The Oldest City in Spain

Cadiz, Spain

Cadiz is widely known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain.  It's located in southern Spain and has the remnants of a fortified city.  It's said to be the first city founded in Europe by the Phoenecians around 1100 BC. Cadiz is brimming with history and a walk through the old town will bring narrow winding streets.  It's a densly populated area.  Walking through the old town you can take a seat at a cafe, stroll along for some shopping, or try some tapas.  The old town is beautiful and it's surrounded by the sea and beautiful gardens and it reminded me a bit of Capri, Italy (minus the cliffs).  It has been the main port for the Spanish Navy since the 18th century and is also a major port for many cruise ships.

Traveling in the beginning of May, it was already very hot.  Beach goers were out in full force.  I had my host family give me a personal tour of Cadiz and explain some of the history of the town.  Cadiz isn't just sun and beaches.  Our host family explained that though Cadiz was once a bustling city and even still appears to be packed, there are many people moving away from the area as there are no jobs available.  The Spanish economy in general is doing very poorly right now.  They have the highest rate of unemployment in the European Union. Their unemployment rate is nearly 26%.  That's a quarter of the people!

Though Cadiz and Spain in general are struggling, as a tourist, you wouldn't know it.  It's just as vibrant as ever.  Below you can see the flower market, where flowers and other items are sold on the weekend.  We tried some tapas that consisted of some delicious Spanish cheeses and chicharon which is fried pork rinds. There are also the many beachgoers.

But then you see just how real the economic problem is as protesters march up and down the streets.  The sign says, "Against unemployment and the Capital.  Social Revolution."  Hopefully Spain will be able to pull themselves back up.

The last thing our host family showed us were these beautiful twisted trees that were over a hundred years old located on the Avenida Dugue de Najera. What a great way to end our day in Cadiz by reveling in the the beauty of these trees.

Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain cathedral
Cadiz Cathedral
Cadiz, Spain
Main Square
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz, Spain

Though Cadiz is not a big city, there is a lot to do and you could conceivable spend a few days there walking the square and lounging on the beach as it is not that expensive and tourism is keeping Cadiz alive.

I rated Cadiz high in near a beach, good food, historical, kid friendly, nightlife, photo ops, safe for solo travel (IMO), shopping, and unique. 


Stay tuned for the next stop on my trip, Seville.
And you can also check out my previous stop, Madrid.


What do you think of Spain's oldest city?

Linking up at:

Sunday Best Showcase
Travel Photo Discovery
Dwellings
 
Travel Tuesday

30 comments :

  1. It looks wonderful, certainly not like it's struggling at all... but I can imagine how tourism must help it a lot!

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  2. I always seem to drive right by Cadiz...I'll have to stop doing that!

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  3. Love Cadiz. We've stopped there several times on cruise ship ports of call. . .you've reminded me of all that I love about it!

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  4. Such a beautiful city, that beach looks amazing!

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  5. Your pictures are gorgeous! Very lovely post! I will definitively add Cadiz to my list of places to see in Spain!

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  6. wow this place looks gorgeous! need to add it to my list of must see places :)

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  7. Wow, the color of the water, and the size of that tree are just amazing! But so is their unemployment rate, that's terrible. Hopefully it improves soon. Thank you for sharing this at my History & Home link party. - Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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  8. Have been there twice and Loved it! Beautiful pictures!
    http://karanandmichael.blogspot.com/

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  9. Everything is gorgeous! The beach is packed and the water is so blue. Pinned

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  10. Beautiful beach. I could definitely just lounge around there soaking up the rays. The food looks fantastic. Please do another series on the food experiences you're enjoying on your travels.

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    1. Yes, Cynthia I plan on posting about all of the food I tried on Monday!

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  11. I've not been to Cadiz. It looks very appealing. I must find a way to get back there and maybe even to Morocco and Portugal again. Your photos make me feel like I am there.

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    1. Yes, I have Morocco and Portugal still on my list too!

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  12. gorgeous! i love all the colors and the beach scenes are making me crave the ocean reeeaaal badly!

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    1. Spain is the most colorful place I have photographed!

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  13. What a beautiful city! I love the photos and am jealous of all that glorious sunshine. Thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!

    Alison
    Nancherrow

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  14. You make Cadiz look so beautiful. I like the outdoor seating by the cathedral and the flower arrangements for sale. That twisted tree is really cool. I think my kids would want to climb it. More than a quarter of the population unemployed is quite bad. I hope that they find a good solution.

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    1. Yea the unemployment is so bad there. It's the worst in the EU.

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  15. This makes me want to visit Spain again! Haven't been there for ages but now that I'm facing my move to Norway, I somehow want to experience at least one last hot summer! :D

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  16. Thank you for sharing at Tuesdays with a Twist! Hope to see you again this week!
    Mary @ Back to the Basics

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  17. Oh it's so beautiful, thanks for sharing. I now want to go to Spain again! I love the look of those trees too, so amazing and unusual.

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  18. Wow, what a high unemployment rate. I never knew. Thanks for sharing

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  19. These pictures make me so nostalgic! I studied abroad in Cádiz for a semester in college, and while I wasn't the biggest fan of living there (I much prefer the bustling city life of Madrid!) I'm dying to make a trip back this spring.The beach is calling my name, and it would be rude not to answer!! Thanks for the gorgeous photos and a lovely trip down memory lane :)

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    1. Wow an entire college semester in Cadiz, that sounds awesome, and really really hot lol

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    2. It was actually pretty rainy and cold from January to early April, although that was back in 2010 which according to the locals was an "unusually rainy year". But I'm from Seattle, so I'm used to people saying that eeeeevery year. But I couldn't complain about the perfect beach weather all month long in May!

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  20. Breathtaking! I lived in spain for half a year and never made it to Cadiz. Looks like I need to head back!

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    1. Half a year. That sounds wonderful. What part?

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  21. These pictures are amazing! I love Spain and this makes me feel like I'm back there!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  22. Wow beautiful! I love your little history outline, Cadiz sounds like a fascinating city. Great photos :)

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I love to hear from readers! Questions and comments welcome. I try to respond to everyone (I respond back to your comments on the comments page so check back for a response). Thanks for reading!

-Brittany Ruth