Cadiz

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Cadiz
Port of Entry
36°32.46′N, 6°16.6722′W Chart icon.png
CadizHarbour.jpg
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Cadiz harbour in 1674 (National Maritime Museum, London)
Click for larger view

Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Spain and has been the centre of Spanish naval pride since the 18th century. Originally a Phoenician trading harbour, Cadiz fell into the hands of the Carthaginians in around 500 BC and was the centre for Hannibal’s conquest of the Roman province of Iberia. The city was taken by the Romans in 206 during the last of the so-called Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage. Cadiz was then under Moorish rule from 711 until liberated by Alfonso X of Castile in 1262. The harbour was the main port of call for the Spanish treasure fleets returning from the New World during the 16th and 17th centuries, which earned it the attention of Barbary pirates and - famously - the English privateer Sir Francis Drake, who mounted a successful attack here in 1587 designed to slow the preparations for the Spanish Armada. Most of the city’s buildings today, however, date from Cadiz’s heyday as the capital of Spanish trade with the Americas during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The city’s other main claim to fame is the landmark Spanish Constitution of 1812, declared in Cadiz at the height of the Peninsular War against the forces of Napoleon. Today's visiting yachtsman has a choice of three marinas in the city, all situated on the eastern side of the peninsula on which the old town is built and which is connected to the land at its southern end via a long sandy spit. All the marinas are noisy, either from commercial ship traffic or road traffic, and most yachts generally prefer to berth at Rota, Puerto Sherry or Puerto de Santa Maria and travel into Cadiz for sightseeing. Brief details of the three marinas are, however, given below. Note: there is a fourth small, 100-berth marina at Puerto Sancti Petri off the town of Chiclana de la Frontera 10 miles SSE of Cadiz harbour (World icon.png 36°23.41′N, 06°12.25′W), but the entrance to the river inlet here is extremely tricky, shallowing to barely 1.5 metres at low water, and should not be attempted without good local knowledge and never with strong winds from any direction.

Charts

Please provide a good map or chart that clearly shows details (depths, where to dock, scale etc.) of the harbor.

Give charts applicable to this port or refer to a Chart section of another page (Country or Region) that lists the charts.

Source
Chart Number - Chart Name
Chart Number - Chart Name
Source
Chart Number - Chart Name

Weather

Give local weather conditions or refer to another page (a region or island group) that covers these conditions.

Sources for Weather forecasts:

Passages

List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Islands

None.

Communication

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Navigation

From the north, the approach to Cadiz harbour is free of dangers. From the south, the penisular on which the castle of San Sebastian stands should be given at least 0.5 mile clearance all around to avoid the reefs extending from it to the west and north.

Entrance

Cadiz is a port of entry/exit in Spain.

Submit details about facilities for checking in - location of immigration & customs, etc.

Berthing

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

Puerto America Marina

Puerto America Marina/wiki/Cadiz#Puerto_America_Marina
Marina icon Puerto America Marina [[Cadiz#Puerto America Marina|Puerto America Marina]] 36°32.3′N, 06°17.0′W
Is situated immediately to starboard at the entrance to the main harbour. It offers 142 pontoon berths for yachts up to 32 metres and has minimum depths of 8.0 metres. Yachts berth on finger pontoons with all the usual facilities, including a fuel station. When you arrive, enter the marina and turn right. You will see the small fuel dock on the left. To get to the actual 'Waiting Dock' (Muelle de Espera) continue past the fuel dock, then turn left. The waiting dock is at the end, right below the reception building. Call on VHF channel 09 for a berth or telephone: +34 956 223 666 or E-mail. You are right next to the commercial harbour here and it is very noisy.

Real Club Nautico de Cadiz

Real Club Nautico de Cadiz/wiki/Cadiz#Real_Club_Nautico_de_Cadiz
Marina icon Real Club Nautico de Cadiz [[Cadiz#Real Club Nautico de Cadiz|Real Club Nautico de Cadiz]] 36°31.14′N, 06°16.24′W
Is situated halfway down the eastern side of the Cadiz peninsula next to a busy residential district. It has 182 berths for small vessels up to 14 metres. Maximum draught 3.0 metres. The marina is currently filled to bursting point with local power boats and it is unlikely space will be found for visiting yachts. Call on VHF channel 09 to enquire about a berth or telephone: +34 956 213 262 or [maito:[email protected] E-mail]. Vessels berth here on pontoons with all the usual facilities, including a fuel station.

Centro Nautico Elcano

Centro Nautico Elcano/wiki/Cadiz#Centro_Nautico_Elcano
Marina icon Centro Nautico Elcano [[Cadiz#Centro Nautico Elcano|Centro Nautico Elcano]] 36°30′N, 06°15.22′W
Is situated at the southern end of the peninsula next to the bridge carrying noisy traffic on the N-443 across the harbour to the mainland. It has 234 berths with all the usual facilities, but depths of little more than 2.0 metres, so is unsuitable for all but shallow draught vessels as well as skippers who are extremely hard of hearing. Call on VHF channel 09 to enquire about a berth or telephone: +34 956 290 012 or E-mail.

Anchorages

The best anchorage near Cadiz is to the NE of Puerto Sherry marina five miles across the bay, between the marina and the training wall of the channel leading up the Guadalete River to Puerto de Santa Maria.

Yacht Repairs and Services

Marine Stores

There is a tiny (as in TINY) chandler at the marina and not much else nearby. Little English spoken.

Repairs/Yards

Limited repairs can de undertaken at all the marinas.

Fuel, Water, & Electricity

Water and electricity at all marinas. Fuel at Puerto America Marina and Real Club Nautico de Cadiz only.

Things to do Ashore

Tourism

The city of Cadiz is mainly 18th century, with straight, narrow streets overshadowed by houses with wrought iron balconies. The tourist authorities here have painted a red line on the roads to guide tourists round the main sites. These include the cathedral, an impressive edifice with dimensions similar to St Paul’s in London, which has a superb carved stone roof and highly decorative early 18th century choir stalls. The Museo de Cadiz is also worth a visit; its main attraction is two superb Phoenician stone sarcophagi, male and female. The Torre de Tavira, one of Cadiz’s traditional merchants’ houses equipped with watch towers, now houses a camera obscura which reflects a view of the whole city. Finally, the Plaza de San Francisco is a good place for a relaxing lunch stop, surrounded by orange trees.

Rooftops of Cadiz
Monument to the 1812 Spanish Constitution
Phoenician sarcophagi, Cadiz Museum
Mighty fig tree, Cadiz (reputedly grown from seeds brought back by Columbus)

Grocery & Supply Stores

The Harbour where the Marinas are is on the tip of the peninsula and is rather isolated and far from town. There are no grocery stores at all. Rota would be a better option to buy essentials since the Marina there is in the town itself.

Eateries

Once again.. nothing anywhere near the industrial harbour with the exception of a small rather basic restaurant in the marina itself where folks end up going probably since it is the only option but we preferred to walk a couple of kilometers to get a nice meal in town.

Internet/WiFi

Not officially available. However with a wifi booster we were able to hook into a free open connection from the Real Club Nautico at a reasonable speed.

Laundry

There is one washer and one dryer at a reasonable price (3 Euro to wash, 2 Euro to almost dry) located in the shower block.

Motorbike & Car Rentals

Garbage Disposal

?

Transportation

  • 15 minutes walk into town. Go to the main tourist office (Plaza de Espana) outside which one can then get very cheap regular buses throughout the town. There is also a hop-on hop-off tourist bus for 15 Euro per person. (2011)

Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

References & Publications

See Spain.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit. Personal experiences?

  • We preferred the river pontoons at Puerto de Santa Maria, from which there are regular ferries into Cadiz, for our visit to Cadiz. It really isn't worth putting up with the noise in the city marinas - even assuming they have space for you --Athene of Lymington 18:49, 13 April 2010 (UTC)
  • We were here at the end of October 2011. Note that the marina is a good 15 minutes walk from town, and there is basically nothing at the marina itself, apart from a small bar that is sometimes open. However at this time of year we did not find it noisy. However, passing ships do send some waves into the marina. Staff were helpful and had reasonable English. Figuring out what times shops are open is tricky. Almost always they are open in the mornings from about 9am. Most of them then close at about 1:30 or 2.00pm. Some of them reopen at 2pm or 3pm. these will stay open until 5pm. Others don't reopen until 5pm at which point they then stay open until 8pm or 9pm. Many of the restaurants don't open until 8:30pm or later (at least in October, perhaps earlier in high season) --Life Part 2

Verified by

Date of member's last visit to Cadiz and this page's details validated:

  • Marina details based on internet research and reports by visiting cruisers (please update if possible)--Athene of Lymington 18:49, 13 April 2010 (UTC)



This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly.


SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page

Names: Lighthouse, Athene of Lymington


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