Viva Cádiz
Spring is the perfect time to visit Europe’s oldest city – it embraces both culture and indulgence, and its peninsula location means you can top up your tan, too
by NORMAN MILLER
Cádiz Cathedral
Western Europe’s oldest city remains mysteriously off the radar for many visitors to Andalusia in the southernmost region of Spain. Yet Cádiz should be up there with Seville and Granada as one of the cities to visit during a stay in the area – a perfect base both for sightseeing and sipping sherry in one of its famous tapas bars.
The excesses of the city’s famous festival each February may be best left to the sprightlier. But in spring, it’s warm enough to swim in the sea and cool off with a walk in its narrow streets before, perhaps, visiting a local feria (festival) in a nearby sherry town. Even in summer, Cádiz’s position – on a peninsula reaching into the ocean – means it doesn’t get as hot as its Andalusian neighbours.