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Getting to Cádiz

⭐️ It’s perfectly possible to visit Cádiz for the day if you’re staying in Seville or arriving into Cádiz a cruise ship.

🗓 Remember, Cádiz, like many other cities, suffers from “closed-on-a-Monday-syndrome”. The cathedral is open but the main museum is not. Some restaurants are also closed. Be sure to check opening times before you make a plan for your day in Cádiz. → Read the MexicoCassie tips to ensuring a smooth trip to Spain

40 things to do in beautiful Cádiz

Cádiz old town (Casco Antiguo) adventures

The old town is truly one of the joys of Cádiz. There are numerous way to manage your exploration of Cádiz but however you decide to do it, be sure to notice the historic buildings, visit the numerous plazas, wow over the ginormous and beautiful ficus trees and don’t miss the main sites (all listed below).

Take a city tour

1.👣 Take a two hour walking tour of Cádiz through the small and winding streets of Cádiz’s charming old town

2. 🚐 The Hop-On-Hop-Off tourist bus is a popular and easy way to see much of Cádiz

3. 📲 Download an audioguide app to entertain you with snippets of information about the city as you explore at your own speed

4. 🥙 or, my personal favourite, take a delicious 3.5 hour tapas tour to explore the culinary scene as you taste your way around the old town

Get lost exploring the plazas & streets of the old town

Many of the old streets of Cádiz are curved. This can make it harder to figure out where you are and where you’re going than in some of Spain’s old cities but it makes sense here given the strength of the winds during some periods of the year. In Spain, plazas are the life and soul of a city and Cádiz is no exception. Notable in Cádiz are

5. Plaza de las Flores  – a beautiful small plaza with a flower market, cafes and bars

6. Plaza de España – a huge plaza marking the importance of Cádiz in modern Spain’s history with the enormous Monumento de la Constitución. It’s a delightful place to stroll through.

7. Plaza de la Catedral – you really can’t visit Cádiz and not stop by this impressive plaza. Here you’ll find not only the city’s cathedral but also the heart of city life: there are numerous bars & restaurants on this plaza.

8. Plaza San Juan de Dios – this delightful plaza is directly over the road from the malecon near the Puerta del Mar Gaditana. It is a great place to sit and watch life go by and at night, the fountains are nicely lit. The impressive Ayuntamiento de Cádiz is here.

9. Plaza Candelaria – this is another beautiful plaza with a delightful number of trees creating plenty of shade. I recently ate at Restaurante Sonámbulo here and highly recommend you do the same!

12. See if you can spot a Camino de Santiago sign – did you know that there are caminos that begin this far south in Spain?

Check out MexicoCassie’s favourite spots in Cádiz

Find great views over Cádiz

16. 🔔 If you’re interested in churches then take a stop on Plaza de la Catedral to check out the cathedral.

17. The highlight of a visit to the cathedral is climbing the Torre de Reloj (the bell tower) for fabulous views over the city. Like Sevilla’s cathedral tower, La Giralda, this tower is ascended with ramps, not steps, until the very last moment when there is a narrow spiral staircase. The photo above was taken from the top of the tower.

➕ there are VR headsets available for anyone who enjoys a little random flying around the cathedral.

🎟 It costs €8 for a ticket the cathedral, tower & museum. I didn’t bother with the museum as I’m not especially interested in church-y artefacts but the tower was worth every cent. (You can buy online but I bought mine on the day. The queue was a few minutes wait only)

❌ I had a slightly unpleasant experience here that sadly doesn’t shock me at all: as I was in line to buy my ticket (before I’d started actively boycotting the church), the young woman in front of me in the queue took a photo inside the church. The guard, quick as anything, flashed a giant light at us all to ruin her photo. It hurt the eyes of everyone around. Personally I was disgusted that this happened. I believe churches shouldn’t charge to enter but even if you’re ok with this, this young woman was waiting in line to buy a ticket. More “hard business” than “welcoming religion” in my extremely jaded and cynical opinion.

Torre Tavira 

18. Climb to the top for amazing panoramic views over the city from Cádiz’s cámara oscura. It’s just a ten-minute climb to the top (despite being the city’s highest point). From the top, there is are gorgeous panoramic views of Cádiz Cathedral.

Note that you must reserve your admission time online.

Learn about the history of Cádiz 

19. Visit the Teatro Romano de Cádiz (Roman Theatre)

This impressive first-century BCE theatre is partially visible from the street and the entrance is just off the Plaza de la Catedral. The modern museum includes some good information (in Spanish & English) and a short video. Once you’ve seen this you head outside to walk through the impressive theatre hallway and out into the theatre itself.

🎟 Free entry to the small museum & theatre.

20. ➕ Don’t miss the Callejón del Duende right in front of the Roman theatre entrance. This street is the narrowest street in all of Cádiz and although it’s closed to the public, it’s interesting to note it as you pass by. There are various local legends about the street: according to some, people were hanged here, to others, an illicit love affair took place here during the Napoleonic wars, others still, that pirates would frequent this street and that their ghostly voices are heard to this day.

21. Visit the Yacimiento Arqueológico Gadir, a free archaeological museum is home to the ruins of a Phoenician settlement. The visit begins with a short video and then you’re given time to walk around the 3000-year-old ruins of the city of Gadír and exclaim (because you will) over everything. This is my personal favourite thing to see in the old city.

22. La Cueva del Pajaro Azul is another great option for learning about the Phoenicians in Cádiz. Take a walk through the underground tunnels of the ancient Phoenician port dating from the 3rd century BCE. Must book in advance on their website. It was closed when I last visited Cádiz on a Monday so I know I need to return to check this out soon.

23. Testaccio de Gades – learn about Roman Cádiz in this small museum that also offers wine & garum tasting, and beer tasting.

24. Visit the Museo de Cádiz 

25. Visit the Casa de Iberoamérica to learn about the city’s relationship with the American continents through art

Eating in Cádiz

Cádiz is definitely considered something of a culinary destination. The fresh seafood is truly a reason enough to come to Cádiz.

26. Try the pescaíto frito in Cádiz. While you can get this dish at pretty much any beachside chiringuito in Andalucía, nowhere does it better than Cádiz. The fish plate consists of a selection of fried fish, including whitebait, sardines, mackerel and more.

27. If you’re a seafood fan, don’t miss the Cazón en adobo – battered dogfish (the batter has specific herbs in it), the Papas con choco – cuttlefish and potato stew, a very popular local dish, or 🍤 Tortillitas de camarones – tiny (unpeeled) shrimp are fried in chickpea flour batter to make flat prawn cakes. I’m not generally a massive fan but most people seem to adore them.

28. 🐟 Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna – if you’re in Cádiz in spring time you might be lucky enough to try the “Almadreba”. This delicacy has been fished here since Phoenician times and is a part of the region’s cultural heritage. The sliced tuna above is an Almadreba dish I very much enjoyed at Restaurante Sonámbulo, my favourite restaurant in Cádiz, be sure to book a table when you’re visiting.

29. Visit the Mercado Central de Abastos (Plaza de la Libertad)

This popular market is a great place to stop by if your plans in Cádiz include a picnic on the beach as here you’ll find everything you need for your feast with a view.

There are also some great places to eat here.

Cádiz coast adventures

As Cádiz is a coastal city, you really can’t not check out what’s going on along the coast. Before we even get to the beaches, there’s a multitude to explore:

32. Walk the Campo del Sur  – This walkway follows the curve of the coast around the city. Apparently it was this part of Cádiz that inspired the layout of Havana. It’s also reminiscent of the Paseo de España in Malaga.

The path runs from the port, around the old town and the city beach, La Caleta, and then along the beach front. I’ve walked from the port to Playa del Chato, it takes around 2.5 hours in total, one way.

Don’t miss

➕ Both the Parador de Cádiz and my favourite carpark are located here too

36. Castillo de Santa Catalina – this fort was built in the 1600s. Today it’s free to enter and look around. The first photo in the 40 things to do in Cádiz section was taken from here

37. Castillo de San Sebastián – (above) You can’t miss the 400-metre bridge to the island-castle out at sea from the far end of Playa de la Caleta. The castle/fort itself isn’t super interesting as there’s nothing really to see once you get out there but the views back to the mainland are delightful and make it worth the walk.

If it’s a beautiful day you’ll see locals set themselves up for a day of sunbathing on the rocks on the side of the bridge and young people throwing themselves wildly off it into the ocean (technically prohibited fyi).

☀️ I do recommend doing this earlier rather than later as there is zero shade.

Spend some time on the beach in Cádiz

38. Playa de la Caleta – This is a small beach in the old fisherman’s quarter of La Viña in Cádiz’s old city. The beach is flanked by forts on either side. It is a popular beach that is well worth a look even if you don’t have any plans to sunbathe. There are lifeguards on duty in the summer until 6pm.

39. Head to Playa Santa Maria del Mar and Playa de la Victoria– Located between the old and new areas of Cádiz, this beach is popular with both surfers and regular beach goers. Playa de la Victoria is regularly named as one of the best urban beaches in Europe. There are plenty of places to stop for a drink or a meal along here. You’ll see people enjoying all sorts of impromptu sporting activities, sunbathing, relaxing in cafes and, of course, swimming.

Come for the carnaval in February

40. Carnaval in Cádiz is 11 days of mayhem and fun. It is basically a city-wide street (costume) party but for me, the most interesting part is the Falla competition (not to be confused with the Fallas Festival of Valencia). This is an integral part of Carnaval and consists of groups of people writing and performing satirical songs about current events. The main competition take place at the Gran Teatro Falla but you’ll also get a chance to see them in the streets during the first week of Carnaval.

Cádiz itinerary suggestions

Really, how you plan an itinerary depends on how much you’re trying to cram into your day and how much rest time you need.

Let’s help with the rest of your Andalucía planning too: