Cádiz Travel Guide

Like all the other Spanish Cities, Cadiz is very popular for its really delicious foods and wines. Cadiz cuisine has Phoenician, Roman, Moorish influences but in character it is a typical Andalusian one.

Here are some tasty dishes you should not miss:

Tapas

Tapas play an important part of the gastronomy in Spain. Tapa is the Spanish word for lid and it means the old fashion of serving a slice of ham covering the mouth of a wineglass.

Tapas are small portions of local dishes, generally eaten with a glass of beer or wine on hand. It is a good way to sample all the treats Cadiz has to offer without spending too much money. Tapas can be joined with almost everything, including cheese and locally produced ham.

In Cadiz you can find the “Ruta del Tapeo” (Tapas Route), where local restaurants and tapas bars serve yummy Tapas” and many other original dishes.

Seafood

As Cadiz lies on the coast of Spain, it is also very popular for its seafood. And there you are able to savour great servings of a wide range of fish, squid, shrimp, sea-snails, sea urchins, prawns and lobster. Seafood dishes you really should sample are:

§ Pescaito frito (fried fish - the Cadiz style)

§ Abaja de pescado (a fish stew of all the best Cadiz offers)

§ Gambas al ajillo (fried prawns with garlic)

§ Tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters)

§ Cazon en adobo (marinated dogfish)

§ Caldillo de peros (fish stewed in orange sauce)

Tapas are small portions of local dishes, generally eaten with a glass of beer or wine on hand. It is a good way to sample all the treats Cadiz has to offer without spending too much money. Tapas can be joined with almost everything, including cheese and locally produced ham.

Wine and Sherry

The towns Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Puerto de Santa Maria and Jerez de la Frontera in north Cadiz are home to some of the most important producers of sherry and brandy. In addition to several varieties and types of sherry there is also a wine called “Manzanilla” and is made only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Because of the high humidity of Doñana, this wine is much paler and drier than other sherries of the region.

Sherry is a wine processed with extra alcohol to bring up the alcohol content to between 16-20%. There are five main styles of sherry:

§ Fino (light, pale-golden coloured, dry; alcohol content: between 15.5-16.5 %)

§ Manzanilla (very dry, pale sherry, lighter than Fino; alcohol content: 14-15 %)

§ Amontillado (an older Fino, richer in character, soft copper or amber colour; alcohol content: 18-20 %)

§ Oloroso (rich, dark, dry, mahogany, with a full rich nose; alcoholic content: 21 %)

§ Cream sherries (a blend of dry Oloroso and sweet Pedro Ximénez; alcoholic content: normally 20-22%)

Food and Wine Fairs in Cadiz

§ Pestiñada: in January, Plaza de San Francisco

§ Erizada: in January, Barrio de la Vina

§ Ostionada: in January, Plaza de San Antonio

§ Food Convention: in December, Palacio de la Diputación

Whilst in Andalusia, why not take advantage of visiting other nearby cities to sample their cuisine?  By investing in a night in one of the hoteles Málaga, you can venture out and try some of Spain’s most delicious desserts: the yemas de San Leandra or the buñuelos de San Benito (like very sweet profiteroles filled with rich cream) are not to be missed! However, do bear in mind that whilst in the costal regions, the calamares (squid in batter served with lemon) are a refreshing treat after spending the day sight-seeing and are definately something you’ll want to replicate at home.

Enjoy you meal and ¡buen provecho!

Every year, millions of tourists head for Andalucia to take a holiday. Going on holiday in this southern region of Spain is a big hit with visitors from all over the world. Cadiz is one of the most popular destinations in southern Spain to discover. With its fascinating atmosphere, narrow alleyways, back streets and open squares, Cadiz deserves to be seen. It is a relaxing port town, which offers good views over the immense blue waters of the ocean. Cadiz also boasts one of the liveliest Carnival celebration in Spain. In the last years, the city is also a departure point for ferry boats to the Canary Islands. Come and visit Cadiz to discover the magnificent sea walls and the waterside walkways. Take a stroll along the beach to appreciate the immense beauty of the shimmering waves at sunset under the moonlight.

In Cadiz, it is all close at hand due to a wide range of accommodation available during the whole year and at prices that fit every budget. You can find everything from 5 star hotels to rural guesthouses. There are also luxury villas and cottages. Here is a sampling list of hotels where you can stay during your holiday.

In the last decade cultural tourism has become inncreasingly popular. It relates to travel and visitation activities directed at an area’s arts, heritage, recreational and natural resources. Recent tourism research shows clearly that this phenomenon is something to be reckoned with. It would be interesting to learn how to bring in more of these multicultural and multi-generation visitors who make their destination choices according to a region’s performance, artistic, architecture and historical offerings. Cádiz has many advantages in respect of cultural programming.

Gran Teatro

The original Gran Teatro was constructed in 1871 by the architect García del Alamo but it was destroyed in fire in 1881. The current theatre was built in 1905 over the remains of the old Gran Teatro. Following the long reconstructions in 1920s, it was renamed the Gran Teatro Falla, in honor of composer Manuel de Falla. In the last years the theatre has undergone extensive renovation. It is worth seeing it!

Town Hall

The Town Hall of Cádiz’s Old City look onto Plaza de San Juan Dios. The building was constructed in two stages and was completed in 1861. It is in the neoclassical style.

Cádiz’s Towers

At the time Cádiz had more that 160 towers which were a kind of ‘observation towers’. From these towers the merchants could look out out to sea for arriving merchant ships. The tallest remaining wachtower is called Torre Tavira. It has a room from which a panoramic views of the Old City are projected with a pinhole camera. Another watchtower, Las Puertas de Tierra, was constructed in the 16th century and consists of different layers of walls.

Many things has changed in the Old City from then on. It is a subject of constant renovation. For instance, the entrance of the Old City was remodelled to accomodate modern traffic and now the two side-by-side arches curved into the wall serve as one of the primary entrances to the city.

There are many other things to see in Cádiz. Go there and discover the rich heritage and the old history of Cádiz Spain.

The food from Cádiz is influenced by many cultures: Phoenician, Arab, Roman and colonial. Romans brought to Spain the wine and olives, Arabians left food like citrus fruits, almonds, spices and sweets. The recipes are of a great diversity and combine many ingredients. The Atlantic Coast gives Cádiz plenty of seafood and fish. The Andalusian cuisine is characterized by the raw materials quality and the different ways of preparation and the variety of dishes the tourist can find in this area from the Costa del Sol, because each province has their own delicious dishes.

The fried fish is probably the best one in this area although it is said that the best one can be found in Granada. Some of the fish you can try in this region is: tuna, dogfish, anglerfish, etc.

Fish is mainly used for different kinds of stews like fish soup with bitter oranges or onions, green pepper and tomatoes as well as fish a la teja, marinated dogfish and shrimp omelette.

Meat also has a special importance in the cuisine of Cádiz: Pork, baby goat, beef with typical recipes like lamb casserole, bull’s tail with a typical recipe from Jerez and famous bullfighter-style partridge. The region also yields an excellent cabbage that is used in special stews.

Olive oil, cheeses, dried meats, sausages and delicious bread are important ingredients of the local cuisine. Turrón from Cádiz (a bar made with almonds and honey) is a very popular dessert like Tocino del Cielo, which is traditionally made with egg yolks left in the process of sherry making.

Jerez Sherry is a delicious drink and is also used to finish off some local dishes. It also brings out the flavours of hams, sausages, fish, shellfish or simple but tasty olives.

Typical dishes from Cádiz include:

Berza (soup), the amazing fried fish, Tortitas de Camerones (Omelettes with prawns), Squids in its ink, noodles with prawns and clams etc., partridge casserole (la perdiz estofada), scrambled eggs with fresh asparragos (revueltos con esparragos trigueros) and marinated olives.

Cadiz also has quality wines like the Sherry, Manzanilla and the white wines.

La playa de Cortadura

Is the longest beach in Cádiz. It is about 4km long and 600m wide. It stretches from Cortadura to Torregorda. In total we speak about 550.000 sqm of beach. It is located at the exit of the town on the motorway that goes to San Fernando. It is one of the most unspoilt beaches in this area and is considered a “playa virgin”. The sand is golden and very fine. Dunes are forming along the length of the beach and the ocean bed is covered with rocks in some areas.

La playa de la Victoria

is the town beach by excellence. It is very popular and crowded. In 1987 it got its first blue flag and since then it has kept its excellent quality. It is located in the north of the isthmus. To the north the edge is marked by a rocky reef. Its 2 km long and 180 m wide. The promenade at the length of the beach is wonderful and it comprises almost the entire town till you arrive at the picturesque Old Town.

La playa de la Caleta

This busy beach is 50m wide and 5 km long. A promenade stretches along the whole beach. In summer it swarms with people. It received its first white flag in 1997. It possesses all kinds of services; bars, snack bars etc.

La playa de Santa Maria del Mar

The most Northern beach is a bay that starts where La Victoria starts. The two dams that limit the beach create a border of waves which is a pleasure for all surfers. It is 400 m long and ends just where the walls of Puertas de Tierra start.

Chato Beach

This beach is also called Urutia Beach and is located between the Cortadura Beach and the Camposoto Beach.

Anegada Beach

Beach left in its natural state. It forms part of the military zone and there is no trespassing.

Discover more beaches at the Spanish “costas”:

• Costa del Sol
• Costa de la Luz
• Costa Blanca
• Costa Brava
• Costa Dorada
• Costa Tropical
• Costa Verde
• Costa Almeria

The paradise for cultural tourism

Cultural tourism is a growing segment of the contemporary travel market. This significant travel trend will dominate the tourism market in the next decade. The latest shift from mass tourism marketing to one-to-one marketing is being fueled by the use of new technologies and the proliferation of online services, making it easier for the traveler to choose destinations and customize their itineraries according to their interests.

The old city of Cádiz

If you consider yourselves as cultural tourists the perfect destination for you would be the historic city of Cádiz. This is the oldest city in western Europe where you can visit many beautiful monuments and attractions. In addition to its colourful history Cádiz has a peculiar location at the end of a narrow peninsula which makes it an exotic destination.

Here are some facts for tourists whose main goal when go on a trip is to learn from experience about the history and culture of different countries.

· Cádiz is acknowledged as the most ancient city in western Europe.

· In the 16^th century the city became the harbour for the Spanish fleet and Christopher Columbus sailed from there on his second and fourth voyages.

· Most of today’s historic buildings in the Old City date from18th century.

Tourist attractions

There are many tourist attractions to be seen in Cádiz. The city has undergone total reconstruction recently. A great number of monuments, cathedrals and landmarks have been restored, adding a certain charm of this historic city. It is well-known for its unusual cathedral, its magnificent theatre, its splendid municipal building, its watchtower and many other landmarks.

It is a top priority to satisfy tourists’ interests and demands while offering them a possibility to broaden their travelling experience. As mentioned earlier, mass marketing have been superseded by one-to-one marketing, in which individual consumers customise their itineraries according to their own interests. More and more, people are becoming special interest travelers who regard cultural activities as one of the most important reasons for traveling.