Cádiz was stop number seven of our Andalusian adventure after Malaga, Granada, Ubeda, Seville, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Jerez de la Frontera. You can find my trip reports for those stops on this forum or by clicking my username.
Arriving by taxi from Jerez de Frontera (a 40-minute drive that cost €53.43), we wandered straight into the mayhem of the last day of Carnaval!!
We were joyously unprepared for the scale and boisterousness of Carnaval, and also embarrassingly ignorant of its history and cultural significance to the people of Cádiz. To say the streets were jammed would be the understatement of the year. There were moments, especially during the parade of floats around the Mercado Central de Abastos, when we could not take a step in any direction because of the crush. Not for the faint hearted or for anyone with enochlophobia.
As we headed to bed around 11.00pm, the party was going strong. The streets were still teeming with people and piling up with empty bottles, cans, and other rubbish.
The next morning, we woke up to a quiet, serene, and astonishing clean Cádiz.
Cádiz is an enchanting, lively, and historic city. As one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in Europe, it is an incredible, multi-layered history lesson of Phoenician, Roman, Moorish, and Baroque influences, blending ancient heritage with a vibrant modern culture.
Cádiz is compact and walkable, with narrow, winding streets that open up to picturesque plazas and stunning sea views. We spent three days in Cádiz, which felt just about right for a first visit, and it was one of those places you visit where your expectations are completely exceeded.
In the sections below, I have only listed places that I have personally visited.
STAYING (prices are from February 2024)
Hotel Argantonio (C. Argantonio, 3)
Hotel Argantonio is a 2 star “boutique” hotel on the east side of the old town, that is perfectly placed to explore Cádiz.
The rooms are quirky, and each is unique. To be honest they are a bit dated and tired, but clean and comfortable enough and in line with the rating of the hotel.
The hotel has a comfortable roof top patio to soak up the sunshine - of which there was plenty during our stay in February.
The staff are exceptionally friendly and attentive.
We paid €182.86 the first night (because of Carnaval) and €96.96 for the second and third.
When we go back to Cádiz, we will certainly consider this hotel again.
Recommended.
EATING (prices are from February 2024)
La Mafia (Pl. San Agustín, n° 2)
The name gives away the cuisine at this modern, large, and bright restaurant.
We ordered risotto with nduja and burrata as a starter to share and followed with entrees of spaghetti arrabiata and a sirloin steak with salt flakes.
The food was ok, not great. The service was attentive and efficient.
We paid €80.80 for our meal (including a bottle of local wine).
Recommended.
Mesón de las Américas (Calle Dr. Ramón y Cajal, 1)
Just around the corner from Hotel Argantonio was the Mesón de las Américas and it was amazing.
A cozy bar (with a restaurant downstairs), the Mesón de las Américas serves great food with an Argentinian focus.
We ordered a selection of tapas including tomato and tuna salad, empanada, entrecote, and grilled provolone cheese along with a bottle of local red wine. The food and wine were exceptional – some of the best we had on our entire trip. Not fancy. Just tasty.
The service was great.
We paid €42.00 for our meal, including a bottle of local wine.
Highly recommended.