Waking up on a warm spring morning to the stunning views of Cadiz from the decks of the ship, after a particularly nasty Bay of Biscay is pure bliss – a we made it moment!

Cadiz is a really walkable city, there’s usually a ship walking tour, and the photo shows the little park you’ll walk through to reach Barrio del Populo the district of the Old Town which hosts most of the main attractions. There are colour coded walks from tourist information, be aware though that some of the markings had worn off the cobbles and pavements so you might not follow it exactly, but it’s a good city to get lost in!

Have you even been to Cadiz if you haven’t taken this photo? Definitely one of the best skylines, we paint it when I teach an art class, when you visit be sure to look for the well cared for stray cats on the rocks, with their little wooden houses. A careful program of neutering means numbers are falling…

Climbing the few steps to visit the Santa Cruz Cathedral is certainly worth it. That’s one of the main old town attractions and can be a welcome cool spot on a hot day. Torre Travira is another great attraction and viewpoint, and climb, admission was €7 in 2020

Not sure how I’ve managed to miss Park Genoves as there are dinosaurs! I’ll definitely be checking it out next time, but if you don’t make it to a park be sure to look up as you wander through town as the trees are often laden with Seville oranges, you can identify the trees by a little baby leaf at the base of the main leaf

Join the locals for a wander round the market, meat, fish, fruit & Veg and plants are the order of the day, but look closely and find some unusual specimens, nets of snails or jumping shrimps, perhaps some seaweed. There’s lots of cafes dotted around the exterior, some street food stalls and in the morning the best, and cheapest chocolat y churros can be found in the little kiosk just outside. The strange little kiosks remind me of the old mobile classrooms at school, they’ve that sort of exterior finish, though they are very tiny

How many times has he posed for a photo like that? El Faro is one of the top restaurants in the region. You’ll need to book well in advance if you want lunch here. Tapas & a drink, my favourite Tinto de Verano, were included on my ship walking tour (P&O). After I explained in broken Spanish that I wasn’t eating the main dish as I was allergic to fish, they made me these delicious cheese cubes, in perfect English. Aside from the fish dish there were huge plates of garlicky potatoes and lovely rustic breads, all the carbs, but we’d had a good walk!

So if you choose to stay local on your day in Cadiz, wander round, visit the many monuments or beaches, eat, drink, shop and immerse yourself in the pretty little streets

Tours are always offered, you may choose to visit Seville or even learn some flamenco dancing!