It’s a corner of Spain that remains well off the main tourist track, nowhere near the popular cities of Madrid, Barcelona, or Málaga. Set on an Andalusian islet in the southwest corner of the country, the port city of Cádiz has been welcoming ships from around the world since ancient times—and they’ve all left their mark.
It’s a beautiful place, girded by baroque walls and guarded by more than a hundred watchtowers, surrounded by the sparkling sea on every side. Residents bask in the sunshine more than 300 days a year. Arriving this morning by ship, and embarking on a daylong trip, my guide noted that this is one of the oldest cities in the continent. “It was founded more than 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians,” he said, as we rolled by the main cathedral, an ancient Roman theater, and a long sea wall where walkers and joggers and cyclists were enjoying the Saturday morning sun….