Sign in with Facebook"Europes Oldest City" Cadiz by Beach_dog
Cadiz Travel Guide: 595 reviews and 1,218 photos
The first thing that struck me about Cadiz, was how vulnerable the small city seemed in its location. The oldest part of the city is perched upon a low rocky island and connected to the mainland by a long sandbar, upon some of which the newer areas of the city sit. Cadiz though has survived a very long time, it is thought to be the oldest inhabited city in Europe, dating back to the Phoenicians, who first established a post here in 1,100 BC calling the place Gadir.
As with many towns along the south coast of Spain the Romans came next, and was eventually taken by the Moors who captured it in the 8th century.
The city was in decline for a few centuries and was then captured by Alfonso X in 1262. After the Spanish conquest of South America the city passed into its Golden age, the ideal location of its port offered a sheltered position for ships setting sail and returning from the Americas. Merchants moved in, building many of the buildings you see on walks through the older part of the city, money being more abundant financed the construction of the new cathedral. Attacks by both the French and the British during this period led to the construction of many of the cities fortifications and the many towers for watchmen to keep a lookout.
Today Cadiz is still a busy port and is growing as a popular tourist destination. The nearest airport at Jerez seeing many inexpensive flights from other part of Europe and this combined with the provinces excellent beaches are contributing to this popularity.
I really enjoyed the city, in fact it really exceeded my expectations. Its small and its main points of interest could be explored in a day on foot. This said I was impressed enough to want to revisit, to find out more about its past and features.
- In a nutshell:Cadiz far exceeded my expectations, a beautiful city.
Reviews (28)
City tour buses.
Favorites
(11)
I did not take a tour because I had an excellent guide (Carmela71) and because the city itself is quite small, we... more travel advice
Ficus Gigante
Favorites
(11)
Cadiz has four giant Fig trees two located at park Alameda Apodaca and two just behind Playa de la Caleta, they are said... more travel advice
Churros con chocolate.
Restaurants
(1)
As with any Spanish city I?m visiting, after a couple of hours of walking I start to get hungry. Normally I head to the... more travel advice
Statue of Simon Bolivar.
Things to Do
(11)
I found it strange to find a statue of Simon Bolivar here in Cadiz, it would be like the Biitish celebrating George... more travel advice
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Cadiz Travel Guide
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Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in Cadiz
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Comments (19)
I had a quick drive around Cadiz, parked at the Genoves Gardens, walked down to the Tavira Camera obscura&back, &an xlent view from those gardens which are up on top of high cliffs - about 2-3 hrs but well worth it - lovely city and nice to see your tips.
Nice page. I'd like to go there as a daytrip from Sevilla. Ciao!
Hello Beach_dog - your tips are fantastic thanks very much we are very excited about our trip to southern Spain in August and your tips have helped to make our planning so much easier. Cheers Charri
a shopping forum? This I gotta see...
no one should be allowed to eat so many Churros and stay so slim, nice page, I hope we`ll get to visit Cadiz while we are in Mabella
Very nice! Had to drive past here on our Andalucia trip a few years back as we didn't have the time to stop - next time!
If this page is any indication of Spain, I can see why you love your adopted country. Great photos. Pa
La Virgen del Carmen, Carmela71 como guia .. te falta algo de Carmen en los warnings :))))) bonita pagina ... :))
I've only ever driven through Cadiz, so it was nice to see what I had missed! Great 'aerial' shot of Cadiz, I really like that one! (I'm with a Spanish girl too - only she is over here...)
The Churros with Chocolate in Spain are amazing! I practically lived off them in Granada. Cheers to you for doing Spain right and making amazing pages! I'm just going to send people to you instead of making my own hehehe!