We fell in love with Cádiz. With its beautiful beaches, great food, and relaxed atmosphere, it felt like the perfect holiday destination. Even though it’s one of the oldest cities in Europe, it didn’t feel overly touristy.

Many people visit Cádiz as a day trip from Seville, but we decided to stay for two nights instead. It was a bit of a detour before heading to Madrid, but we had no regrets. Cádiz was one of the highlights of our trip, and we’d love to visit again one day.

 

Day 1 – Free Walking Tour and Tapas at Taberna Casa Manteca

We took a direct train from Seville at 8:30 am and arrived in Cádiz around 10:30 am. Although it was too early to check in, we were able to leave our luggage and start exploring the city.

Our first activity was a free walking tour to get to know Cádiz better, which started at Cádiz City Hall. Before the tour, I wandered around the nearby market for a bit. I enjoy visiting local markets when I travel, not necessarily to buy anything, but just for window shopping. Ben wasn’t interested, so we split up for a while and met again before the tour began.

There were only seven people on the English tour, while the groups in other languages seemed much larger. We guessed that Cádiz attracts quite a few domestic tourists from other parts of Spain.

One interesting thing we learned was that some of the oldest buildings in Cádiz were constructed using oyster stone, a local material made from compressed shells.

At the end of the tour, our guide offered to take a photo for us and asked everyone to say “Batata!” It means “potato” in Spanish and is used in the same way English speakers say “cheese” when taking photos.

After the tour, we went for a lunch at Taberna Casa Manteca, one of the city’s oldest and most popular tapas bars. We ordered:

• Tortillitas de Camarones – thin and crispy fritters made with tiny local shrimp.
• Chicharrones – thin slices of seasoned pork, served cold.
• Papas Aliñás – a traditional Andalusian potato salad dressed with olive oil and herbs.

The bar closes at 4 pm and doesn’t reopen until 8:30 pm. Since Spaniards usually have dinner quite late, the dinner service starts much later than we’re used to. As we’re usually early sleepers (we felt old 😅), coming back for dinner wasn’t really an option, so lunch was the perfect time to visit.

 

Day 2 – Relaxing at Playa de La Caleta and exploring Cadiz Market

In the morning, Ben went for a run while I took it easy. Afterwards, we had breakfast at King Lab. The tortilla was the best we had in Spain – freshly made and absolutely delicious. We think the secret is to make it fresh and eat it straight away!

Our main destination for the day was Playa de La Caleta, a small beach surrounded by historic fortresses and one of the most picturesque spots in Cádiz. We rented two sunbeds for €19, which we could use for the whole day.

It was our first time simply lying on a sunbed, enjoying the ocean view and doing absolutely nothing. It felt like a proper holiday. We soaked in the sea for a while, although not for long as I’m not much of a swimmer. In the end, we spent about two relaxing hours at the beach. I really loved moments like this.

After that, we visited Cádiz Market. Although it officially closes at 4:30 pm, some stalls were already preparing to close when we arrived at around 3 pm.

Everything we tried was delicious. The highlight was the chicharrones 😋. We preferred the fried than the cold-cut version. We also discovered Tinto Lemon, a refreshing mix of red wine and lemon soda. It was lighter than sangria and tasted quite similar.

Our free walking tour guide told us that Playa de La Caleta is one of the best places in Cádiz to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, sunset wasn’t until around 9 pm, which was a little too late for us.

Instead, we took a leisurely walk to Playa de Santa María del Mar, a long sandy beach a bit further along the coast. We stopped at a beachside restaurant and enjoyed a piña colada and sangria while overlooking the ocean. What more could we ask for? ☺️

 

Day 3 – Cathedral de Cadiz

Our train to Madrid wasn’t until 1:30 pm, so we still had the morning to explore.

For breakfast, we returned to La Tertulia, a café we had enjoyed earlier in our trip. Not only was it close to our accommodation, but the food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. When we find a good café while travelling, we’re more than happy to go back.

Our main activity for the morning was visiting Cádiz Cathedral. The €12 ticket included access to the cathedral, the bell tower, and The Mystery Man exhibition, which explores the story of the Shroud of Turin.

The highlight for us was climbing the bell tower. The panoramic views over Cádiz, the coastline, and the Atlantic Ocean were stunning and well worth the climb.

Luckily, our walking tour guide warned us that the bells ring every 15 minutes and are extremely loud. Apparently, some visitors have been so startled while taking selfies that they’ve dropped their phones! We made sure to leave the tower just before the bells rang.

Overall, we really enjoyed Cádiz. Compared to some of the other destinations we visited in Spain, it felt less touristy and more affordable. We loved the beautiful cafés, interesting local food, lovely beaches, and relaxed atmosphere, which made it a perfect place to slow down and relax.

Although it was only a short trip, Cádiz ended up being one of our favourite destinations in Spain. Ben even promised that he would come back to Cádiz again one day. 🐷

Previous destination: Seville
Next destination: Madrid