davidjac

Will be in Andalusia next May staying in Marbella. Is Cadiz worth a day trip?

PalenQ

Well i was wondering the same one time when staying in Jerez de la Frontera (which IMO is definitely worth the journey), not far up the coast from Cadiz.

So hopped the train to Cadiz and well i still do not know how i would answer your question - depends on how many days you have and what else you would do with that day. Certainly a place like Jerez IMO would be better instead of Cadiz if you cannot do both.

I found Cadiz has great beaches and a nice enough old town center but not one that i found spectacular - but a really pleasant seaside town. Will be interested in hearing of others experiences.

From Marbella i would also put Gibraltar at the top of my list, along with Jerez (home of Sherry and ornate Sherry Houses that offer tours - the name 'Sherry' being an English corruption of Jerez they say - the British developed the sherry industry i guess when little old British ladies developed a fondness for this strong wine)- Jerez also has the vaunted Andalucian Riding School where you can see the horses go thru rehearsals if not outright performances. Otherwise, however apart from horse shows and sherry, Jerez IMo don't offer much.

CathyM

It's difficult to answer this question without knowing more about your itinerary - how many days do you have in Andalucia, are you visiting other places, etc...

Is this your first trip to Spain or have you visited this area before?

Cadiz is almost 2.5 hours one way from Marbella. Malaga is less than an hour. Depending on your itinerary I may visit Malaga vs Cadiz.

Ronda is another good daytrip from Marbella - given it's just an hour away I'd probably visit Ronda vs Cadiz.

I assume you're going to visit Granada - it would definately take precedence for me over Cadiz.

PalenQ

Ronda to me is an absolute gem! Deep gorge bisects new and old towns - stunning place.

markrosy

Have you booked Marbella ?

It is europe's answer to West Palm Beach.
The local language is nearly English but it is upmarket.

Jerez and Seville are two of Europe's great non world cities and well worth a visit.

We loved Cadiz , it isn't spectacular but has a definite cross roads feel.

We came across lots of weird and wonderful sightson their way from Africa.

weber6560

Re Sherry: I read in some book [not web] that sherry sales in England were rather modest until after the battle of Trafalgar when they rose markedly. The explanation put forth was that prior to Trafalgar, sherry was shipped in Spanish bottoms and the ships' crews would tap the barrels, drink part of the wine and then refill with sea water to hide the theft. Post Trafalgar it was shipped in British bottoms, ship discipline prevent tapping and refilling, and the Brits got, for the first time, the true flavors of sherry and sales took off.

For what it's worth. Probably a candidate for Snopes.

davidjac

Thanks for all the help. We are staying at the Marriott time share in Marbella. I have been to Andalusia before inclduing Ronda and Granada. Have 7 full days there.

Whta you statde confirms my view that perhaps a 2.5 hour ride to Cadiz would not be worth it. We will be going again to Ronda, Malaga, Nerja, Antequerra, and some smaller white villages.

Thanks for all the help.

Davidjac