Cadiz Tourist Traps

Cadiz is not used to foreign tourists, this industry is just taking off due mainly to the port and Ryan air flying to Jerez. It has been solely a Spanish tourist destination for many years, therefore is different to other places in the south of Spain in that here there are no tourist traps... well apart from one:

The Red and Green Tourist Buses:

Cadiz is made up of a thin stretch of land running down to the old centre where buses can't possible fit in among the narrow cobbled streets. Therefore your tourist bus ticket will only really give you a tour of the beach front running down to the old centre. You may think, umm doesn't sound so bad, but the local buses do this route for 93 cents which is far cheaper than the red or even the green tourist bus!

Cadiz is to be enjoyed on foot best.

The green one costs: Adults 10 € and Children 6 €. EXPENSIVE! They give you a one euro discount on guided tours around the centre...one euro??? Woopie doooo!!!

The red one is : 14 € for adults and €5 for children. The tour lasts an hour 15 mins and from the map on the web site you see it just circles the border of the old town, so you see very little of it's charm.

http://www.busturistico.com/aboutus.php

http://www.cadiztour.com/

Unique Suggestions: Have a private party on the bus
Tell them you think it's very expensive
Ask them awkward questions
Tell them you want to be taken to Plaza San Antonio by bus as you have paid a lot of money for your ticket.

There is a hop on, hop off system meaning you can get off and catch a later bus without spending another fortune, so you should make the most of this.

Where to Join or leave the Cadiz Bus Tour:
Plaza S. Juan de Dios
Plaza de Sevilla
C.C. El Corte Inglés
Puerta de Tierra
Playa de la Victoria
Catedral
Playa de la Caleta
Parador Hotel Atlántico
Plaza de la Hispanidad

They pass every 35 mins to an hour.

Fun Alternatives: Rent a bike or simply walk. Use Cadiz public transport and ask a local about the things you see!

There are several catamaran ferrys departing from Cadiz to Morocco every day, the trip is ideal as a day trip for shopping or sightseeing. Car or passenger; swift and cosy!
If you go to Tarifa just to get to Morocco, you'll have to spend hours on the bus for no good reason - if you are not going to Tarifa for it's own sake. Also a nice town- but very windy - perfect for you who like surfing/kiting! Sunbathing can get you all SANDED and red… Watch out!

Unique Suggestions: I don't feel Cadiz to be a tourist trap at all- but that might be just me…
Try GRIMALDI'S by the market, all family owned - and run - restaurant, they use only veggis and meat from the area around Cadiz, and fish fresh from the sea. Ecologically oriented. Lovely food and very charming owners!
Make sure you take a walk along the sea side, and go out to the old lighthouse. Also the old fort, and the Laterna Magica in the tower is worth a visit. Several nice parks and museums, galleries, cafés and bars.
A nice, ordinary, all-spanish town, with nice people! Enjoy!!

Fun Alternatives: Ferrys to Morocco depart from the old town.

Ferrys to local towns, like Puerto del Rosario, 30 min. across the bay to a lovely little town. Good food, great beaches!
But why leave a town as nice as Cadiz…

We got off a cruise ship and were basically cornered by these people wanting us to take this tour. I wasnt really that interested in going on it but others in the group where. Trouble was they didnt tell us that you had use earphones on the bus until after they sold us the tickets and one of the members of my party has a severe hearing impairment and i could hardly hear using them so they basically had no chance

Unique Suggestions: if you want to take this trip do so by all means but dont expect to hear much and might be better to sit downstairs not as much noise as in open air upper deck only good thing was you could hop on and off at ur leisure

Fun Alternatives: there is another bus yellow and black (i think) slightly cheaper and earphone are type that go over and not into your ear better for hearing aid. Although i cannot really comment on the ins and outs of this tour because i wasnt on it personally although others from ship said it was okay.

Cadiz claims to be the oldest continually inhabited city in the Western world, and some remnant of its age still remain. These ancient walls mark the eastern edge of the main part (touristy area) of Cadiz. They are called the City Walls.

WALK, WALK, WALK
When you are visiting the city center, don't bother to take a taxi. The distances are very small, you can go from one side to the other in less than 20 minutes and a taxi will take you more than 2 euros as a minimum!

From where we were located at the Playa Victoria we could take the bus n° 1 or n° 7, to the old city of Cadiz.