Located at the end of a narrow isthmus jutting into the Mediterranean, Cadiz
was a thriving Roman port, which drew the best and the brightest to its shores.
The result: a history of distinctive art and architecture. The city’s strategic
location also made it the launch site for the momentous 16th-century voyage to
America.
A walk along old walls of Cadiz bring the city’s distinctive Mediterranean
history and beauty into focus. Visit the Cathedral Nueva with its golden cupola
rising above the Old City. Here narrow, cobblestone alleys and Moorish-style
houses were built tall and close together to fit into the peninsula’s small
space. Explore the Church of San Filipe Neri to see where Spain’s first liberal
constitution was signed, and the Museo de Cadiz to explore archaeology,
paintings and puppets made for Andalusian village fiestas.
Jerez de la Frontera
No visit to Cadiz is complete without a trip to nearby Jerez de la Frontera,
sherry capital of the world. With a countryside covered in vineyards and cellars
filled with casks of sherry, Jerez de la Frontera is a wine-lovers delight.
Sample several types of sherry, including dry fino, amontillado,
which is barrel-aged with a dry or slightly sweet taste, rich oloroso
and creamy dulce.
Also admire the architectural splendor of Jerez de la Frontera’s world-renowned
equestrian school, which was designed by Charles Garnier, a great European
architect of the 19th-century -- and the region’s beautiful Andalusian horses.
Seville
You also may visit Seville, capital of Andalusia and once one of Europe’s
richest ports. The splendid Renaissance and Baroque buildings in the historic
Santa Cruz district are reminders of the rich culture that flourished here.
Explore the district’s maze of white alleyways and hidden plazas, the massive
cathedral, tapas bars, parks and final resting place of Christopher Columbus.
Visit the Museo de Bellas Artes, a former convent and one of Spain’s finest art
galleries, and see the country’s most famous bullring, setting for the final
scene of Bizet’s opera, Carmen.
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