectedly as you walk through the Old Town. One such place is the lobby of a strictly private, members-only club, Casino Gaditano, which was established in 1844 in a pink-fronted antique building set in a corner of the Plaza San Antonio. If the front door is open, and if you ask permission of the concierge, you can wander into the building's exquisitely crafted Mudéjar-revival lobby, with its splashing octagon-shaped fountain and soaring columns. To find it, look for a sign reading FUNDACION CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS CONSTITUCIONALES 1812, in the Plaza San Antonio s/n.

A word about Cadiz' stone foundations

All of the historic buildings in Cádiz's medieval core are crafted from a sedimentary limestone known locally as "oyster rock." Within many of the stones, you can see the shells of crustaceans that were alive 80 million years ago and whose petrified carcasses (in the form of this rock) were brought to the surface at the point where the tectonic plates of Europe and Africa collided in Cádiz.

Given gaditanos’ love of witty conversation and good food, it’s no surprise that much of the nightlife here revolves around eating and drinking. For character, it’s hard to beat Taberna Casa Manteca, Calle Corralón de los Carros, 66 (tel. 95-621-36-03), founded by a retired matador in 1953 and still run by his family. Bullfight and flamenco memorabilia cover its walls like religious paintings, and the sherry and tapas are as good as the atmosphere. Try chicharrones (thinly sliced pork belly) and the celebrated Payoyo cheese served on wax paper, or first-class boquerones en vinagre (marinated anchovies).

Taberna La Manzanilla ♥♥, Calle Feduchy, 19 (tel. 95-628-54-01), is an authentic old bodega where you can taste bone-dry sherries and vermouth straight from the barrel, accompanied by a saucer of fat, green olives. It’s run by Pepe, who chalks up your account on the wooden counter and will happily tell you the history of the bar. The place opens a little before noon and closes when the last patrons stagger out, usually after 2am.

Cafe de Levante, Calle de Rosario, 35 (tel. 95-622-02-27), attracts a younger crowd and sometimes has flamenco performances, while the seafront seating at Kioskito de Alameda, Alameda Apodaca, 19 (tel. 66-209-73-66) makes it a lovely spot for a sundowner.

For flamenco, head during the day to the Centro de Interpretación del Flamenco, Calle Santiago, 12 (tel. 95-628-51-89; Tues–Sat 11am–2pm and 5–7pm, Sun 10am–2pm), in Barrio de la Merced. They can give you a print-out of upcoming flamenco shows at a handful of venues in town, including La Perla, Calle Carlos Ollero (tel. 61-870-74-11), which promotes regular—sometimes free—events, and La Cava, Calle Antonio López, 16 (tel. 95-621-18-66), which stages regular evening shows. They usually start at 9:30pm and cost 30€ for adults, 15€ for children aged 3–12. Check website for dates and book online.

At the other end of the cultural spectrum, the Cádiz city government operates Gran Téatro Falla, Plaza Fragela, s/n. (tel. 95-622-08-34; institucional.cadiz.es/area/Cultura/35). This imposing 1884 to 1905 neo-Mudéjar brick building presents everything from contemporary and classic theater pieces to star flamenco singers and guitarists, modern dance, opera, and philharmonic orchestras. In May each year, the theater hosts an international music festival of classical music, including the works of Cádiz-born composer Manuel de Falla.