Looking out on the sparkling waters of Cadiz Bay, MAL ROGERScan understand why Christopher Columbus spent four years here before heading for the New World
YOU COULDN’T really blame old Christopher Columbus for spending almost four years in El Puerto de Santa Maria. Looking out on the sparkling waters of Cadiz Bay, he would have contemplated the none-too-imminent journey to a place his friend Amerigo Vespucci would later think up a name for. (Amerigo evidently didn’t tax his brain overly much.)
But, even allowing for meticulous preparation, four years sounds a fair whack of time. Still, who wouldn’t be reluctant to leave the bay, forgoing all that wine, seafood and sunshine in exchange for a very uncertain voyage to the New World?
At least Columbus’s pilot, Juan de la Cosa, used his time wisely. Paving the way for fellow conquistadores, Juan drew up the first map to include the New World, right here in El Puerto in 1500. So there it was, just over 500 years ago, Cadiz the fulcrum of the known world – and today you can’t even get a direct flight here. Which, with Spanish serendipity, has granted this old seaport a parochialism of utterly irresistible charm.
Andalusia is renowned for its festivities, and Cadiz is right in there. After a languorous swim in the waters lapping the charming town beach, Playa de la Caleta, we sauntered home via Avenida Duque de Najera. The big event of the day – actually, one of two big events – was just kicking off.
An elderly woman had opened her car door into the path of a local bus. Somehow the door was now embedded in the side of the coach. Everyone had an opinion: the woman, the bus driver, the passengers, the Guardia Civil, the woman who sold wine on the beach, a man on horseback, a family on a Honda 50 – even, eventually, us. We soon found ourselves rolling our eyes and gesticulating wildly along with the other onlookers. We left – on foot – just as Cadiz began to grind to a halt.
The other big event of the day was scheduled for that evening. La Patrona de Cadiz, Our Lady, was on walkabout through the town. Mounted on a huge wooden platform, the statue of Nuestra Señora del Rosario was paraded along the cobbled streets followed by priests, nuns, local dignitaries, grim-looking policemen, petitioning pilgrims, ice-cream sellers – in essence the same people who had been giving an opinion on the-door-in-the-bus incident.
The parade was accompanied by a bevy of uniformed brass bands. The only surprise was that none of the bands had made an appearance earlier at the bus incident, and struck up a few jaunty tunes.
To the sound of brass and percussion the Patrona (who looked distractingly like Anne Doyle) swayed on a huge platform through the tight alleys. We watched from a lazy old tapas bar as she made her way through the cobbled streets. The bar and the streets were heaving, but children still managed to rush forward to touch the swaying platform and cross themselves.
The parade through Cadiz follows a road map begun by those inveterate traders the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago. Passing impressively raucous cafes and crumbling, time-weathered convents, the procession eventually reached the huge baroque cathedral.
Here, in this quintessential Andalusian city, religion takes on a very edgy feel. With the scent of incense and jasmine filling the cathedral square, the lugubrious brass bands led the faithful into the square. The sound of old flamenco laments reverberated through the air alongside blessings and prayers.
Should you wish to worship Mammon after your brush with spirituality, it’s a short walk to the shopping district round Plaza San Juan de Dios. From here stroll up Calle Compañia to Plaza Libertad – home of one of the oldest indoor markets in Spain – and out on to the square.
Life in Cadiz is a communal, passionate affair, carried out in the streets, in bars and in the plazas under the lemon trees – the old town is basically a network of grand squares connected by a honeycomb of alleys.
In Plaza de San Antonio, as the sun set over the Atlantic, we drained our glasses of cava and watched garrulous Gaditano life taking place around us. Nearby an elderly man was gesticulating wildly and shouting into a phone, probably saying, “What do you mean you opened the car door into the path of a bus?”
- spain.info
Go there:
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies to Malaga from Dublin and Cork. Malaga is a four-hour coach ride from Cadiz, less by train (renfe.es). Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Seville, a two-hour drive from Cadiz.
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go in the Andalusian city
5 places to stay
1. Hospederia Las Cortes. Calle San Francisco 9, 00-34-956-220489, hotellascortes.com. One of the finest hotels in Cadiz, with elegantly comfortable rooms around a central atrium. Doubles from €55.
2. Hotel Monasterio San Miguel. Virgen de los Milagros 27, El Puerto de Santa Maria, 00-34-956-540440, jale.com/monasterio. This regal 16th-century former monastery is the four-star choice in El Puerto. The luxurious accommodation comes with patios and pool. Doubles from €60
3. Hotel Patagonia Sur. Calle Cobos 11, 00-34-856-174647, hotelpatagoniasur.es. Looking out from the roof terrace over the palm-fringed Plaza San Juan de Dios – café con leche in hand – is a terrific way to start the day. Doubles from €80.
4. Hotel Playa Victoria. Plaza Ingeniero la Cierva 4, 00-34-956-205100, palafoxhoteles.com. In the new town, this steely behemoth of a hotel is where to stay if, for you, life is a beach. Right on the seafront, the Victoria is situated on the Paseo Maritimo. Doubles from €65.
5. Hotel Argantonio. Calle Argantonio 3, 00-34-956- 211640, hotelargantonio.com. An old 17th-century home, the hotel is decorated in an Arab-Andalusian style. Situated in a tight tangle of streets in the old town, this is a wonderful slice of history. Doubles from €85.
5 places to eat
1. Restaurante El Escenario. Calle Honduras 4, 00-34-856-174217, escenariosdeeuropa.es. This flamenco club is run for locals, but visitors are more than welcome. The performers, in all their foot-stamping, head-tossing, hand-clapping glory, don’t bother with all the fancy clothes – but the resulting performances bristle with seductive tension. Oh, and the food’s pretty good, too.
2. Freiduría Las Flores. Plaza de Topete 4, 00-34-956-226112. Cadiz does some of the best fried fish in Europe, and this cafe, just by the flower market, is top of the range.
3. El Faro. Calle San Felix 15, 00-34-956-211068. Order pescaíto frito (mixed fried fish) or moralla a la roteña (rockfish in onion sauce) and wash it down with a bottle of cava.
4. Casa Manteca. Calle Corralón de los Carros 66, 00-34-956-213603. Run by a retired torero, the bar is a hang-out for bullfighters and flamenco singers. Bullfighting memorabilia covers the walls – due honour is given to the likes of Pedro Romero (bulls dispatched: 6,000, gorings received: nil) and local boy Rafael de Paula.
5. Romerijo. Plaza Herrería 1, El Puerto de Santa Maria, 00-34-956-870586, romerijo.com. A mind-boggling array of more than 30 types of shellfish, from shrimp fritters to razor clams, is served at this enormous restaurant. The custom is to eat the fish – which is sold by weight and dispensed in paper bags – with your fingers while slugging down a chilled beer.
5 places to go
1. The Paseo Maritimo. At the weekend the promenade hugging Cadiz’s Atlantic coast is as crowded and engaging as any Marrakesh souk. Gaditano life drifts up and down the wide, bar-lined walkway.
2. Church quest. A treasure trove of art is housed in the churches of Cadiz. Check out the Goya frescoes in the Oratorio de la Santa Cruz, the El Greco in the ornate chapel of the Hospital de Mujeres, and Muralla’s Immaculate Conception in the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri.
3. Torre Tavira. Calle Marqués del Real Tesoro 10, 00-34-956-212910, torretavira.com. The tallest of Cadiz’s many surviving watchtowers, it provides panoramic views of the city.
4. El Parque Genovés. Paseo de Santa Bárbara. Head for this verdant 19th-century botanic garden to watch local anglers cast their lines over the balustrades into the waves far below. Alternatively, just wander along the old walls, allowing the sun and gentle sea breeze to engulf you.
5. El Puerto de Santa Maria. Jump on board the Vaporcito at Cadiz harbour and head across the bay to El Puerto de Santa Maria. The harbour is lined with stalls serving shellfish.
Shop spot
Cadiz is not really the place for maxing out those credit cards – shopping is pretty much a local affair. Columela Street, which runs from the Cathedral to Plaza de la Flores, is the traditional trading street.
Hot spot
Contemporary nightlife in Cadiz revolves round the clubs and bars of Punta de San Felipe. Here you’ll bump into the occasional galactico (overpaid footballer) or torero (underpaid bullfighter).
Cadiz hot spots
Hospederia Las Cortes
Hotel Monasterio San Miguel
Hotel Patagonia Sur
Hotel Playa Victoria
Hotel Argantonio
Columela Street
Restaurante El Escenario
El Faro
Freiduría Las Flores
Casa Manteca
Romerijo
Punta de San Felipe
The Paseo Maritimo
Church quest
Torre Tavira
El Parque Genovés
El Puerto de Santa Maria