Walking through Cadiz

 

This historical city is world-famous for the annual Carnaval celebration in February or March that makes the city vibrant with crazy costumes, singing performances, and crowds of celebrators. It is a gorgeous city worth visiting any time of year. Cádiz is built on a small peninsula, across the bay from Rota. It is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in Europe—originally founded 3,000 years ago! It was taken over by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, then the Moors, and finally the Spanish. According to legend, Hercules founded the city of Gadira (Greek name of Cádiz) approximately 80 years after the Trojan War, around 1104 B.C. The Phoenicians called the city Gadir. Then the Romans settled the city and called it Gades. It became a thriving naval port for exporting olive oil and wine. Roman control lasted from about 500 B.C. until 500 A.D. After the Romans, the Visigoths, Moors, and eventually the Catholic Spanish inhabited the city. The current name Cádiz is derived from the Arabic name, Qadis, meaning ‘walled city.’ 

Cadiz town hall and central plaza

  During Spain's age of exploration, Cádiz was an important port. Columbus sailed from Cádiz for his 2^nd and 4^th voyages. It was the harbor for the Spanish Armada, and in 1587 the Englishman Sir Francis Drake led a surprise raid on Cádiz that destroyed about 30 Spanish ships. This delayed the sailing of the Armada, and influenced their eventual defeat. In the 18^th century, when the Guadalquivir river become silted and less traversal, all the New World trade that was flowing through Sevilla was transferred to Cádiz. This was the city's golden age. If you wander through some of the barrios (neighborhoods), you will notice that many houses were constructed during that period. The city has a classy, romantic, 18^th century vibe.

View of Cadiz when arriving by ferry

  The history of this rich city is best appreciated by walking. The city is not large, and since it is surrounded on three sides by water, it is easy to keep your orientation, even on the narrow winding streets. Cádiz is full of interesting buildings that are built upon layers of other civilizations. There are several ways to get to Cádiz from Rota. You can take a ferry from Rota or Puerto, which only takes half an hour and costs about 2 Euros per person. Purchase tickets and board the ferry by walking to the end of the long pier in Rota’s port. It is slightly cheaper and more convenient from Puerto’s port, because the ferry runs more frequently there. The ferry schedule is available here. 

Plaza San Antonio, with parking below

If you drive to Cádiz, there is public parking near the port, underneath the Plaza San Antonio, or in several other underground garages along the northern and western edges of the city. The city of Cádiz has made walking tours easy by painting colored lines on the pavement to guide tourists to major landmarks. In some areas the lines are faded or the sidewalk is under construction, so it is best to stop by a tourist office and pick up a free map or walking guide first. There is one tourist office near the Port at Paseo de Canalejas, and another on the Playa de la Caleta near the castle of Santa Catalina.

Cadiz Cathedral interior

If you come by ferry, you can easily walk the Green route, “The Medieval District,” which highlights the Cathedral, the Roman Theater ruins, some of the city’s oldest churches, and the ancient city walls. The Puerta de Tierra is the former city gate, which still stands and allows lanes of traffic to pass through. The Cathedral is one of Cádiz’s most interesting landmarks. Constructed from the 18^th-19^th centuries, it is a mixture of architectural styles ranging from rococo to baroque to neoclassical. Unfortunately, the interior is now marred by nets permanently suspended from the ceiling to catch falling plaster.

Phoenician sarcophogi in the history museum

            The Purple route, “Shippers to the Indies,” takes you past the homes and churches of the city’s former wealthiest citizens, and up the Tavira tower, which offers panoramic views of the whole city. The church of Our Lady of El Rosario houses the large statue of the city’s patron saint, and the nearby rococo style church of San Juan de Dios is small but gorgeous. The Purple route will take you past the Cádiz Museum in Plaza de Mina, one of the best history museums in this area. Admission is usually 2.50 Euros, but is FREE to EU citizens, or anyone with an EU driver's license. The museum gives great insight into the 3,000 year long history of this city. It is organized chronologically. Most of the remnants of the Phoenicians are funerary. Statues and artifacts from the Roman city of Baelo Claudia are housed here. The upper level of the museum has a small collection of huge paintings and religious artwork. 

Castillo Santa Catalina

Cadiz's world-famous beach: Playa de la Caleta

If you have comfortable walking shoes, you can explore the Orange route, “Castles and Bastions” which extends along the city’s perimeter. It provides gorgeous ocean views, a stroll through the formal Genoves Park, and the chance to explore the Castillo Santa Catalina and Cádiz’s world-famous beach, the Playa de la Caleta. The Castillo is a star-shaped fort built in the 1690's to defend the Northern side of Cádiz. You can walk along the castle walls, and explore each tiny guard tower on the points of the fort. The castle and beach appear in one of the James Bond movies, Die Another Day. In the scene where Halle Berry comes out of the water and joins Bond for a mojito, they are supposed to be in Havana, Cuba, but the scene was filmed here! You can see the fort in the background. 

            

 

Constitution Monument

 The Blue route, “Cádiz Constitution,” highlights the Plaza d’España with the Constitution monument, and the city’s most modern squares and churches. This tour follows the route of the civic procession that proclaimed the Constitution in 1812.  When Napoleon Bonaparte placed his brother on the Spanish throne, Cádiz was one of the few cities to withstand his rule during the "Peninsula War." It was in Cádiz that the Constitution of 1812 was passed, so for a brief period Cádiz was the capital of Spain. The monument to the Constitution is on the Northern side of the city, and is a very impressive memorial with a perpetual flame, and an empty chair surrounded by allegorical figures. In 1820, the Gaditanos (people of Cádiz) revolted to secure the Constitution’s renewal. Their revolt spread across the country, becoming the Spanish Civil War.

Cádiz is gorgeous in the sunny summer, but also very festive and exciting around Christmas. And of course it has non-stop celebrations for Carnaval in February. It’s a great city to enjoy pastries and culinary delights from any panaderia or pasteleria, and has numerous wonderful tapas bars and restaurants. One unique location to mention: Café Royalty is a lavish restaurant carefully restored to its 1912 splendor. Located at Plaza de la Candelaria, this Romantic period café is lavishly decorated with gilded scrollwork, large mirrors, and numerous details from the early 1900’s. It’s a gorgeous and unique environment to soak up the historical surroundings of this splendid city.

Christmas in Spain

 CHRISTMAS MARKETS

There are several wonderful Christmas traditions that can be found throughout Spain for most of the month of December. The first is the Christmas Markets. Germany might be world-renowned for its hand-crafted items and crowded Christmas Markets, but Spain shares in this tradition too. Small towns like Rota will have a small market lasting only one weekend, which is like an outdoor fair in the Cathedral square. Vendors set up wooden stalls selling everything from fresh baked goods, jamón and cheese, hand-crafted jewelry, antiques, candy, and toys. There are usually a few rides, games, or activities for children. 

Important Note: Christmas Markets usually open around 10 AM, then close at 2 PM for siesta. They reopen at 6 PM, and remain open until at least 9 PM. Here, you can see that the one in Rota is quiet in the morning, but quite busy in the evening!

For a snack during the market, you can eat churros (fried sugary dough) with hot chocolate. There are also usually rides for children, such as a train ride or carousel.

 

Larger cities like Sevilla will have several large markets in locations throughout the city, with much more food and handicraft options. Popular items include carved Nativity sets or figurines,  ranging from religious to comedic. In Sevilla, the stalls around the Cathedral only sell Nativity figures, but the stalls at the fair in the Plaza Nuevo sell a wider range of toys and gifts. This picture, taken at a stall in Sevilla, shows Holy Week penitents in the Nativity scene, beside a nude beach-goer! 

 

Be warned, a popular Nativity figure in Spain, is the caganer, or pooper. This irreverent figure is especially popular around Barcelona, but can be found in plenty of local markets, too. It appeared in the 1700's, when the realism movement sought to cast a realistic light on idyllic stories like the Nativity. The idea is that when Jesus arrived as a baby, humanity carried on with their every-day tasks--some were making bread, some were selling fruit, and somewhere, someone was pooping. The traditional version is shown at right, but you can find figures of all kinds of athletes, moviestars, and politicians squatting and pooping.

NATIVITY SCENES

Detail of Belen in Arcos

Belen museum in Arcos

The outdoor Nativity in Rota's town square

The Spanish love Nativity scenes, and most families find this decoration more important than a Christmas tree. So you will find one in most Spanish homes, and in many public plazas. Miniature Nativity scenes (called Belen for Bethlehem) are also very popular. There is a year-round Belen museum in Arcos, but during December you can church-hop in towns like Rota, Cadiz, or Sevilla and see a different elaborate scene in each location! Many scenes are lit up and on a timer to display sunrise and sunset. In addition to traditional figures like the Holy Family and the Three Kings, there are also usually detailed scenes of daily life, complete with flickering fires in the ovens and running water at the village well. 

LIVING NATIVITY

 

 A unique tradition in Arcos de la Frontera and Medina Sidonia every December is the living nativity. For one day and night in December (usually the weekend before Christmas), the entire town will be transformed into a re-enactment of Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth. Truckloads of dirt fill the town square to turn a parking lot into a dusty version of Palestine. Citizens of these towns set up stalls, fire pits, and action scenes with authentic costumes representing 1st century Jews, Roman soldiers, and all the main Biblical characters. Whether you go during the day or night, it is an impressive experience, but one that comes with lots of crowds and uphill walking.

DECORATIONS

Traditionally, December 6-8 in is a National Holiday (the 6th for Constitution Day, and the 8th for Immaculate Conception.) This stretched holiday is called the bridge, or puente, and it marks the beginning of holiday decorations and events. Nativities will be put up in town squares, lights will be strung over the streets, and home will be decorated with images of the Three Kings. The Spanish do not use Christmas lights as much as Americans do, so you will see the best displays in larger towns like Cadiz, Sevilla, or Gibraltar rather than on individual homes.

  

ZAMBOMBA

Another great Spanish Christmas tradition is the Zambombas. These are musical performances of Spanish Christmas carols, usually accompanied by flamenco dancers and the unique zambomba drum. Sometimes they take place in an auditorium, on a stage, with tickets sold in advance. Other more casual zambombas are in bars and open to anyone who walks by. Or they can be sung with friends together at home.

THREE KINGS

The feast of the three kings, also known as Epiphany, is on January 6. This is a huge celebration for Spanish families, because it is the day children receive their Christmas gifts. Christmas Day is usually a day to share a huge meal with family, but the gifts are exchanged on January 6. Spanish children do not celebrate Santa. Instead, it is the three kings from the Bible who brought gifts to baby Jesus that continue to bring gifts to Spanish children. In the weeks leading up to Three Kings’ Day, figures dressed as one of the kings will appear at malls and town centers for photo opportunities. Children write letters to the three Kings, then a Royal Postman collects and delivers them by ship. On January 5, each local town has a Three Kings’ parade, where the figures move through town on floats and throw candy to children. Correction: they pelt children with tons of candy. It can actually hurt! But the Spanish children love it, and it is a fun celebration. Depending on what day January 6 falls, the Spanish typically have several days off work for this holiday.