Cadiz

In the words of the poet Rafael Alberti, "Cadiz tastes like the sea". Clinging to the rock at the end of the thin peninsula linking it to the mainland, the city, which was founded over 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians, is regarded as the oldest in Europe. It was an important port in Roman times, as can be judged from the remains of the theatre built by Balbo at the end of the 1st century BC, and those of Baelo Claudia located down the coast near the fabulous dune-backed beaches of Bolonia (Tarifa).

Cadiz reached its full splendour when, with the discovery of America, it became a compulsory port of call for ships returning from the new continent, laden with gold, silver, spices and other products. The city's mansions and palaces, such as the 17th century Casa del Almirante, whose façade is fashioned from Genovese marble, the Casa de las Cadenas built in 1693, and the San Felipe de Neri Oratory, an 18th century Baroque building with a memorial stone sunk into its façade bearing the names of the members of parliament who passed the 1812 Constitution, all date from this period.

Inland Cadiz is made up of the densely wooded sierras of the Alcornocales Natural Park, home to the world-famous White Villages, and the rolling pastures and vineyards surrounding Jerez de la Frontera, a town associated with wine and horses.

A trip to Cadiz, be it for business or pleasure, ought to include Sanlucar, located at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, opposite Doñana National Park, to savour the locality's fish and seafood, accompanied by a frosty glass of dry sherry, the Cuesta de Belen in Arcos de la Frontera, one of Spain's most beautiful towns, and, depending on the time of year, Cadiz's Carnival and Jerez's annual horse fair.

Some places of interest: Algeciras, Arcos de la Frontera, Barbate, Bolonia, Cadiz, Campo de Gibraltar, Chiclana de la Frontera, Chipiona, Conil de la Frontera, Costa de la Luz, El Estrecho, Grazalema, Jerez de la Frontera, Jimena de la Frontera, La Linea de la Concepcion, Los Alcornocales, Los Barrios, Medina-Sidonia, Pueblos Blancos, Puerto de Santa Maria, Puerto Real, Rota, San Fernando, San Roque, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Tarifa, Ubrique, Vejer de la Frontera, Villamartin, Zahara de los Atunes, etc.