Cádiz: A Coastal Gem

For those of you writing a travel bucket list, be sure to add Cádiz! One of my favorite cities in Spain, Cádiz lies on the southwest coast and is considered the oldest city in Europe. Spain’s first constitution was signed here in 1812 and today is famous for its fish, beautiful scenery and the Carnaval held each year. 
Javi and I chose Cádiz as a perfect getaway reunion after 13 months apart! We traveled about 2.5 hours by bus from Sevilla and stayed in a small aribnb apartment for a few days. It is located just blocks from the beach, so we were able to walk there every day. The beaches are sprinkled with sea glass of various blues and turquoise colors that sparkle in the sunshine. Sea glass hunting is one of my favorite pastimes~a natural treasure hunt. The city and the beaches are not that crowded this time of year, but we got a taste of what if could have been like during the summer holidays as hoards of tourists arrived fresh off the dock from a cruise ship on our last day. My suggestion would be to go during the week, no matter what time of year.
Cádiz is of course famous for its fresh seafood and is available to eat or purchase anywhere. We walked through the Mercado Central, admiring the bizarre-looking creatures including swordfish, crabs, sharks, and snails. The market is a very impressive setup; even if you do not like seafood, you can appreciate the variety of produce, colors, and the energy of customers interacting with vendors. 

We ate at a famous restaurant called Las Flores and enjoyed tapas of bacalao (cod), calamares (calamari), and tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters). Everything was delicious washed down with a caña, or a small beer. 
The Catedral Nueva or Cádiz Cathedral is also a must-see. This Baroque-style church took 116 years to complete and you can climb the ramps of the Torre de Poniente to look out over the city and the ocean. Unfortunately you have to pay to enter, but for a few euros you get a decent audio tour and access to the tower. The interior is just as beautiful as the outside, and you can even walk underneath the floor to the crypt where famous Andalusian composer, Manuel de Falla, is buried.

Cádiz has a couple different military forts you can visit including the Castillo de San Sebastian. This one happened to be located on the beach where we spent a couple of our days, so we had a look around. There isn’t a lot inside, but you can admire a 41m-high lighthouse and of course views of the sea.

 
If I had to sum up Cadiz in one word, I would say it is magical. You cannot get bored in this little city because it is simply too charming and full of natural beauty.