Check Best places to stay in Cádiz. Located in the Andalusia region of southwestern Spain, Cadiz has so far escaped the grips of mass tourism.
If you are going to visit the city of Cadiz, which is truly one of a kind, you should make sure to stay in the old town, the city´s best area to stay.
Best places to stay in Cádiz
Now in its fourth millennia, Cádiz is thought to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe and it’s an excellent choice for people who appreciate their sun and sand seeped in history. The old heart of town is almost completely surrounded by water now as the Atlantic crashes gustily at the crumbling sea wall. But there’s plenty of energy in the locals, who’re known for their ironic Carnival, where the songs parodise and ridicule politicians, celebrities and even the church. The also sing cheerful flamenco songs. Our Guru’s recommendations for the best places to stay in Cádiz offer beach access but something else besides. If your idea of the best places to stay in Cádiz have a maximum budget attached then we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what’s on offer.
Cádiz really does have everything. The beaches are relatively small but there are much larger stretches just along the coastline. The old town is a wonderful jumble of streets and alleys ripe for exploring and treasure hunting. There are monuments a plenty and an enticing food culture involving a lot of seafood and outdoor dining. Cádiz has the wonderful fortifications of a Spanish colonial city, and the eroding sea walls – built after Sir Francis Drake’s sacking in 1596 – create a romantic atmosphere of gradual change that often inspires us to seize the moment.
Cádiz is fairly easy to get around. It’s not large, but if you do want to get out of the old town and explore the new town and its larger beaches then there’s an easy to use bus service.
Some of the highlights are the old cathedral with the wonderful North Tower and the Roman theatre just behind it, the Archaeological Museum, the grand Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, which is where the first Spanish Constitution was signed and the Torre Tavira, which is a tower by the market with a ‘camera obscura’ and incredible views.
Old Town
Best places to stay in Cádiz
The spaces in between the coastal towns of Cádiz province – craggy mountains, pine forests, fields and endless beaches – are empty and wild. Over it are big skies which, given the guaranteed 300 days of sun a year, are almost always blue and bright, hence the name given to this stretch of the Atlantic coast, Costa de la Luz, or coast of light.
Classic site
The golden-domed Cádiz cathedral is best seen close to sunset from the sea wall along Campo del Sur – followed (if you can there in time) by a sundowner at nearby Playa de la Caleta.
Hidden gem
For cowbells, paella pans, olive oil, boots, cockerels or just an insight into shopping, rural Cádiz style, visit Ignacio Castro’s farm supply shop. It’s below Vejer at the Medina road junction.
Don’t miss
The chance to hear flamenco in a local peña (live music venue), there are plenty to choose from, go where the locals head … just don’t clap along or ask for a gin and tonic.
Best Hotels in Cádiz
Best places to stay in Cádiz
Hotel and apartments within meters from the beach and surrounded by restaurants…
APODACA ROOMS
Best places to stay in Cádiz
A charming and simple Cadiz hotel in an old building down a historic winding street. Interiors are smart and clean with a friendly communal living room, and the simple rooms are bright and cosy. Ideal for families and groups, and great value too!
Value chic – Chic little pied-a-terre from which to explore the buzzing city of Cadiz and its nearby beaches
Sights nearby – Head to the 18th century San Sebastian castle, the Torre Tavira watchtower and Cadiz Cathedral
Great walks – The Parque Genovés has lots of winding paths and great walks
Local markets – In Cadiz the Mercado Central is an absolute must
HOTEL DUQUES DE MEDINACELI
Best places to stay in Cádiz
A beautiful old hotel set in a botanical garden with a dreamy pool. The gorgeous interiors are embellished with old tapestries and paintings and feature potted palms, tiles and elegant furniture. Grand rooms have fine bedsteads and hardwood furniture. A romantic base to suit classical tastes.
Romantic Break – Set in a romantic 18th-century palace in a picturesque old town close to beaches, ideal for a romantic getaway
Sights nearby – In the town, head to the 13th-century Castillo de San Marcos, Plaza Real de Toros and the Iglesia Mayor Prioral
Swimming Pool – Seasonal outdoor pool
Local markets – Good for local colour.
PARADOR DE CADIZ CÁDIZ
Best places to stay in Cádiz
A modern hotel on Cadiz’ seafront with a swish glass-and-marble design in the reception areas and a dreamy outdoor pool with loungers. Smart, chic rooms are bright and spacious, with large windows and terraces. The well-equipped gym and spa are a plus, as is the top-quality restaurant.
Local exploring – The hotel is very close to the pretty La Caleta beach and ideally situated for exploring the picturesque nearby fishing villages
Sights nearby – Visit the 18th-century San Sebastian Castle, the Torre Tavira watchtower and Cadiz Cathedral
Great walks – The Parque Genovés and other smaller parks have pretty winding paths and great walks
Sailing – If you have a week to spare there are fantastic sailing courses in the local harbour
Posada de Palacio, Sanlúcar
Best places to stay in Cádiz
This hotel has a faded beauty but a prized location among the palaces and bodegas of the barrio alto (upper town). Comprising three once grand houses, and furnished with antique mirrors, desks, cabinets, clocks, statues, lamps and paintings, it’s like an underfunded museum with comfortable beds. The finest features are the original ones – the internal courtyards, traditional floor tiles, huge bedroom doors and shuttered windows opening on to balconies – all of which retain the authentic spirit of place. The owners plan to renovate and knock through to a fourth house, a neglected old property around the corner which in 1498 allegedly belonged to Columbus.
Hotel Argantonio, Cádiz
Best places to stay in Cádiz
Central Cádiz looks as if it should be expensive but it’s not. You can find a place to stay within easy walking distance of every monument, plaza and playa on the map without forking out too much. Argantonio is the hotel you hope to find in all cities: central, friendly and affordable, round the corner from a good bar. Quintessentially Andalucían, with tiled floors, fountain and courtyard, it has pretty, if compact, bedrooms. There is parking nearby, but set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide if you’re planning to drop off your luggage first: roads here are narrow and generally have something parked in them.
Hotel La Casa del Califa, Vejer
Best places to stay in Cádiz
Hope for rain and curl up in an armchair with a book, linger over lunch in the atmospheric restaurant, watch clouds scudding over the pile of white blocks, domes and church towers that make up this spectacular town. Like Vejer itself, the hotel has a long history (it’s made up of eight houses, dating from the 10th to the 17th centuries, with a 1,000-year-old water cistern, stables, courtyards and a grain store), and is aesthetically pleasing and seductively relaxing. But the Califa is the ideal base from which to explore the coast: Sanlúcar is one hour away; Cádiz one and a half hours – both to the north, and Tarifa just 45 minutes away to the south. The boutiques, bars and churches of Vejer itself are about five paces from the door.
Wallpaper House and Boston House, La Peña, Tarifa
Best places to stay in Cádiz
You’ll appreciate how wild and elemental this coast is after a week in one of these two super-private, prefabricated open-plan beach houses high above the strait of Gibraltar. Sitting in a natural amphitheatre under a rocky ridge, the larger, Wallpaper House, sleeps six and was designed for Wallpaper* magazine. A polite distance away, Boston House, sleeping four, is basic but romantic and engulfed in flowers. It was shipped from the US in bits, with instructions. This is indoor-outdoor living at its best.
Riad Lolita, Tarifa
Best places to stay in Cádiz
A classy renovation of a 19th-century house, Riad Lolita is available by the room or in its entirety. Languorous and stylish with a touch of the film set, it’s all greys, whites and creams, with tiled floors, marble staircases, beams, shutters and billowing curtains, crisp linens and chandeliers. Rooms are wrapped around an inner courtyard, and shared spaces include a pleasing kitchen – although given its location inside the old city, surrounded by cafés, bars and bakeries, you probably won’t be doing much cooking. The family suite (double, bathroom, and triple) is a rare thing and top value.
