I am planning a trip for my family (husband and 2 teenage daughters) for April 2025 (right after Holy Week) to Spain. Our interests/requests are varying - one wants warm (low. 70s), one wants local goods/shopping, one beautiful architecture and the other culture (art museums, local restaurants and other culture events). We prefer to avoid the touristy scene but instead spend time in more local neighborhoods with a slower pace. Thoughts on Cadiz or Seville? In Spain, we previously traveled to Barcelona (loved it during the low season).
Seville is extremely touristy. Cadiz would be the better option of the two if you want a slower pace.
Seville is one of the must see places in Spain, don't miss it. The other is Toledo.
I agree with Nick. Sevilla has a few really beautiful sites one should visit while Cádiz really doesn’t have any with the possible exception of the cathedral that has been under continual repair since it was built. To me, Cádiz is worth a couple nights at most. It is smaller and easy to walk around. The historic center of Sevilla, while larger, is easy to navigate. It would be easy to spend 4 nights in Sevilla.
If you want to do sightseeing/touristy things/museums... basically be busy, then Sevilla would be better.
If you want to relax and enjoy the ambiance, eat great food and do light sightseeing then Cadiz is better for that.
I would definitely vote for Seville. We stayed in an AirBnb in Santa Cruz neighboorhood--close to bars/tapas restaurants, the Jewish quarter, Alcazar and Cathedral. We enjoyed walking and meandering through the old neighborhoods, out to Plaza de Espana, and also walked out to the old tile factory district and did the Triana Ceramic museum (tickets to Real Alcazar gets you "free" admission to this and other museums/places) and did Tapas at the Triana Mercado.
If you folks do end up staying in Sevilla, Cadiz is only an hour or so away by bus or train.
Agree with the others that Seville offers much more than Cadiz. But, have you considered Cordoba? It is a smaller city that has the incredible Mezquita but also lovely neighborhoods to wander, excellent restaurants, and shops with locally made goods. We found Cordoba charming and wished for more time there.