Things to do in Cádiz, Spain | Our 4-night itinerary for an early spring break

My daughter and I found ourselves with a small window of opportunity for an early spring break back in March.  We knew it was a bit soon in the season for a short haul guaranteed sun holiday but as we were keen to get some down time we didn't want to do a full on city break either.  We spent hours researching different options!  How long does holiday planning take?!  We were super keen on Italy but Sorrento (our first choice) doesn't really open up for tourists until Easter.  Finally we settled on Cádiz in Spain ... we booked our flights, found an Airbnb with an outside terrace, booked a walking tour and sat back to pray for mild days and bright skies!

Here is our itinerary and recommendations for what to do in Cádiz in early spring!

Things to do in Cádiz: Central Market Cádiz

Above: boyfriend jeans and cream utility jacket from Marks & Spencer, handbag and breton from Boden and trainers from Air & Grace.

Friday - Stansted to Seville

We prefer not to leave at the crack of dawn so our 9.30 am flight from London Stansted with Ryanair was very civilised, neither do we do hand luggage only or ridiculously cheap flights!  We like to make life easy and comfortable.  We had decided against staying in Seville because as wonderful as the city sounds, we just didn't want a full on touristy break (we will save a visit to Seville for another time).  We picked up a hire car at Seville Airport, set up Google Maps, Emily was in charge of navigation and we drove the very easy 1 hour 20 minute journey to Cádiz.  The biggest challenge was finding the underground car park then navigating the cobbled streets with our suitcases!  I am very lucky that my daughter enjoys my company and we have a lot of fun together, lugging our suitcases around was a 'laugh out loud' experience!

The weather was very windy when we arrived and we did get the giggles at our plan to spend time on the beach, right at that moment, the wild Atlantic coast definitely had other ideas!

We dumped our bags - getting those heavy suitcases up three flights of stairs was a challenge - but we were rewarded with the location of our Penthouse Airbnb right in the main area of the old town, it was easily accessible to the tourist areas and the roof terrace had sun loungers and a hot tub.  First stop, a bar in the old town square, then the supermarket for basic provisions and finally Tapas at La Chancha y los 20, before the heavens opened and torrential rain started!

A rainy first day for a walking tour of Cádiz

Where is Cádiz in Spain?

Cádiz is a city and port located in the southwestern part of Spain. It is situated in the autonomous community of Andalusia, on the Atlantic coast. Cádiz is known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and charming old town.

Sampling the local sherry!

Saturday - walking tour of Cádiz Old Town

Our first priority was to get our bearings and learn a bit more about Cádiz, so we booked a walking tour via 'withlocals' for Saturday morning.  We find that doing a walking tour makes such a difference to our trips, you can really get a feel for the local culture, understand where everything is, and get tips for what to do!

What to do in Cádiz

There are so many things you can do in Cádiz, there's history, culture, food, or simply relaxing by the sea, we chose it because of the balance between city and beach, we knew we could have down time too.

1. Explore the Old Town - wander through the narrow streets of the historic old town, known for its beautiful architecture, charming squares, and lively atmosphere.
2. Visit the Cádiz Cathedral - marvel at the stunning architecture of the Cádiz Cathedral, one of the city's most iconic landmarks and climb to the top for panoramic views of the city and the sea.
3. Relax on the beaches - enjoy the sun, sand and sea on one of Cádiz's beautiful beaches, such as Playa de la Victoria or Playa de la Caleta.
4. Learn about history and culture - visit the Museum of Cádiz, which showcases archaeological artifacts and fine art, or the Tavira Tower, a historic watchtower with a camera obscura offering panoramic views of the city.
5. Try the local cuisine - indulge in delicious Andalusian cuisine at local restaurants and tapas bars. Don't miss out on trying traditional dishes like pescaíto frito (fried fish), tapas, and seafood paella.
6. Take a boat trip - explore the coastline and nearby islands with a boat trip or ferry ride. You can visit the stunning nearby island of San Fernando or take a scenic cruise along the coast.
7. Enjoy Flamenco - experience the passion and energy of flamenco music and dance at one of Cádiz's many flamenco venues.
8. Attend festivals and events - if you visit during one of Cádiz's festivals, such as the Carnival of Cádiz or the Holy Week processions, join in the festivities and experience the local culture.

Our walking tour was super informative to understand the history of Cádiz, our guide, Adri from Discover Costa de la Luz, showed us around the narrow cobbled streets, explained the architecture, we learnt about the oranges and orange blossom (I absolutely love the scent of orange blossom and always look forward to it coming out in our garden). 

The oranges that grow in Cádiz, as well as in many other regions of Spain, are typically of the bitter orange variety, also known as Seville oranges. These oranges are not typically eaten raw due to their sour and bitter taste, but they are commonly used in cooking and for making marmalades, preserves, and other culinary products. Bitter oranges are also used to produce essential oils and fragrances. The climate and soil conditions in Cádiz are conducive to the cultivation of citrus fruits like oranges, making them a common sight in orchards and gardens throughout the region.

We also visited the Central Market 'Mercado Central' and sampled the local sherry, we loved wandering through the bustling marketplace and seeing the fresh fruit and vegetables, the seafood and the fish ... it was especially lively as the locals were also sheltering from the rain!

Sherry is an integral part of the local culture and economy. The city is located within the sherry-producing region of Andalusia, known as the "Sherry Triangle," which includes the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María.  

We were also able to pop by the Roman Theatre and visit the museum. The remains of the Roman Theatre were rediscovered in the 1980s during excavations, the archaeological site was subsequently excavated and partially restored, although only about a quarter is visible as many of the apartment block owners refused to allow their homes to be destroyed to reveal the remains (our Airbnb included) so it is still very much hidden under the city.

We noticed how clean the streets of Cádiz are, and Adri told us that the lady mayor established a law that every dog owner has to clean up after their dog, not just poo bags but they must also carry a bottle of soapy water to wash the pavement!

Our tour was cut a little short by the dreadful rain, we had a limit on how long we wanted to stand outside for, so Adri dropped us off at El Faro de Cádiz, a Spanish tapas restaurant where we could dry off and relax for a while.  But she had left us with lots of history to digest, and recommendations for what to do with our few days in Cádiz.  We also got chatting over soggy wet clothes, bedraggled hair and a glass of wine with a couple from Ireland, they visit Cádiz often and they said El Faro is one of their favourite restaurants and we absolutely should go to the Camera Obscura!

An early spring break to Cádiz in Spain

Above: cream utility jacket  (as above) and blue girlfriend jeans from per una at Marks & Spencer, Althea white trainers (gifted) from Moda in Pelle, handbag from Boden, pink jersey top from Baukjen (get 15% off using my code FAB15).

After our late lunch, we decided to explore the inside of Cádiz Cathedral, known as "Catedral de Santa Cruz de Cádiz" in Spanish, it is one of the most iconic landmarks in Cádiz, situated in the old town but also bordering the sea, it really is a focal point for tourists.  During our visit the city was preparing for the Easter parades so there was quite a lot of hoarding up and seating areas being erected so the outside café culture was a little more limited, but the area around the Cathedral was still buzzing with life.

Yes we do have the same knitted jacket from Uniqlo!

Sunday - Mother's Day!

Emily had a full day of treats planned for me for Mother's Day, starting with breakfast at Café de Ana (recommended by our walking tour guide).  It was busy but we didn't have to wait long for a table,  We loved this little café, the brunch was excellent but mostly we loved the 70s retro vibe - the café was packed full of antiquities and memorabilia like old LPs, lots of old furniture and vintage tech!  

We did manage to fit a little bit of shopping in, first to buy a baseball cap to keep my hair dry in the torrential rain and then to check out Parfois which I love for beach bags and accessories!

We spent the afternoon relaxing on our roof terrace, the sun came out in full force, and the hot tub was ready for us! 

In the late afternoon we booked entry tickets for Torre Tavira which is one of the tallest towers in Cádiz with a Camera Obscura to view the city through.  There are many towers in Cádiz, they were built as watchtowers for the sea merchants to spot their ships entering the harbour and Anotonio Tavira installed the Camera Obscura to observe maritime activity in the port. 

We climbed to the top of the tower and enjoyed the panoramic views then we were able to experience real time views all around Cádiz from the camera, we had a fully guided tour and learnt more about the history of the tower and Cádiz.  We were lucky that the weather had improved and we could see clear views of the Bay of Cádiz and the Atlantic Ocean.

And to finish off our day, we had dinner at Café Royalty which was just delicious!

Dinner at Café Royalty in Cadiz

Monday - La Caleta Beach

La Caleta Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Cádiz, it is located between two castles, Castillo de Santa Catalina and Castillo de San Sebastián.  We had a lovely walk along the seafront from our Airbnb and spent a couple of hours relaxing on the golden sand before wandering back for some hot tub time!  We didn't' want our day to end, the sun was warm, and the atmosphere in the old town square was buzzing, we made the most of the spring evening and sat in one of the pavement cafés until the sun went behind the buildings!

La Caleta Beach, Cádiz in March

What I'd do more of if we went back!

We did know that early March is very early in the season for Spanish holidays but we were happy to take the gamble, and we absolutely loved Cádiz, we would certainly go back. 

Next time I'd book an evening Flamenco show in advance, we missed out on doing this as you do need to book and the only one with availability was Monday afternoon (and a train ride outside the city) but as the sun had appeared, we didn't want to be inside. 

We'd also love to do a boat trip, Cádiz is situated on a peninsula, and is connected to the mainland by several bridges. One of the most significant bridges providing access to Cádiz is the Puente de la Constitución de 1812, commonly known as the "La Pepa" Bridge.  Taking a boat trip in Cádiz would be a wonderful way to experience the city from a different perspective and explore the stunning coastline. 

Cádiz is very accessible from Seville so a two-centre holiday would work, you can get the train between the two cities or of course we found the hire car was very convenient.  Next time we will do Seville but ideally either later in March or early April or in the autumn might be better before it all gets too busy and too hot. 

Cádiz is very much a locals city, we felt like we were integrating with the culture far more than being part of the tourist crowds in Seville and of course we got the all important down time on the beach and on our roof terrace.  We stayed for 4 nights and it felt about right, I wouldn't recommend less than 3 nights if you want to get relaxation time in as well.

Recommended reading: Best Things to do in Seville

Hot tub time on our roof terrace in Cádiz

Above: Boden really do have the best swimwear - similar swimsuit here!

What to wear in Cádiz in early spring

Our packing was a bit of a challenge, we knew the forecast wasn't amazing but we were still hopeful the sun would mean milder days.  We did pack a dress and skirt each but the reality was we needed jeans, t-shirts and a jacket or jumper even on the sunnier days.  The day at the beach was mild (there was one bather in a bikini) but we stayed in jeans and t-shirts!

Cádiz, Spain

A very quick round-up of what we got up to in Cádiz, I was particularly impressed at my courage with picking up a hire car and driving from Seville to Cádiz, the roads were much better than in the UK and I found it super easy, helped by Emily's navigation of course!

​Hopefully a little bit of inspiration if you are planning a short trip to Spain!  We both recommend Cádiz, it is a a city that is perfect for wandering and relaxing, to take in some culture and history, experience everyday Spanish life and enjoy the pretty old town and stunning sea views.

Love Michelle xx


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Cádiz from the Torre Tavira Tower

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