On
a weekend in November we thought it would be the perfect time to check out the
famous town of Cádiz which everybody’s talking about. After catching a ride
there we were full of expectations when we got out of the car.
Cádiz
is one of the oldest cities in Europe. According to a legend the place was
founded by Hercules who placed one of his pillars right here. Later (i.e. after
Hercules) it was ruled by the Romans and the Visigoths, then the Moors, finally
the Spanish. Lots of history, as everywhere in Andalusia.
It is a uniquely situated place as it lies on a bit of land that sticks out of
the main peninsula. Apart from this it seems to be a pretty typical Andalusian
city with lots of white washed houses, windy streets which all lead to a nice
looking square.
We
walked along the (slightly windy) seaside...
...explored a designed garden with some
random dinosaurs in it...
...then just wandered around its streets.
Cádiz
also has a cathedral, its golden dome is visible from miles and is one of the
city’s iconic monuments. It was built in two different times, that’s why the
stones have different colours.
The
only place we actually visited from inside was the Tavira tower. In the 18th
century the town had loads of towers so that the local merchants can check the
arriving merchant ships. The Tavira is one of these watchtowers that happens to
be the tallest. On the top there’s a cámara
oscura, which means from a dark room on the top you can see panoramic views
of the Historical Centre.
The
fact that the town is almost entirely surrounded by the sea means that there
are many great seafood restaurants to try. We ventured in one that seemed to be
favoured by the locals and found a sunny spot. Turned out to be a great choice.
We
did well for going at this time of the year as there were hardly any tourists
on the streets. If you go to Cádiz I would suggest ditching the tours and just
explore the town by wandering around its streets. The Old Town is not big so
you practically can’t get lost. Do this and you will have a very special
experience in this lovely place.
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