We’ve spent the last few days wandering around town. We really like this small city on the southern tip of Spain. It’s been fun to explore the streets and alleyways.
Cadiz is the last cruise ship stop on the Atlantic side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Each day there are a couple of large ships in the harbor, but it doesn’t seem to impact the city center much, as far as we can tell. Yesterday at the laundromat, we met a couple from Maryland who were doing laundry while on a 12-hour stop here in Cadiz. They were unhappy with their cruise as bad weather had diverted the ship from a stop in the Azores, a port that they most wanted to see. In the evening we watched as the apartment-building-sized-ship (on the right) departed while the smaller ship on the left was in port for a few more hours.
We were last here in 2021 when there was a lift of travel restrictions due to the pandemic…the contrast between then and now is interesting to us. We remembered a lunch we ate at Casa Lazo when there were only a few diners besides us in the restaurant and the owner looked sad and weary. On this visit, the restaurant was crowded and the cheerful owner was happy to know that we had returned for lunch 5 years later.
Perfectly grilled sea bass, croquettes, potato salad swimming in olive oil with parsley, and a slice of toffee-topped cheesecake was just the perfect meal.
An excellent restaurant for tapas is Cumbres Mayores. Here, aged hams hang from the ceiling.
In addition to seafood and ham, Spain has excellent produce. The local market in Cadiz is filled with many choices for making a nice lunch or dinner in an apartment.
The market is also a great place for lunch…we especially like the tuna bocadillo supplied by another friendly owner that we remember from our past visit. The small sandwich is served warm with a slice of freshly grilled tuna. A paper cone filled with fried calamari is delicious too!
Cadiz is mostly surrounded by the sea with walkways by the water all around the city. There are churches, ancient forts, stops for a snack, access to beaches and parks along the way.
Today is our last full day in the city. Temps have been cool with a little rain. Cadiz is a city we hope to return to…we like it here!