
Cádiz is the most southerly of Andalucia's eight
provinces and its capital, also called Cádiz, is
the oldest city in the western world. According to Greek
legends, the city was founded by Hercules, though in actual
fact it was the Phoenicians who named it Gadir in 1100 BC.
It's a lovely old city, comparatively small in size but
rich in history. For a time during Spain's Golden Age following
the dicovery of America it was Spain's prime entry port
for ships sailing to and from the New World. Ar one time
Cádiz was the capital of Spain and the birthplace
of the 1812 Spanish Constitution. You can still see the
buildings of the merchants, the 18th century cathedral,
the old quarter, the San Felipe Neri which housed the Spanish
parliament when it approved the 1812 Constitution and the
Santa Cueva Chapel with its paintings by Goya. As might
be expected in a place with such a strong maritime tradition,
fish is a favourite dish in the restaurants of Cádiz.
The whole province has a seafaring flavour, for it front
on both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Just near the
city of Cádiz is Puerto de Santa María, where
Columbu's ship the Santa María was fitted out before
her Voyage of Discovery to the New World. Puerto de Santa
María's presentday marina rivals Marbella's Puerto
Banús, and the town also offers a casino, waterpark
and ninehole golf course at Vistahermosa.
To the south on the coast, at Vejer-Barbate, is the Dehesa
Montenmedio golf complex. Another coastal municipality in
the province is Tarifa, the most southerly town in continental
Europe and a favourite among windsurfes because of its strong
winds. There are old walls around the town and a Moorish,
though most visitors are drawn to the wide sandy beaches.
Chiclana, too, has beautiful beaches and is also notable
for its extensive saslt flats. Just off the coast is the
island of Sancti Petri with its 13th century castle. Excellent
accommodation, windsurfing and golf are to be found here,
notably at the Ballesteros-designed course at Novo Sancti
Petri. The El Campano course is neaby and it's only a 10
minute drive to Costa Ballena, designed by José María
Olazábal.
Inland lies Jerez de la Frontera, famous for its sherry
and Andalucían horses. Many other towns in the area
also carry the name "de la frontera", recalling
the time when they stood on the border between the Moors
and the Christians.
Golfers will undoubtedly find the area around San Roque
near Gibraltar particularly interesting, for the list of
courses here included, Valderrama, Real Club de Golf Sotogrande,
San Roque Club, Alcaidesa, La Cañada and the new
Almenara course.
Es la ciudad mas antigua del mundo occidental. Tartesos
y Fenicios estuvieron aqui hace 3.000 años. Cadiz
tiene las mejores firmas de diseño, como Trent Jones,
Nicklaus, Ballesteros y Olazabal.
