Spend your fall, winter, or spring in Cadìz, Spain: Is Cadìz a good snowbird location?

Cadìz is one of the oldest inhabited cities of Europe and is located in the south of Spain at the Atlantic ocean side. The working town with an important port is home to the Spanish navy. In Phoenician language, Cadìz is known as "The Wall". It has more than 100 watchtowers used for spotting ships and is surrounded by beautiful beaches. Columbus sailed from Cadìz port on his second voyage.

Where is Cadìz located

Cadìz Map

Why should people stay in Cadìz during the fall, winter, or spring?

Cadìz touches the Atlantic part of Spain and can be quite windy. The town is often sunny, but winter also sees depressions arriving with rain. The best part about visiting Cadìz in winter is that you can get cheaper prices on accommodations and get to visit the top places with ease. Most of the attractions, restaurants, and other places are open during winters. You can enjoy a serene environment along with a lot of festivals that are held in Cadìz during the winter season.   

Climate

Cadìz has often pretty pleasant weather in the winter, but it can be very windy. Also, expect cloudy and multiple days with rain. The evening can be chilly, so take appropriate clothing with you. During winter temperatures mostly vary between 10°C (50°F) to 20°C (68°F). It is advised to look for accommodation with some sort of heating.

For more climate information visit Meteoblue

Things to see in Cadìz

Cadìz has a lot of places that are worth visiting:

• Museo de Cadìz: Archeological museum including displays of fine arts and puppets. Entry from €1.5 (approx. $1.66, £1.27, $2.25 CAD, $2.47 AUD)
• Cathedral Nueva: Architecture dates back to the 18th century.
• Gran Teatro Falla: Theater with amazing architecture and events all years round.
• La Catela: The most beautiful beach in Cadìz. At sunset, you can see many fishing boats.
• El Chato: Known for its golden sand dunes and vegetation.
• Oratorio de San Feligo Neri: Historical Church with the adjoining museum.
• Ayuntamiento de Cadìz: magnificent architecture that was built in two stages.
• Mueso Historico Municipal: It has a model of Cadìz city from 1799.
• Castillo San Sabastian: Historic fortress.
• Genovès Park: largest green area in the town, botanical garden.

Things to see not far from Cadìz

There are a lot of things you can see and do around Cadìz. Here a small selection:

• Seville: You can take a day trip to Seville and explore historical beauty. You can find many train connections from Cadìz to Seville.
• Castillo de San Romualdo: It is a castle located 16 km (10 Miles) from Cadìz and dates back to the 13th century.
• Parque Huertas: located in San Fernando (13 km (8 Miles)) from Cadiz. This wetland is home to many wildlife.
• Pueblos Blancos: A historical town located 40 km (25 Miles) from Cadìz. It is known for its unique beauty, incredible history, and white houses.
• Chiclana de la frontera: This is another fine example of a beautiful Spanish town, 26 km (16 Miles) from Cadìz. It is known for its golden sand and magnificent beaches.

Activities in Cadìz in the fall, winter, or spring

Cadìz is a lively town with a lot of activities:

• Walking: there are many nice routes in and around Cadiz
• Cat houses: you can feed the cats by putting food in the bowls left for the cats around the southern coastline.
• Fishing: you can go fishing in Puerto America.
• Festivals: Cadiz is known for its many festivals in winter. Check with the local tourist office for more information.
• Yoga: Join some of the wonderful yoga classes.
• Music: there are many places in Cadìz where you can enjoy dances and music.
• City tour: for 22 euro you can get a full one-day city bus tour.
• Guided walking tour: Explore and learn about the city. Check with the local tourist office for more information.
• Segway Tour: you can explore the city on a Segway.
• Fish auction: you can watch live fish auction on Puerto de Conil.
• Excursion to Morocco: you can take a full-day tour to Morocco by boat. 
• Horse Riding: Ride through Grazalema Natural Park.

Shopping + Restaurants. Are they open in the fall, winter, or spring?

There is a huge variety of shops and restaurants in Cadìz, being a working town, almost all of these places are open in winter. There are many grocery stores, shopping malls, and a seafood market. that also remain open during the winter season. Some of them are:

• Downtown Cadìz: Walk through the center with its many shops and restaurants
• El Corte Ingles Bahia de Cadìz: The famous Spanish shop.
• Mercado Central de Abastos: Many stalls offer fresh products like meat, fish, household goods, and more.
• DIA, Mecadona: some of the many supermarket brands you can find

You can find different types of restaurants, both budget-friendly and more up-class. Cadìz is well known for its famous dish Pescadito frito, which is fried fish served Cadiz-style. Another famous dish from their local cuisine includes Tortillitas de camarones (crispy shrimp fritters).

Transport

The bus is a great way to explore the city and the surrounding area. Cadiz has one main bus station opposite the train station and almost in the center. Check here for the routes and timetable: https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-lines-Bahia_de_Cadiz-4325-926219

There is a train station in the center of Cadìz. There are multiple stops in and near the city and it acts as a sort of metro system (Cercanías Cádiz) around the Bay of Cadiz. You can also travel to many cities in Spain like Sevilla, Cordoba, and Madrid. Check the schedule at https://www.renfe.com/.

The nearest airport to Cadìz is in Jerez Aiport. It is not a busy airport, so check what flights are available during the winter season. The cheapest way to Cadiz is by bus, but sadly there are not a lot of bus connections available. From the airport, it takes around 75 minutes to Cadìz. A little bit more expensive is to use the train, it is faster and more frequently. Of course, you can also take a taxi to reach Cadìz.

An alternative could be to fly to Sevilla and travel by train to Cadiz. This takes just under 2 hours and there are around 16 trains per day. https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-times/seville-to-cadiz

Health

There are multiple hospitals and health care centers in Cadìz. Normally you will find somebody that can help you in English:

• Hospital Puerta del Mar: https://hospitalpuertadelmar.com/
• Clinica San Rafael: https://www.josemanuelpascualpascual.es/index.php/nuestros-hospitales/hospital-san-rafael
• Hospital La Salud: https://www.hospitallasalud.es/

There are also many dental clinics in and near Cadìz:

• Naturaldente Clinica Odontologica: https://naturaldente.es/
• Adeslas Cadiz Dental Clinic: www.adeslasdental.es
•  Clínica Dental Calas: https://clinicadentalcalas.es/

Accommodation

• There is a large selection of long term apartments and rentals in and around Cadìz. The Winter period sees fewer tourists so you can get a better deal. Check websites like Idealista (www.idealista.com), Think Spain (www.thinkspain.com), and Airbnb (www.airbnb.com).

• You can get an medium size Apartment/flat from €500 (approx. $551, £421, $750 CAD, $824 AUD) per month. Prices may vary according to facilities. You can also get a larger penthouse, fully equipped and furnished starting from €750 (approx. $827, £632, $1125 CAD, $1237 AUD) per month. Garage included.

Winter Camping 

Cadìz does not have any camping sites near the city. The nearest are

• Camping Playa las Dunas: It is 22 km (14 Miles) from Cadiz. It has a lot of facilities. Prices start from €12 (approx. $13, £10, $18 CAD, $19 AUD) per night.

RV/Campers/Motorhome

If you have a Camper or Motorhome there are 2 sites in Cadìz and one just outside of the city:

• Cortadura: It is free for an overnight stop with water and restroom facilities. www.campercontact.com/
• Cadìz Port: 20 pitches from €10 (approx. $11, £8, $15 CAD, $16 AUD) per night. www.searchforsites.co.uk/
• Camping Playa las Dunas: Further away, but located near the beach. There are different of plot sizes. www.lasdunascamping.com/