Cádiz lays claim to being the oldest city still standing in Europe. That’s quite something. Over the centuries (and millenia), this beautiful coastal Andalucían city has played a vital role in many different civilisations. It has more than its fair share of interesting stories.
In this blog I’ll outline some of Cádiz’s historical gems – including some unusual and lesser known, and some hidden in plain sight.
A brief history of Cádiz
Before we dive into Cádiz’s specific historic gems, let’s first look at its overall history. Cádiz was founded more than 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians – an early maritime civilisation primarily based in modern day Lebanon, who pop up all over Europe’s ancient history.
The city’s name comes from this time. The Phoenicians called the city Gadir, meaning ‘enclosure’. The city of Agadir likely has the same root.
Cádiz later became part of the Carthaginian Empire, and then fell to Rome in the 3rd century B.C., under whom it flourished as a port and naval base. Like much of Spain, it spent the next few centuries changing hands – the Visigoths, who destroyed a lot of the original city, the Byzantines and, for more than 500 years, the Moors, before being conquered by Spanish forces in the 13th century.
Cádiz became an important base during the ‘Age of Exploration’ – Christopher Columbus set sail from the city twice. But because of its coastal location, it was at risk of attack from pirates and enemies. So most of the riches coming from the New World benefited a different city, a hundred miles inland – Seville.
This changed in the 18th century, when Cádiz became the centre of Spain’s trade with the Americas. It went through a golden era. Many of the most magnificent buildings we see today are from this era.
As the Spanish Empire declined, so did the importance of Cádiz. In recent years it has gone through a bit of a renaissance. It’s now a proud, vibrant port city that can boast more continuous history than just about anywhere else.
Cádiz’s historic gems
The Lady of Cádiz
One of the most important ancient artefacts in all of Spain can be found in Cádiz’s small local museum – which is one of the best things to do in Cádiz. Dating back to the city’s Phoenician era, the Lady of Cádiz is one of two large marble sarcophogi (or coffins). One displays the features of a woman, the other a man. At more than two and a half thousand years old (thought to date from the 5th century B.C.), both are unbelievably well preserved. The Lady of Cádiz is the oldest of the two – and despite depicting a young female, the remains inside are actually thought to be of a man.
Almost as interesting as the sarcophagi themselves is the story of how they were found. The first – the male figure – was found in 1887, and led to the discovery of Cádiz’s ancient importance. A new museum was founded to house it, now the Museum of Cádiz. The museum’s director, a man called Pelayo Quintero Atauri, was convinced that if they had found a male sarcophagus, there must be a female one too. It became his life mission to find her – the Lady of Cádiz.
But he died never knowing if he was right. And then, almost a century later in 1980, she was found. Directly underneath the house he had lived in, dreaming of finding her.
For more of Cádiz’s Phoenician heritage, you can also visit the Gadir archaeological site, which has some remains of the ancient city and exhibitions about Phoenician life and culture.
Visit Cádiz museum’s website.
Visit Gadir archaeological site’s website.
Remains of Roman Cádiz
Cádiz spent centuries under Roman control, but very little of this era remains. The main site we can still visit is the Roman Theatre of Cádiz – among the largest ever built by the Roman Empire, and the second largest in Spain (after Cordoba).
Over the centuries, it was covered over by newer buildings and forgotten about until it was accidentally discovered in the 1980s. You can only visit a small section of the theatre, but it’s still an arresting sight.
An even more interesting and unique Roman site can be found elsewhere in the Cádiz province, about an hour drive from the modern city – Baelo Claudia. One of Andalucía’s most significant sites, it’s made up of extensive, well-preserved ruins from a strategic maritime town – including an impressive temple, baths, aqueduct and a fish-salting factory. Particularly striking is its location, just off the beach, making this one of the most beautiful ancient sites I’ve ever visited.
Iglesia de Santa Cruz – Cádiz’s oldest church
Cádiz is most famous for its striking Cathedral. But the nearby Iglesia de Santa Cruz – more restrained, yet still beautiful – is much more ancient. It’s also known as the ‘Catedral Vieja’ – the old Cathedral.
It was built in 1263, ordered by King Alfonso X to be built over the top of the Muslim city’s old mosque after Christian Spanish forces had retaken Cádiz. This was common practice in Spain during this time. As the Christian forces re-took the Iberian peninsula from the Moors, converting mosques into churches was a sign of their dominance over the region. You’ll find examples of this all across Spain, most famously in the case of the Cordoba Mosque.
Cádiz’s old cathedral was burnt down in the 16th century by Anglo-Dutch forces plundering the city. Much of what we see today comes from the rebuild in the 17th century. It’s a simple, somber building both inside and out – especially compared to the nearby newer Cathedral. I was particularly struck by its imposing domed roof and beautiful multicoloured tiles.
The oldest neighbourhood in Cádiz & Medieval city gates
Cádiz’s oldest neighbourhood can be explored in El Populo, the medieval quarter. It’s made up of narrow alleys, still in the ancient street pattern, and home to some of Cádiz’s most important monuments. The Cathedral Vieja and Roman Theatre are both in El Populo. One of the most interesting sights in the neighbourhood is el Arco de la Rosa, one of the western gates to medieval Cádiz.
And in this neighbourhood, history is literally under your feet…
In the small square of Plaza Fray Felix, you’ll notice the ground is lined with cobbled stones. These were brought over from the Americas. When Spain’s Empire began to fall, with revolutions taking place across the New World, they were forced to send their ships back home – empty. To provide the ships with ballast, they filled them with stones – the very stones that line this square.
The watch towers of Cádiz
One of the most distinctive historic features of Cádiz isn’t even really noticeable from ground level. But if you can find a higher vantage point, you’ll be struck by the city’s 130 watch towers.
Built largely in the 18thcentury, these towers were part of the city’s defenses – reflecting both its importance as a city, but also its vulnerability to attack. There were originally around 160, and remarkably most are still standing – though many are in quite poor repair.
The tallest is Torre Tavira, the highest point in old Cádiz, which you can climb for sweeping views.
Little Havana – a blueprint for the new world
Stand at the Mirador Playa de las Mujeres (Google Maps), just off one of Cádiz’s sweeping beaches, and look at the city unfolding before you, with its colourful houses lining the shore.
Colourful houses like these are common in coastal cities, because they helped returning sailors to easily spot their homes. But with its long beaches, tall palm trees and colonial era architecture, this view of Cádiz is reminiscent of another famous coastal city – Havana. Given the number of Cádiz sailors who were among the early Spanish settlers of Cuba, this may well have been the old world blueprint for that famous city.
Colonial era buildings & the signing of the Spanish constitution
I mentioned in the first section of this blog that, in the 18th century, Cádiz entered a golden era due to money flowing in from the Spanish Empire. You can see this in the city today, in its many beautiful colonial-era buildings. The most famous is Cádiz’s cathedral, originally called ‘the Cathedral of the Americas’ because it was through this money that it was funded. But there are examples all over the city.
One of the best places to see the importance of Cádiz during this period is in the Plaza de San Antonio – one of its main squares. Surrounding the square is stunning architecture, mostly from the 19th century. Two notable examples are Banca Aramburu and Casino Gaditano, beautiful buildings and prominent institutions from Cádiz’s history.
The square also played host to one of Spain’s most important historical moments. In 1812, the first constitution of Spain (and one of the first in world history) was signed here.
Monumental historic trees
You can see Cádiz’s colonial importance in more than just its impressive buildings. Both due to its climate, and its position as a major port city, Cádiz has a number of monumental historic trees that date from the colonial period.
A selection of old, historic trees in Cádiz
One of the best places to see impressive flora in Cádiz is the Parque Genoves, the city’s 19th century landscaped gardens, which includes a dragon tree that is more than 100 years old and some very old monkey puzzle trees.
One of the most iconic trees in Cádiz can be found nearby – its absolutely massive, strangler fig trees. These were brought over by nuns returning from India, and there are four of them across the city. The other two are on the other side of Cádiz.
The history of flamenco
No doubt if you’re visiting Andalucía, you already know a bit about flamenco. One of Spain’s most famous cultural exports, a beautiful style of music and dance. Flamenco is thought to originate from the ‘Golden Triangle of Flamenco’ – the area of land from Cádiz to Jerez to Seville. Even now, the area of Santa Maria is one of the key ‘flamenco’ neighbourhoods in Spain.
The city has continued to be an influence on the art form. Cameron de la Isla, one of the most famous, influential and imitated flamenco singers, came from the San Fernando neighbourhood.
Hopefully in this blog I’ve helped to capture some of the magical history of Cádiz. The best way to discover Cádiz – both its swashbuckling history and its modern beaten heart – is on one of the many excellent tours given by locals. A top rated option can be booked on Get Your Guide here. Or alternatively, I can recommend Cadizfornia, who provide a number of free walking tours.
This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Cadiz on GPSmyCity.
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