Andalucia, May 2023 - Cadiz

As my train zoomed towards Cadiz, the landscape turned flat with scrubby marshlands.  Mistakenly, my heart sank.  I feared Cadiz would disappoint me.  Those thoughts quickly disappeared as I stepped off the train.

My boutique hotel was a stone’s throw from the station, just of the main plaza del pueblo.  Brilliantly converted tiny rooms but so cunningly laid out that you didn’t really notice.  The high ceilings helped, not to mention the quiet alley way so very little street noise.  There was a small rooftop pool and glorious views over the roofs of the old town, including an Arab wind tower.

Cadiz due to its prime coastal location was occupied by the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romas, Visigoths and Byzantines before the Muslim invation of Iberia in AD 711.

Christopher Columbus sailed for the Americas from Cadiz in 1493 and 1502 and it even briefly became Spain’s capital in 1812 and the first constitution was declared here.

Cadiz is almost entirely surrounded by water, and you can enjoy the circular walk almost entirely away from traffic.  I walked it at least four times during my stay.  In the early morning or evening when the fortified city walls, canons and towers were bathed in glorious golden light.  

Playa de la Caleta is the city’s most famous beach with its mock-Moorish oriental-inspired Modernista Balneario (bathhouse).  Two forts flank the structure: the Castillo de San Sebastian and the Castillo de Santa Catalina.

I was struck by the beautiful pastel-coloured buildings and houses along the seafront.  The Catedral de Cadiz is also very impressive though I avoided it during the day, as it becomes over-run with tourists.

Cadiz is very bike-friendly with cycle paths conveniently located along the waterfront.  There are plenty of places to hire a bike for a day or longer.  

I spent a fabulous day riding from Cadiz to San Fernando which allowed me to see the marshlands up close, just outside the city.  Amazing flora and fauna, and quite a number of dilapidated structures, deserted and battered by the elements.  The only disappointment was my hire bike’s saddle that had an annoying habit of slipping down.  Other than that, the bike was a reasonably comfortable ride.