Cádiz, Spain

Apr. 09, 2023

For information about the country of Spain, please see my post on Malaga. This post will focus on the city of Cádiz.

We set out on a drive through the beautiful countryside of the Costa de la Luz region. We followed the famous Bull Route, where many of Spain’s most prestigious herds of cattle are raised and bred for stamina and temperament.

We passed the fishing town of Barbate, famous for practicing the art of almadraba. This form of tuna fishing dates back to the time of the Phoenicians.

La Breña is a beautiful, protected pine forest, sprawling over 4,800 acres and offering shade and serenity as you drive through it.

Our destination is Cape Trafalgar, where a lighthouse marks the site of the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. History buffs will know that this is indeed an historic spot, for it is where the famous Lord Horatio Nelson lost his life.

Finally, we had some free time in the beautiful seaside village of Conil de la Frontera. We saw one of the most beautiful beaches along this coastline and had an opportunity to explore the maze of narrow streets, shop for souvenirs, or simply sit and watch the world go by from one of the many local cafés. There, I had a coke and chatted with three fellow passengers at a sidewalk cafe.

Time for some facts about Cádiz.

Cádiz is a city, capital, and principal seaport of Cádiz provincia (province) in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Andalusia, southwestern Spain. The city is situated on a long, narrow peninsula extending into the Gulf of Cádiz (an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean). With a 6-7 mile circumference, hemmed in by the sea from which it is protected by walls, the city has only one land exit.

Traditionally said to be founded as Gadir (meaning “an enclosure”) by Phoenician merchants from Tyre as early as 1100 BC, it was occupied by the Carthaginians about 501 BC. Credence was given to the city’s Phoenician origins by discoveries in 1980 and earlier of Phoenician sarcophagi at two separate sites.

At the close of the Second Punic War, the city willingly surrendered to Rome and from that time, as Gades, steadily increased in prosperity. A Roman theatre, one of the oldest and best-preserved in Spain, was discovered in the suburb of Pópulo in 1980. In the 5th century the city was destroyed by the Visigoths. Moorish rule over the port, which was renamed Jazīrat Qādis, lasted from 711 until 1262, when Cádiz was captured and rebuilt by Alfonso X of Castile.

Its renewed prosperity dated from the discovery of America in 1492, when it became the headquarters of the Spanish treasure fleets. During the 16th century it repelled a series of raids by Barbary corsairs; in 1587 its harbor shipping was burned by an English squadron under Sir Francis Drake. After being blockaded (1797–98) and bombarded (1800) by the British, it was besieged by the French in 1810–12, during which time it served as the capital of all of Spain not under the control of Napoleon.

The loss of the Spanish colonies in the Americas dealt a blow to the trade of Cádiz from which it never recovered. Its decline was later accelerated by the disasters of the Spanish-American War of 1898 and by its antiquated harbor works. After 1900, considerable improvements were made in quayside construction, and recovery proceeded steadily. In the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) Cádiz fell to the Nationalists almost at once and served as an important port of entry for reinforcements from Spanish Morocco. In 1947 the city suffered great damage from the explosion of a naval arms store.

Industrial development is rather limited, but important naval and mercantile shipbuilding yards and various factories exist on the mainland (metalworking and food processing), and there are tuna fisheries off the coast. The city is primarily a commercial port, exporting wine (principally sherry from Jerez de la Frontera), salt, olives, figs, cork, and salted fish and importing coal, iron and machinery, timber, cereals, coffee, and other foodstuffs. A military airfield and a Spanish-U.S. air base, Rota, are nearby. Along the Bay of Cádiz, a metropolitan area has formed with a commercial center.

Notable landmarks include the old cathedral, originally built by Alfonso X of Castile (1252–84) and rebuilt after 1596; and the Baroque cathedral, begun in 1722 and completed in 1838, where the composer Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) is buried and which holds a magnificent collection of art treasures. Other landmarks include San Sebastián and Santa Catalina castles, numerous museums, and the famous Torre de Vigía, a signal tower in the center of the city.

Cádiz’s lively annual carnival, held the week leading up to Shrove Tuesday, includes processions, costumes, music, dancing, and contests. The celebration is modeled after the renowned carnivals of Venice, which had an active trade with Cádiz in the 16th century.

The population of Cádiz in 2021 was estimated to be 114,244.

Saying adiós to Cádiz, we made our way to the ship. We will cruise overnight to Lisbon, Portugal.