Cadiz Province

Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe.

Cádiz is part of the Andalucian Autonomous region. It is located in the South of Spain on the Atlantic coast. It has a mixed climate partly mediterranean and partly Atlantic with temperatures not usually rising above 34º in summer. Winter temperatures are usually quite moderate too with the average yearly temperature of around 18ºc. It has moderate rainfall and never snows. However it can often be very windy. Cádiz covers an area of 592kms and has a population of 402,256.It is bordered by the Spanish provinces of Huelva, Sevilla, and Málaga, as well as the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and the British possession of Gibraltar. Its area is 7,442 square kilometers.

Its capital is the city of Cádiz. The province had a population is 1,194,062 (as of 2006), of whom about 600,000 live in the Bay of Cádiz area. Its population density is 160.45 per square kilometer.

The province of Cádiz has many kilometers of beaches and (as of 2005) the highest number of Blue Flags of all coastal provinces in Europe.

Some of these beaches are relatively wild and far from big urban areas due to the closeness of natural reserves. Being that one of its attractives in contrast to the mass tourism of other areas in the Mediterranean coast.

The area near Tarifa is known to be an important windsurf area and similar sports due to the almost permanent wind near the Strait of Gibraltar.

Notable beaches:

• Playa La Barrosa in Chiclana de la Frontera • Playa La Victoria in Cádiz • Playa de Levante in El Puerto de Santa María • Playa de Bolonia in Tarifa • Playa de Camposoto in San Fernando

Cadiz is the oldest city in western Europe with records suggesting that the city was occupied more than 3,000 years ago. The original Iberian settlers lived here an future civilizations of Greeks and Phoenicians were here. Cadiz was an important trading post for the Carthaginians and was occupied by the Romans before the Visigoths defeated them. The city projects out into the sea and has therefore always been important as a seafaring town which has always had strong ties with the African continent from where adventurers and merchants came and opened up the New World of the Americas.

Yet there is more to Cadiz than the city. The province of Cadiz covers over 7,000 square kilometres and has a coastline of 250km. Few tourists make it this far south into Spain and miss out on a region of outstanding natural beauty. From Sanlucar de Barrameda just below the national park of Doñana all the way along the coast as far as Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol you will find some of Spain's most beautiful golden beaches and little of the destruction of the environment associated with mass tourism along most of Spain's Mediterranean coastline.

Inland lie the "White Villages" (Pueblos Blancos) which are a series of small villages with chalk coated houses dating back to the Middle Ages. Arcos de la Frontera, Zahara de la Sierra, Grazalema and Setenil are ones we tend to visit on our private tours. Fascinating wildlife abounds in the interior with many species of eagles and vultures which make this a birdwatchers paradise. Around Medina Sidonia are large bull breeding farms where you can see these magnificent beasts in their natural environment.

Many towns in the area are called ' de la Frontera' which results from the period of the Reconquest when the border between the Christians and the Moors was constantly changing as the battle for territory took place. The most famous of these towns is Jerez de la Frontera whose regional airport is now a destination for a growing number of budget airlines jetting people in from abroad. Jerez is the world centre of the sherry industry and daily tours of the cellars (bodegas) is a popular activity as is a visit to the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art where you can watch fabulous displays by the dancing horses.