Virtually an island, Cádiz is surrounded by the sea on all sides, connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land 8km long. This peninsula separates the Bay of Cádiz, a large natural harbour, from the sea. Today, Cádiz is an evocative and enchanting city. It is still surrounded by fortified walls, which were built in the 19th century to protect the city from foreign attacks by sea. Old men can be seen casting their rods over the sides of this wall into the sea 30 feet below, where huge fish nibble at hunks of bread floating on the surface of the water. Elegant, tall houses line the long and narrow streets opening out onto leafy squares in which bands play on summer evenings. Despite being such a fascinating and beautiful city, Cádiz has managed to escape relatively unscathed by tourism.
Cádiz is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited town in Western Europe. It was founded by the Phoenicians in 1100BC who named the city Gaadar, meaning enclosure, a name which was later corrupted to Gades by the Romans, under whom the city flourished. During Moorish rule, Cádiz went into decline until the 16th century when trade with the New World became important to Spain. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Cádiz prospered and many of the important buildings in the city date from this period.
The enormous gold-domed cathedral dominates the southern half of the town and stands as testimony to the prosperity enjoyed by Cádiz in years gone by. South of the Plaza Catedral is all that remains of medieval Cádiz, the Barrio de Pópulo, whose entrance is marked by a medieval arch. North of the cathedral is Plaza Topete where a colourful and photogenic flower market is held and a little further on, the town's fresh produce market is held in a 19th century market building.
South of the old town, the city becomes a grid of unattractive modern housing blocks which run alongside Playa de Victoria, Cádiz's beach. On the strip of land connecting Cádiz to the main land is the continuation of this beach, Playa Cortaduna, along with a dual carriageway and a rail line. The strip is just wide enough to accommodate the transport routes.
The people of Cádiz are famous for both their excellent food and their sense of humour. Evidence of the former can be found in the delicious range of food, especially fresh seafood, offered by the various bars and restaurants around the town. Their wit is on full display during Carnival. Carnival is celebrated just before Lent across the whole of Spain, but nowhere does it reach such frenzied and colourful proportions as in Cádiz. The carnival processions begin a week before shrove Tuesday and continue until a week after. Elaborate costumes and figurines are made and paraded through the street and comical tableaux are acted out. The humour is subtle, clever and hilarious to the locals, although outsiders will find it difficult or impossible to grasp. People travel from all over to Cádiz for Carnival and the town is lively and bursting for the entire two weeks.
Although on a peninsula, Cádiz has excellent road and rail connections, main roads run both south to San Fernando and north to El Puerto and Jerez via a bridge over the narrow entrance to the Bay of Cádiz. The rail line runs south to San Fernando and then north to Seville. Cádiz is 35km from the airport at Jerez and 130km from Seville.
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