I visited this lesser-known European gem — and spent just £300 in a week

By love-europe
6 months Ago

Cádiz holiday cost breakdown
AirBnB for four nights in Cádiz: £272
Return flights to Seville: £114
AirBnB for two nights in Seville: £140
Spending money: £300

Getting to Cádiz, Spain

Getting to the Southern city in the Andalusia province isn’t straightforward, but it’s pretty easy.

You need to fly around three hours to Seville, then get an hour-and-a-half-long coach or train to Cádiz.

The latest episodes of Bridgerton just dropped so it was a very enjoyable flight (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)

I opted for the coach (it was only £11 one way, and saw luxuries I could only wish for in the UK – a TV on the bus, with movies, games, books and even free Internet access! A dream.)

The train is a bit more expensive, averaging £20 to £30 depending on when you visit.

When is the best time to visit Cádiz and how long should you stay?

If you prefer 25°C weather and not sweltering, May would be the best time to go. Cádiz is quite a windy city so it’s generally cooler than other places in Andalusia, like Seville.

If you’re in a rush, you could see Cádiz in 48 hours, but I’d recommend staying for four days so you can see all the city has to offer.

My Ryanair flight was £114 one-way, but I upgraded to include priority and a suitcase as I was going for seven days.

Thankfully, the average flight price to Seville isn’t always three digits. Flights in September are as little as £28 one-way, according to SkyScanner.

Where to stay in Cádiz, Spain

Whenever I’m on holiday, I prefer staying in an Airbnb as I like to feel like a local. You know, buy fresh ingredients from the local market, whip up a good breakfast and pretend I actually live there.

The view from my balcony (left) and the street I stayed at (right) (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)

That’s why I booked a one-bed apartment right in the centre of the old town for £68 a night.

I felt like the main character in a movie, popping into the local bakery before heading to the beach with a book in my hand.

I love pretending like I’m a local (Picture: Courtesy of the Airbnb Community)

My modest Airbnb was light and airy, tastefully decorated, with large windows that I could fling open and watch the world go by in the streets below.

If a hotel breakfast and daily cleaning is more your thing, there are plenty of hotels tucked in the Old Town and along the beach, but on average it’ll cost you around £150 to £1,000 more, depending on your taste and budget.

A comfy stay (Picture: Courtesy of the Airbnb Community)Food, drink and what to do in Cádiz, Spain

I spent my days in the best possible way: drinking iced coffee and eating Turròn ice cream (Turròn is a Spanish nougat sweet, and the ice cream tastes like burnt caramel) in the stunning Cafe Royalty, a historic cafe which has been serving Gaditani (that’s people who hail from Cádiz) since 1912.

That was proceeded by a long day of lying down at the beach and shifting between swimming, reading and doing nothing.

Playa Santa Maria del Mar in Cádiz, Spain (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)

Cádiz has multiple beaches, and I found all of them to be clean, sandy and accessible by foot — Playa Santa Maria del Mar (pictured) was my favourite. Plus, at some beaches, I was the only person there.

But sunbathing by the sea is not all Cádiz has to offer. The Andalusian city competes with some of Spain’s best foodie cities for the ultimate gastronomical experience.

Take my word for it and head to Cádiz Central Market first, which sells produce during the day and then turns into a food market with dozens of independent stalls at night.

The fish was fatty and delicious (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)

I ate sushi — yes, not Spanish — made with Tuna freshly caught in Cádiz and bought from the market that day. It was the perfect way to try the local produce without cooking it.

What did I get for £25 at Cádiz Central Market?
A kilo of beef tomatoes
A kilo of oranges
A quarter of a kilo of cherries
Fresh sushi made with tuna caught in Cádiz
Two nectarines
Water
A pair of linen trousers
A peach (the salesperson gave it to me for free, to be fair)

There are tons of mouth-watering restaurants too, from locally caught seafood eaten in rustic bars to fine dining. It gets even better – I went to the fancy, expensive restaurants, ordered multiple courses and drinks, and never spent over £35.

I made up my own food tour list after some research and visited Cafe Lazo, a bar that sells the best Gambos al Ajillo (Prawns in oil and garlic.) For something a little less traditional, I headed to The Tapería of Columela, where I ate three dishes (pictured) for £30 in total. Normally you get a starter, main and dessert, but I don’t have much of a sweet tooth – and I was hungry.

The bill included fresh lemonade and still water. It might have been more expensive if I ordered alcohol, but I saved money as I don’t drink.

I had a healthy portion of patatas bravas (chips), ceviche and tuna tartar with potatoes (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)

I loved the food in the restaurants, I really did, but my favourite thing I ate (or should I say drank) was the gazpacho (cold Spanish soup) that I bought by the litre at the supermarket. Paired with some crisps and a sandwich, it was chef’s kiss.

For history and culture, the ruins of the Roman theatre are free to enter, and tickets to the cathedral range between £1.70 to £3.40.

In my opinion, the best cultural thing to do is to walk through the Old Town. I spent hours getting lost in the narrow, cobbled streets – no complaints.

I bought 7 to 8 bottles of gazpacho. No regrets (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)Day trips from Cádiz, Spain

You could easily spend all your time in Cádiz, but the coastal city has great transport links, making it easy to explore all of Andalusia.

Palacio de Las Dueñas, Seville, Spain (Picture: Sama Ansari Pour)Seville, Plaza de Espana (Picture: Getty Images)

I headed to Seville for £11 on the coach. The city boasts the largest historic centre in Europe. I spent the day watching multiple Flamenco shows (thanks to spontaneous street performers), getting lost in the old town, and my favourite, visiting Plaza de España. The landmark representing different regions of Spain made my architecture-loving heart very happy.

For once I didn’t follow a cliché and unfortunately didn’t eat any olives — one for next time.

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