Cadiz, Spain

We had a wonderful walking tour of Cadiz. Terrific city.

Cádiz is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in all southwestern Europe. Traditionally, its founding is dated to 1104 BC.

The city was founded by Phoenicians from Tyre, who called it Gadir. Over the years the city changed hands (and names!) many times. It was inhabited by the Romans, destroyed by the Visigoths, rebuilt by the Byzantines, and occupied by the Moors until they were removed in 1262 AD by the Spanish.

Christopher Columbus sailed from Cádiz on his second and fourth voyages, and the city later became the home port of the Spanish treasure fleet.

In the 18th century, it became one of Spain's greatest and most cosmopolitan cities and home to trading communities from many countries. Many of today's historic buildings in the Old City date from this era.Read more