Located in the southwest of Spain in Andalucia, Cadiz is a port city and one of the oldest cities in Europe. Home of the University of Cadiz, the city has historic landmarks, a wonderful Old City, medieval walls, incredible plazas, and some of Spain’s most beautiful beaches. If you’re planning a trip to Cadiz, do all the typical tourist things but also make time for some of the truly cool stuff. After all, you don’t want to leave Cadiz feeling like just another tourist.
Municipal Museum – Often overlooked by visitors to Cadiz, the Municipal Museum is one of the cool places to visit in the city.
There’s an incredibly detailed full miniature of Cadiz in the 18th century, a nice oil painting collection, maps, old documents and as it’s usually not too busy, you can take your time looking around. You’ll find it on Santa Ines Street.
Antigua Fabrica de Salazones – A Roman factory that was involved in the production of a seafood sauce, all that’s left are the remains of the foundations of the building but it’s still cool to see.
There are some wonderful audio-visual exhibits, that tell all about the life of Cadiz during Roman times as well as how the sauces were produced. It’s an unusual place to spend an hour or two, but so off the usual tourist path it’s a must see.
Rent a Bicycle and Cycle Around Cadiz’ Old City – One of the best ways to see the Old City area of Cadiz is to rent a bike. Only a few euros for a few hours, get a bike with a basket so you can carry your stuff, plus any packages if you see anything interesting to buy.
Castillo de Santa Catalina – An absolutely awesome fortress built at the end of the 16the century, the Castillo de Santa Catalina has various buildings you can stroll around, a tiny church, a model of what was found inside the fort, and a cool historical exhibit.
Walking around it, you can easily imagine what it must have been like manning this place in the 1600s. Stunning views out to sea, large open-air areas and ocean breezes. Really quite delightful.
Shop and Eat in the Barrio del Pópulo – Once the old city of Cadiz, today the Barrio del Pópulo has been spruced up and is a cool place to sit at a cafe, shop in a boutique, learn about traditional Cadiz crafts, or wander around unusual art galleries. Get wine and tapas at a bar, buy a handmade Spanish shawl, or just wander around the neighborhood. It’s a photographer’s dream.