Cadiz by motorhome – surf paradise at the end of Europe

Cadiz by motorhome – surf paradise at the end of Europe

I guess that’s how I would define our feeling about this city. We were directly in the city, or close to it, for over two weeks. Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Europe, the first time they ate spaghetti and ketchup there was in about 1100 BC. If I wrote about San Sebastián, I’d have no problem moving there, Cadiz would be ahead of San Sebastián on the list.

Where we parked the motorhome in Cadiz

The centre of Cadiz has no official motorhome parking or campsite. You can park outside the old town, which is basically a little peninsula. We parked one night in the paid parking lot at the marina, but there was some serious noise from the boats. There is noise like that in just about all the marinas. The boats have their engines running at night and they make a horrible rumbling sound. It makes it impossible to sleep.

Other nights we slept right on the beach. During the day it’s a problem to park there, but when you come in the evening, you can definitely find a place. From there it’s a few minutes to the historic center by bike, longboard or hiker.

Map with interesting places

Historic centre

The historic downtown has narrow streets that are arranged like you’re spilling a box of matches. This is because of the constant wind from the ocean. This way the alleys are cool and windless. There are several squares in the centre, the cathedral but also smaller parks. It’s worth going there for coffee or tapas.

Surfing in Cadiz

In Cadiz you can surf right in the centre of the city. You can see beaches with waves right from the apartment blocks, similar to San Sebastián. It’s a beach break, so pretty cool for beginners too. The local surfers were at a pretty decent level.

Longboarding in Cadiz

Cadiz is totally flat with incredibly smooth trails. You can longboard or skateboard everywhere here except the historic centre where the cat heads are. In the northwest part of the old town there is a great spot to ride from where you can see the sunset. Too bad I don’t have a photo from that spot.

Beaches

There are long sandy beaches all along the town with beach bars, showers and toilets. When you consider that Cadiz is a normal town where normal live people live and not a built up tourist destination, it’s a pretty cool place to live. The weather all year round is ideal and the sun is almost always shining. In the summer it’s not too hot, like in the interior, and in the winter it’s not that cold. Ideal.

Tapas and bars

Spaniards live on the streets, in cafes, bars and restaurants. On almost every street you’ll find a bar or café. I definitely recommend running out for seafood tapas and a deci of white wine. Spain is a cheap country, food and drinks in bars cost as much as here, specially if you are not in a tourist destination.

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