Best Things To Do In Cádiz In 2 Days
Do you want to discover a city full of history, cobbled streets and castles? Then you should travel to Cadiz, a historic and lively city in the south of Andalusia.
Genoves Park, Cadiz | ©Antgarprats
The city of Cádiz is popularly known as the little silver cup. This tender name comes from the fact that it is a small city that was separated from Africa by the Pillars of Hercules which, according to Hellenic mythology, were made of silver. In this historic and ancient city you will find the best things to do in Cádiz during your holidays.
This small city is part of the metropolitan area of the Bay of Cádiz-Jerez. For this reason it is advisable not only to visit Cadiz but also the nearest municipality which is Jerez de la Frontera, as well as San Fernando. For this you can use a train that allows you to reach both places in less than an hour, so two days is enough time to get to know everything the city has to offer.
Day 1: Explore the centre of Cádiz
Cadiz is considered to be the oldest city in the West. For this reason you will find many interesting places to explore and get to know. During your first day of your visit I recommend a tour of the old town of Cádiz.
Although many know this city for its beautiful beaches, this destination has much more to offer. This first day will be focused on exploring some of its history and culture. All the sites are close to each other, so you will be able to explore them on foot.
Transfer to the hotel and breakfast
You've finally arrived in Cadiz! Most tourists land at Jerez de la Frontera airport, the closest airport to the city (45 km north of Cadiz). To get to your destination city you have several options. One is to take a taxi, use the C1 commuter train or the Seville-Cádiz Renfe line. Any of these methods will get you to the city in less than an hour.
When you arrive at your hotel you can leave your bags there and get ready for the day. A breakfast inside the hotel can be a good option. On the way there you will find different restaurants where you can eat to start the day off on the right foot.
Explore the Pópulo neighbourhood and visit the Cathedral of Cádiz
To start touring the city you have the option of taking a personalised private tour. However, if you have time, like to walk and discover new places on your own, I invite you to walk around the city. The first point to explore might be the Barrio Pópulo, the oldest area of Cádiz.
This area has its origins in Roman times. You should definitely explore it when you visit this city, as it has many outstanding attractions and monuments. Among them is the Cathedral of Santa Cruz de Cádiz.
This cathedral offers a cultural tour that you can take any day of the week for less than 10 €. With this type of tour you can explore the exterior of the cathedral, the Clock Tower, its chapels, the crypt, among other areas. If you join this tour you can learn all about the architectural and cultural history of the cathedral.
If you are interested, you can attend one of the services held every Sunday at 12 noon. Please note that the visit to the cathedral takes about 40 minutes.
Interesting details
- Location: Cádiz Cathedral, Pl. de la Catedral, s/n, 11005 Cádiz, Spain.
- Price: less than 10 €.
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday it is open from 10 am to 8 pm. On Sundays it opens at 1.30 p.m. and closes at 8 p.m.
Visit the Cave of the Blue Bird and the Central Market
At around 10:30 am you can continue your tour by visiting the Cave of the Blue Bird. This is a visit to the city's subsoil where you can discover the mythical Phoenician port of Gadir. Even part of its port structures were excavated in the natural rock and are still preserved today.
Over time it passed into the hands of the Romans and then to businessmen who transformed it into the birthplace of flamenco. Nowadays you can buy tickets to explore the cave. These visits can be made from 10am to 3pm. You can also buy tickets to enjoy a flamenco show in the evening.
After this visit you can walk about five minutes to the Central Market of Cadiz. Here you can just spend a few minutes if you want to get a closer look at the life of the locals. This place is usually very busy and you can buy fruit, meat and vegetables here. It also has a Gastronomic Corner in case you want to try some tapas with beer.
Interesting details
of the Cave of the Blue Bird
- Location: C. San Juan, 11005 Cádiz, Spain.
- Price: less than 10 €.
- Opening hours: open from 10 am to 6 pm.
Visit the Tavira Tower and have lunch in a nice restaurant
Five minutes from the market is the Tavira Tower, which was originally a watchtower to watch the ships returning from America with goods. Today you can enter with a pre-booked ticket which costs an average of €10.
Inside you can go up to the Camera Obscura, a floor that houses a dark room where you can see a brightly lit projected image of the outside. It is an optical effect that will surprise you. You can learn more about it when you visit the tower.
You can also visit its exhibition rooms and then go up to the observation deck and see the whole city from there. When you finish this visit it will probably be 12 noon, so you could look for a restaurant where you can have lunch. Near the Tavira Tower there are several restaurants that might interest you. Among them are El Garbanzo Negro, the pizzeria Pica&Pica and El Toro de Sacramento.
Interesting details
Tavira Tower
- Location: C. Marqués del Real Tesoro, 10, 11001 Cádiz, Spain.
- Price: less than 10 €.
- Opening hours: open from 10 am to 6 pm.
Visit the Museum of Cádiz
Around 1 p.m. you can visit the Museum of Cadiz, a cultural centre that will help you to understand the richness of the Tacita de Plata. Inside you will find several sections dedicated to archaeology, fine arts and ethnography.
For European Union citizens the entrance to this museum is free, for the rest it has an average price of 2 €. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm. You only need about an hour to visit the museum, so you should be out of here by about 2pm.
Stroll through the Parque Genovés
A 10 minute walk from the Museum of Cádiz is the Parque Genovés. This is an ideal place to spend part of your afternoon relaxing after walking around the historic centre of Cádiz.
This park is considered the green lung of the city. You can stroll around admiring a great variety of trees such as the dago, American cypresses, the metrosidero, among others. You can also appreciate the fountain with the iconic sculpture of the "Children under the umbrella".
If you travel with children to Cádiz you can enjoy this park a lot, especially if you go to the waterfall and the elevated bridge. There you can see beautiful ducks and take the best pictures of your trip to Cádiz. You can also enjoy the small playground or the skating rink.
Enjoy the sunset at La Caleta Beach
After spending an hour and a half or more in the Parque Genovés you can walk for less than 10 minutes to La Caleta Beach. Around 4pm is a good time to enjoy the beach atmosphere and watch the sunset. On the way to the beach you will see the Castillo de Santa Catalina. You can take a detour to get closer and go inside if you want to appreciate the panoramic view or the art exhibitions inside.
After this short visit you can continue on your way to the beach. Be prepared to watch the sunset as you bathe in the water and soak up the gentle rays of the evening sun. You can go to some of the viewpoints on the beach to get a better view of the sunset.
At the other end of the beach you will find La Caleta Gate and the Castle of San Sebastian. It can be a nice experience to see its grandeur and take some photographs. Please note that this castle is not open to the public.
Tapas dinner in a La Viña restaurant
The Barrio de La Viña is another popular area of Cádiz. This is a picturesque old fishing village that you can visit after spending the afternoon at the beach. For dinner you can go to Bar La Tabernita where you can have tapas or a beer dinner.
Other places nearby are Restaurante El Faro de Cádiz, Bar Santa Catalina and Taberna Las Banderas. If you are not in a hurry to take a break to regain your energy, you can take your time and go on a tapas tour of these bars . This way you can explore the cobbled streets of La Viña.
Day 2: Explore the surroundings of the city of Cádiz
The second day in Cádiz can be used to explore the surroundings of the city of Cádiz. In the municipality of Jerez de la Frontera you can go on some excursions and walks that you are sure to love. Also, in this area you can walk around the Bay of Cadiz and have an incredible time.
Keep in mind that on the first day you didn't have to use public transport, but for the second day it will be necessary. That's why I recommend you to calculate the departure and arrival times. It is also important to consider whether you should do a walking tour on your own or with a private guide.
Doing a walking tour of Jerez de la Frontera
If you are staying in the city of Cádiz and want to travel to Jerez de la Frontera on your own, you should board the train at Cádiz station. It is about six stations to Jerez, which takes about 40 minutes.
About 15 minutes from the train station is the Plaza del Arenal, from where you can start your walking tour. From there you can head to the Alameda Vieja, a green, recreational and ancient part of the city. Other important sights to see are the Church of San Miguel and the Palace of the Marquis of Bertemati.
Although you can do this tour on your own, I recommend taking a guided tour that will allow you to learn about the architecture and art of all the sites I mentioned.
Visit the Alcazar and the Cathedral
Around 11am, after the walking tour, you can visit the Alcazar and the Cathedral of Jerez de la Frontera Both sites are within minutes of each other. You can first visit the Conjunto Monumental del Alcázar which consists of a group of fortified buildings dating back to the 12th century.
Admission to this site is free and its opening hours from Monday to Friday are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. In summer they usually close at 5:00. Inside the complex you can see the mosque, the Arab baths, the castles and even the beautiful gardens.
Afterwards you can enter the Cathedral of Jerez. Please note that the average entrance fee to this place is 5 €. Inside you will find a permanent exhibition where you can see beautiful paintings such as La Virgen Niña by Zurbarán. You can also explore its chapels and the bell tower.
Tapas tour of Jerez de la Frontera
When you finish your visit to the cathedral it will be time for lunch. To continue exploring the city you can take a tapas tour of Jerez de la Frontera. A good option is to hire a professional guide to take you to the best bars and restaurants in the area.
These tours are usually done on foot and last on average two hours. Near the cathedral there are restaurants that you can visit as part of this tour. One of them is Restaurant Pedro Nolasco. You can also return to the Plaza del Arenal. There you will find more bars such as Taberna Jerez, Taberna San Pablo and Las Banderillas.
Take a boat trip in the Bay of Cádiz
After lunch I suggest a boat trip in the Bay of Cádiz. If you start this adventure at two o'clock in the afternoon, the trip should end at around five o'clock. To do this you should head to Puerto de Santa María in Cádiz. You can take a train on the C1 line from Jerez de La Frontera station to the Puerto train station.
The journey only takes about 10 minutes and when you arrive you can walk to the Puntilla beach. There you can meet your guide and board the boat to explore the Bay of Cadiz. This trip usually includes a paddle surf board, refreshments and snacks.
If you are travelling with your partner you can spend a romantic afternoon. In that case, you can decide whether to do a private ride or with a small group of people. The whole experience takes about three hours.
See a flamenco show and have dinner
Around five in the afternoon it will be time to return to Jerez. You can take the same train back.
The most popular place to enjoy this experience is Puro Arte Flamenco Jerez. This evening can be accompanied by an Andalusian style dinner. It is a great way to end your day. When the show and your dinner are over, at around seven in the evening, you can head back to your hotel and rest.
How to get around by public transport in Cádiz?
The province of Cadiz has a Renfe train system that can help you get from Jerez airport to the city of Cadiz. The average fare is 2 € and you can also buy a card that includes more journeys.
However, in the city of Cadiz it is not usually necessary to use public transport as all the places are close by, although it is still very important for people with reduced mobility and in the evening hours. Cadiz is an easy city to get around on foot. If you prefer, you can take tours by bicycle or private car.
What to pack when you go to Cádiz?
Cadiz is a place where you will be close to the sea. For this reason it is advisable to bring a swimming costume, sunscreen and anything else you might need for a day at the beach. This will help you to be much more comfortable.
As you may have noticed, during these two days you will have to walk. For this reason it is best to travel in comfortable clothes and ergonomic shoes. This way you will be able to explore the city on foot without getting too tired.