A day trip to Cadiz: sun, sea, and history!

When I was working out my Seville itinerary, Cadiz was the place I knew least about but it actually ended up being my favourite day of the trip. Whilst Cadiz is a little bit of a trek from Seville – it takes just under two hours by train –  it is the perfect respite from the heat of the city and is such a lovely place to just walk around, dine, shop, and even go in the sea if you like. And if you’re into your history, there are some interesting things here for you too! Here’s what I got up to on my day trip to Cadiz.

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Getting to Cadiz from Seville

You can go from Seville to Cadiz by both train and bus, and each form of transport has its pros and cons. The bus station is likely closer to your hotel in Seville, however the bus is slightly more expensive than the train. The journey by bus also takes slightly longer and services are less frequent. In contrast, there are more train options that are cheaper but Sevilla Santa Justa train station can be quite a trek to get there if you walk. I was staying at the Sercotel Sevilla Don Luciano so was fairly central and it still took me half an hour to walk to the station. Luckily I went early in the day – in the midday heat it would have been unbearable!

If you opt for a day trip to Cadiz by train, you should reserve your tickets in advance as these trains all have seat allocations and when tickets are gone, they’re gone. I did have a brief panic at first as a lot of trains were sold out so I had to compromise on the time I had in Cadiz (which actually worked out perfectly in the end).

As with most of my train travel in Europe I used Trainline to get a QR code ticket. It was really easy. (Important to note – you may be asked to provide ID so you’ll need to take your passport with you – driving licences from outside Spain aren’t accepted).

All in all I ended up spending around six and a half hours in Cadiz but then again I did go shopping – you could easily see the main sights in 4-5 hours. Cadiz is easily walkable too as everything is fairly close together.

My Cadiz itinerary for the day:

Once in Cadiz, it was only an eleven minute walk to my first stop of the day, the Catedral de Cadiz.

Visit the (new) Cathedral of Cadiz (Catedral de Cadiz)

Whilst the ‘old’ Cadiz Cathedral was closed when I visited, you can still go in the new Cathedral, which costs 12 Euros to enter. You can’t miss this stunning building in the Plaza de la Catedral, with its half sandstone and half bright-white exterior. Once inside, the interior architecture is equally stunning as you can see. All around the inside edge of the cathedral are sculptures or art of various saints – I’m not religious so I appreciated the explainer text, which gave me more context. 

 

When I visited there was a small exhibit in the crypt (which was a very cool space – you are in a dome made of stone beneath the centre of the cathedral). Here there were depictions of Jesus throughout history, and it was interesting to see the changing art styles over time. There were also some sculptures and an optional room where you could see a 3D-printed body of Jesus and his wounds, which didn’t appeal so I gave this a miss. 

Climb the Catedral de Cadiz belltower!

Included in your ticket to the cathedral is access to the top of the bell tower. Like Seville’s cathedral, you go up via ramps, rather than steps, making it a much easier climb. The floor is ridged concrete so you can grip on to the floor while ascending, although I would have struggled in flip flops.

At the top the views are stunning, with the azure sea contrasting nicely with the yellow dome of the cathedral from one of the vantage points. As you walk around the tower, you can also see views of the port, beach, and the brilliant white buildings of Cadiz. 

I was up there for just over ten minutes. I made sure not to stay too long as the bells chime each quarter hour, and after my visit up the bell tower in Arras (France) I was not keen to repeat the experience! Luckily I had taken all the photos I needed and still had three minutes to spare, so hurried back down. 

See ruins of a Roman theatre

The Romans ruled Cadiz over 1500 years ago, however the remains of a Roman theatre were only discovered in 1980. Here you can visit the ruins and the little museum attached to it for free. It won’t take you long to go round the museum, but it is really interesting and there are signs in English, as well as a video that tells you a bit more about theatre in Roman society.

Although the exterior was closed when I visited you can still see the theatre from inside the museum (to be honest I was grateful to get out of the sun for a bit). It felt rather strange to imagine people sitting to watch a play here thousands of years ago.

For more Roman artefacts (as well as from other periods throughout history), you can visit the Museo de Cadiz, which is near the Plaza de Mina. There’s a nominal fee for entry, and it is closed on Mondays.

Quick diversion – the Goblin’s Alley

On my way back to the Plaza my attention was caught by some colourful wall-mounted plant pots and a sign saying ‘Callejon del Duende’. Naturally my curiosity was piqued, and I was rewarded by a quaint little alleyway filled with pot plants and clothed stone creatures. This is the Goblin’s Alley! Here you can throw a coin into a vase, and if you get it in, the elf ‘Garendel’ will grant your wish apparently. There is more to the name and the story but you will need to translate the sign using an app, and sadly mine kind of gave me the gist of the tale –  but not to the point where I could reliably tell it here.

Shopping in the old town

You can’t get too lost in the old town, which has lovely cobbled streets and a pleasant atmosphere. Around the cathedral there are lots of stores selling clothing, footwear, leatherware, jewellery and chocolates. Slightly further afield (but not by much), down Calle Columela and Calle Ancha (and the surrounding streets) you can find your regular chain stores with a great selection of items. I bought some gorgeous burgundy harem pants, a smart cream top and more jewellery than I should have done.

It’s worth knowing that some of the smaller, non-chain stores shut during the day here at 2pm, reopening at 5pm – so you may want to head to the beach or head for some food during that time. 

Get some lunch at Mercado Central

About a five minute walk from the cathedral is the Mercado Central, which is a great spot if you’re starting to feel hungry. At the time I visited there were only a few restaurant kiosks open, but it was worth a pop in to see what was going on. From there, I headed towards the beach, which is just over a ten minute walk. 

Relax on the beach!

There are a few beaches to visit in Cadiz, however I opted for La Caleta. I cannot express how lovely it was to splodge in the sea. The beach was sandy and clean and the sea a gorgeous blue. I spent a good 40 minutes here although I could have stayed longer!

Explore Parque Genoves

Just around the coastline from La Caleta is Parque Genoves, a lovely green park with a lake and waterfall. I wish I could have visited but I couldn’t actually work out how to get in! Still, I managed to take some pictures of some of the flowers growing over the park fence. 

From there, I walked back up to the old town to do a bit more shopping, before heading back to the train station and back to Seville!

For more European destinations, you can check out my other blog posts here!