Summer in Andalusia can be unbearably hot and there is no better way to cool down than enjoying a day at the beach. Cadiz is perfect for that, located at the south-west coast by the atlantic ocean. Thanks to the ocean's breeze the temperature there is about 7-10 degrees lower than in Seville, which makes it just perfect.
Cadiz is an ancient town and is said to be the oldest constantly inhabited cities in Europe - founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC by the name of Gadir. It stands on the edge of a peninsula and is almost entirely surrounded by water. Most of the city's structure is a relict of the ancient times. It has also gained its fortified structure because at some point Cadiz became the main harbor releasing ships to the New World (after moving this function from Seville) and it needed protection from potential raiders.
We travelled to Cadiz from Seville by an early-morning train. Actually I have to show you this, because as I was glued to the window for the entire trip I noticed something pretty amazing - as we were somewhere dashing through the spanish countryside on a beautiful sunny morning, suddenly the clouds descended out of nowhere creating a dense fog. The sun was still shining through and it created a breathtaking golden glow.
We finally arrived in Cadiz. The railway tracks go up to the old town in the peninsula. We took a stroll through the narrow alleys makin our way to the main plaza by the City Hall. A few blocks away from it we found the Cadiz Cathedral. All the sights were in pastel colours, whites mostly with some hints of gold, pink, blue. Palm trees popping up here and there made also an impression of being someplace exotic.
But then we decided to go to the beach for the first time that day. We chose the vast beach on the southern side of the peninsula and the choice was good. It wasn't too crowded and the water was beautifully clear. And then we kept on roaming through the alleys.
Cadis is home to some splendid parks. It is said that some exotic plants were brought here by Columbus from his excursions to the Americas. Park Genoves was probably the most impressive, with wie avenues decorated with fantastically shaped trees and palm.
Actually if you're tired from walking around, I do highly reccomend finding a piece of grass and laying down to rest under the palm trees.
There is also a small beach in the heart of Cadiz. Located between its fortifications, by a quite neat pavillion. The drawback of this beach was... the crowd. The water was more cloudy as well.
But that was right in the centre, so what could I expect? At least it looked pretty.
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