During my Transatlantic Cruise, there was a total of three ports in Spain. The first port was always going to be Cadiz, for just a single day. In the end, due to poor weather conditions at the previous port, we got the opportunity to stay in Cadiz overnight.
The port of Portimao, Portugal was scheduled to be the day before the MS Nieuw Amsterdam arrived into Cadiz. However, due inclement weather and the need to use tenders to go ashore the captain decided it would be impractical. As such he chose to cancel the port and arrive early into Cadiz Spain.
My Plan For Cadiz
With the single day in port, I had planned to take a tour to see the city. It would have left me with little time to do any exploring on my own. I believe I would have been nowhere near as happy with my time in Cadiz if this is what had happened.
It turns out that Cadiz is a perfect size town to explore in two days on foot. While I would always love more time anywhere that I enjoy visiting, to be able to see things a little more comprehensively. But two days worked out perfectly here.
Cadiz Day 1
With two whole days in Cadiz, there were some different walks that I took exploring different areas of the city. Late in the afternoon on the first day, I set out to find a good spot to capture the sunset. The walk took me through some beautifully landscaped parks that create some beautiful green space.
It is space that you need in a city like Cadiz. Even though the city is a nice place many of the streets are still a little grey. Which is combined with many people living in houses or apartments with little to no outdoor space, the parks provide this space.
Beyond the garden aspect of the parks in Cadiz, they do also include some interesting features. Such as this bench that is created from painted ceramic tiles.
Open Space
While green space is better, in my opinion, there is also ample other open space as well. It is through many squares and malls throughout the city. Many of the squares are surrounded by cafes and restaurants and have many people passing through going about their business.
Cadiz Day 2
Another day and the weather in Cadiz was the complete opposite of yesterday. It was the perfect opportunity to take a walk with blue skies and the sun shining. I had picked out two specific sites that I wanted to visit, and they were both castles.s
Castillo de San Sebastian (San Sebastian Castle)
There is only one way to get to Castillo de San Sabastian, and that is a stone walkway. The walkway takes you out about 500m from the shore into the Atlantic Ocean. The biggest guessing game is whether you will get soaked by the breaking waves or blown away by the strong winds. I made it without incident but managed to witness one or two other’s get caught in the waves.
There is a fantastic view looking back towards the city from the castle. However, when I arrived at the castle, I found out that it is currently closed for renovations. Even though this is a little disappointing, not a big issue for me, the walk was still enjoyable. I also made use of the location to get a photo of the second castle I will be visiting Castillo de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Castle).
Castillo de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Castle)
It turned out second time lucky with Castillo de Santa Catalina being open today. It also turned out to be free to enter which was a pleasant surprise. To me, the building did not look much like a castle from the inside, not like from the outside. But it was still very interesting to see the buildings and the galleries inside each building.
Contrasts Of Cadiz
Cadiz is very much a city of contrasts, and the below picture highlights this better than any I think. I have mentioned the narrow streets and lack of green space except on the edges in park areas. But then you have area’s like in this picture, that could easily be a beach front area. Alas, the lack of a substantial beach and the cooler temps impact this just a bit.
Public Art
Like many cities I have visited when you walk around Cadiz there are numerous interesting pieces of public art. They do very much vary in their material and construction, but they create a nice distraction at times. The first one that I came across was this rather large bird made with steel.
The next piece that caught my attention was a statue of a Flamenco Dance in a small square. There was some great detail in the bronze statue, and I recognised the dance from the pose.
The final pieces that I have to share today is one of the abstract sculptures along the waterfront. There were quite some different shapes and colours all made of metal.
A Great Port Call
It was great to be able to visit a city such as Cadiz and get the bonus of an overnight port call. If it had not been for the cruise, I doubt that I would have considered visiting Cadiz. But now that I have seen the city very glad to have visited. Although I do not think I would find much more in Cadiz on a return visit, some of the surrounding areas do have some appeal for the future.
