10 Things to Do in Cádiz in Winter

Cadiz is famous for its beaches, sunsets and summer attractions, but if you plan to visit the city in winter you can also make the most of the Cadiz coast by visiting the main sites with fewer tourists, getting better prices on accommodation during the low season and taking part in the festivals and local fiestas.

Things to see and do in Cadiz during the winter include whale-watching excursions in the Strait of Gibraltar, enjoying the Cadiz Carnival, taking part in the Jerez Flamenco Festival, enjoying Christmas in the old town and sampling the city's winter gastronomy, which is noted for its stews, soups and fresh prawns.

Flamenco is the typical dance of Andalusia and an essential element of Cadiz folklore. If you travel to Cadiz in February you can take part in the Festival de Jerez de la Frontera, which lasts approximately two weeks each year and includes flamenco shows, dance classes, workshops and artist conferences.

The main stage of the Jerez de la Frontera Flamenco Festival is set up in the Villamarta Theatre, but there are also activities in other parts of the city such as the Sala Compañía, the Atalaya Museum and the Sala Paúl. Each edition includes performances by established artists and others making their debut.

The Flamenco Festival fulfils a social function in Andalusia for the promotion of typical customs and also includes other activities such as courses in bulerías, soleá dancing techniques, and compases, palmas and castanets. If you are planning to visit Cadiz in winter you can take part in the courses or simply attend the flamenco shows.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the Flamenco Festival shows has an initial cost of approximately 18 euros per person.
• When... During the second two weeks of February.
• Where... Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz.

One of the best activities you can do during the winter in Cádiz is whale and dolphin watching in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar. There you can take a boat trip from the beaches of Tarifa and take a stroll to see the cetaceans that live permanently in the Strait, but you will also come across those returning from their migrations.

During these trips you can experience sailing through the waters that separate the European and African continents and on clear days you can even see the coast of Morocco, although the winter months are usually wet and rainy in the Gibraltar area, although a dolphin and whale watching excursion is one of the best tours to do from Cádiz.

Please also note that on days when it rains heavily, boat departures from the beaches of Tarifa may be cancelled or delayed, so please check the weather forecast before you go on these excursions.

Details of interest

• Price... It will depend on the boat you decide to go on, but the excursions with sightings have an initial cost of approximately 30 euros per person.
• When... During the last weeks of February and the first weeks of March.
• Where... Gibraltar, Cádiz.

Cádiz gastronomy is one of the best in Spain and during the winter its dishes are often not only a delicacy, but also an ideal excuse to take shelter from the cold in a typical Cádiz restaurant. Some of the best tascas can be found in the old town, but there are places all over the city, in El Puerto de Santa María and also in Jerez de la Frontera.

The winter gastronomy of Cádiz stands out for its stews, soups and fish, so the main protagonists of the dishes will be asparagus soup, potato stew, Andalusian stew, oxtail, gazpachuelo, Andalusian migas, sea oysters and prawns, which are usually served fresh because January is one of the main fishing months for these species.

Another alternative to enjoy the local gastronomy is to attend one of the best flamenco shows in Cadiz, because these shows usually combine local dances with a typical dinner.

Every 28th of February Andalusia celebrates its autonomous festivity and in all the cities of the Autonomous Community there are gastronomic and cultural activities and Andalusian flags are waved on all the balconies. On the coast of Cadiz, moreover, the celebration coincides with the end of the carnival, so the celebration is double.

Some of the typical customs during the regional celebrations are eating mollete antequerano, which is a crumbly bread accompanied by olive oil, tomato and garlic that is part of the Andalusian breakfast, playing the Andalusian anthem in all schools and public buildings and participating in cultural activities in which the attendees wear flamenco costumes and short dresses.

The regional celebrations are a source of pride for everyone although the activities are mainly aimed at children, in order to maintain the ancestral customs, so several places in the city offer children's activities, which will be useful if you are planning to travel with children. In addition, during Andalusia Day you can travel free of charge on public transport and on the Cadiz tourist bus that connects the activity sites.

Interesting details

• Price... Participation in the regional activities is free of charge.
• When... 28 February each year.
• Where.... In different parts of Cádiz and the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

If you plan to visit Cadiz in December, which is when winter begins in the city, you can enjoy the Christmas attractions in the Plaza de San Antonio, where a Christmas market is set up with stalls selling gifts, presents, food and festive decorations.

Also in the square, which is the Christmas epicentre in the old town, you can use the free ice-skating rink, take the best photos with the giant Christmas tree and take part in the children's play centre , which is an interesting alternative if you plan to visit Cádiz with children.

In the square area, you can also watch carol singing and musical shows. During Christmas Eve, I also recommend you wander around the cobbled streets of the old town to enjoy the old part of the city illuminated by Christmas lights, especially at night.

The Cadiz Carnival is not only the most important winter festival in Cadiz but also one of the most anticipated events of the year in the city, so if you plan to visit the Cadiz coast in February you can experience this folkloric activity that brings together chirigotas, choirs, quartets, floats, comparsas and costumed characters in parades through the streets of the city.

The formal celebration of the carnival is in February, but in Cádiz the preparations begin in January, with the Official Contest of Groups of the Carnival of Cádiz, which is held every year in the Gran Teatro Falla and which is broadcast on television to award the most outstanding groups that will then parade through the streets of the city.

The Cádiz Carnival is an ideal occasion to discover the idiosyncrasies of Cádiz, as during its celebration there are also gastronomic events in the neighbourhoods of La Viña, in the area of the Plaza de San Antonio and in the Plaza de la Catedral.

Interesting details

• Price... Participation in the Carnival activities is free of charge.
• When... The Group Competition takes place throughout January and the Carnival parades are in February.
• Where.... In different parts of Cádiz.

Setenil de las Bodegas is one of the most beautiful villages in the mountains of Cadiz and is characterised by its curious architecture of houses, temples and shops built into the rocks, which generates a wide network of paths and passages located like a balcony overlooking the mountains.

Visiting Setenil de las Bodegas during your trip to Cádiz is a spectacle in itself, but if you plan to do so during the winter you can also take part in the patron saint festival of San Sebastián, which is one of the most important events in the village, along with the Olive Oil Festival. During the feast of San Sebastian you can take part in a procession through the local streets and enjoy the local produce bars.

The procession passes through the main sites of Setenil de las Bodegas such as the Plaza de Andalucía, the Cuevas del Sol, the Coronilla, the Paseo Federico Lorca and the streets Villa, Constitución and Ronda, making it an ideal way to discover the local attractions and the paths built on the edge of the abyss.

I recommend that during your visit to the village you don't miss the local gastronomy, which stands out for its cortijeras soups, asparagus scrambled eggs, stewed broad beans, gazpachuelo and sweet potatoes with honey, Iberian sausages and local wine.

Details of interest

• Price.... It is free to take part in the procession through the patron saint's fair of San Sebastián.
• When... Every year during the third week of January.
• Where... Setenil de las Bodegas, Cádiz.

One of the best kept secrets of Cádiz are the Beaterio Catacombs, a series of Franciscan underground passages that during the Middle Ages served to connect the main sites of Cádiz through the lower parts of the city. These catacombs reinforce the legend that there is a circuit of tunnels connecting various points in Andalusia.

The Catacombs of the Beaterio were founded in 1633 by the 3rd Order of St. Francis and a group of 12 beatified sisters lived in community and were buried there. After several uses over the centuries, it also served as a refuge during the Spanish Civil War, and today it can be visited. It is also one of the tourist attractions in Cádiz that you can of course add to your list of things to do in winter.

However, to get to know the history and secrets of this place of great historical and archaeological value in Cádiz, it is highly recommended that you join a guided tour, available to book on their website, they are in small groups and last between 30 and 45 minutes.

Interesting details

• Price... Free admission 3€ for adults, 2€ for children from 6 to 12 years old and free for children under 5 years old. The guided tour costs €5 for adults, €3 for children and free for children under 5.
• When... All year round
• Where... Valverde 3, Cádiz.

During the winter the southern part of the coast of Cadiz has many activities to offer, especially in Tarifa. There you will find that January is one of the coldest months of the year in Cadiz but also an ideal time for surfing, because this is when the best waves break in the coastal area and when the wind cooperates with the surfers.

If you are planning to visit Cadiz in January you can take surfing lessons in Tarifa, even if you have no previous experience, and learn from the best surfers from Cadiz who come in large numbers to Tarifa to make the most of the waves which in some cases easily reach 3 metres high.

In Tarifa you can also go on dolphin and whale watching excursions and practice water sports such as paddle surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, making it one of the most complete beaches for water sports.

Cadiz at Christmas time is full of Christmas markets, including the one in the Plaza de San Antonio, which is the epicentre of the old town, but after Epiphany the festive season markets give way to the second-hand markets in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Sanlucar de Barrameda and San Fernando.

These flea markets are used for shopping for second-hand clothes and other second-hand items and also for exchanging objects. These flea markets often have charitable purposes, as they sell donated items and then use the proceeds to support charitable causes while they remain open, between the months of January and February.

Second-hand markets are usually set up in areas close to other flea markets or in some stalls within the more famous ones. The most representative case in Cádiz is the second-hand market in the Plaza de la Libertad, located in front of the Central Market.

The winter in Cadiz is quite cold, with average temperatures of 10°, maximums of 15° and minimums of 5°. January is the coldest month of the year and also the rainiest, so always check the weather before activities.

If you visit the southern part of the coast of Cádiz you will see that the temperature can drop, as it is a more humid place. In March temperatures start to improve, reaching an average of 14°.

If you visit Cadiz in October you will notice that the end of summer starts to empty the city of tourists, but from December onwards the influx decreases dramatically, so winter is an ideal time to explore the city at your leisure, even if you can't go swimming on the beaches.

To get the most out of your trip to Cádiz in winter you can visit the inland villages, take tours and walks around the city centre and also enjoy the adventure tours.

December and January are the cheapest months to visit Cádiz, as this is the low season and the coldest time of the year, so if you want to see the city while saving money I recommend that you travel during this time.

During the winter you can get affordable accommodation and if you book online in advance you can save your place on excursions and also get discounts on other activities.

Winter can be cold and rainy in Cádiz, so I recommend that you pack the following items of clothing to avoid having a bad time with the weather.

• Thermal T-shirt
• Woollen jumpers
• Woollen scarf
• Woollen socks
• Cotton T-shirts
• Waterproof jacket
• Waterproof boots
• Umbrella
• Rain jacket
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Sports shoes
• Lightweight coat
• Lightweight trousers