Getting Your Bearings
Cádiz sits on a narrow slice of land surrounded by the sea, separated from neighbouring San Fernando by a narrow isthmus. The older part of the city, the Old Town (Casco Antiguo), lies within the remnants of the city walls and makes up a large area of the total size of the city. Its street plan is a tangle of narrow winding alleys connecting large plazas, in contrast to the newer areas of town, which typically have wide avenues and more modern buildings. That geography shapes everything about how you move around: the historic core is compact and best explored on foot, while the long beach strip and the newer neighbourhoods are where you'll want wheels.
Walking
Walking is generally the fastest way to navigate the historic centre, and most sights there are within a short stroll of one another. The old city and the north end of the island are walkable. Note, though, that the beach strip runs about 5 km, so if your plans take you along the coast or out to the newer parts of town, you'll want to use public transport or a taxi for at least part of the journey. If you're driving, park outside the old town walls: streets in the historic centre are extremely narrow with very limited parking.
Trains and Trams
Cádiz's main railway station, Estación de Cádiz, is on Plaza de Sevilla in the old town, right by the port. Renfe Cercanías local trains share the mainline from Jerez airport and Jerez city, running via El Puerto de Santa María, Valdelagrana, Las Aletas (where there's a spur to the university), Puerto Real and San Fernando, then along the southern causeway. On the island itself the line has been placed underground to create a linear park above, with stops at Cortadura, Estadio, Segunda Agua and San Severiano before terminating at the main station.
The railway along the island is shared with the tram, so service on that stretch is frequent — roughly every ten minutes. Trambahía runs down the island (serving the same stops) and across the causeway to San Fernando, Tres Caminos and on to Chiclana de la Frontera on the mainland. Cercanías trains also connect Cádiz to Jerez de la Frontera and Seville, making them a practical option for day trips.
City Buses
CMTBC runs the city buses, trams and ferries. Five bus routes serve the old town and points south, most starting at Plaza de España in the city centre. The network is compact but useful: one route runs the length of the island from Plaza España to Cortadura, several run south from Plaza España toward the industrial area around the navy base and marina, and another starts near Caleta beach and runs by the cathedral and through the old town to halfway down Victoria beach. Buses are frequent, and the fleet is fairly new and air-conditioned.
- Fares are paid to the driver. Drivers give change only for small banknotes — notes above €5 are not accepted unless you're buying four or more tickets.
- A 'Bonobús' card can be bought from newsagent kiosks, topped up for a batch of journeys, and works out cheaper than paying cash each time. Bus changes are permitted within 45 minutes.
- You must hail the bus (wave or raise your hand) when it approaches, especially at stops serving multiple lines. Passengers queue and board one by one.
- Routes and timetables are available on the operator's website, at bus stops, or via a downloadable PDF route map.
Tourist Bus
A hop-on hop-off tourist bus operates a single route covering the city's main highlights, with designated stops that aren't always at the same locations as public bus stops. The buses are open-top double-deckers with a multi-language audio guide, and tickets — valid for unlimited trips over a limited period — can be bought online. Be aware that frequency is limited, with waits of roughly half an hour to an hour between buses, so it's a sightseeing tool rather than a way to get somewhere quickly.
Ferries
Foot-passenger ferries cross the Bay of Cádiz every 40 minutes or so from Rota and hourly from El Puerto de Santa María. A catamaran ferry also crosses the bay to El Puerto de Santa María and other towns — a scenic alternative to driving, and worth checking schedules for before defaulting to a rental car, since parking in nearby towns is difficult. All ferries and cruise ships dock at the harbour, just north of the bus and railway stations.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis can be hailed in the street and are easy to flag down. They're relatively cheap by European standards, though short trips within the old town are rarely worth the fare given how walkable the centre is. They're most useful for reaching accommodation far from the city centre, and for getting to and from the train and bus stations. For longer intercity hops, the Blablacar ride-share service is usually quicker and cheaper than train or bus — but check that the ride actually goes into Cádiz, as it may only reach an outlying town such as El Puerto de Santa María or Puerto Real.
Intercity Buses
The Estación de Autobuses sits on Avenida de Astilleros on the east flank of the railway station, near the entrance to the old walled city and overlooking the bay. It's intermodal: next to the Renfe train station and close to the catamaran terminal, with waiting rooms, ticket counters, luggage storage, toilets, a bar-café and wifi. Intercity coaches are generally a cheaper option than trains with broader network coverage, and the Consorcio de Transporte Bahía de Cádiz oversees local lines across the bay area. Longer journeys, however, take substantial time.
Getting In from the Airport
Cádiz has no airport of its own. The nearest is Jerez de la Frontera (XRY), with daily flights from Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, and in summer from London and cities in Germany. Seville (SVQ) lies further north and has a greater range of international flights.
From Jerez airport, the Renfe Cercanías commuter train is the straightforward choice: it's cheap and direct, and arrives at the Cádiz station on the edge of the old town. Only a few trains a day reach the airport itself, so depending on your timing you may need to travel via Jerez city centre, from where trains run frequently and take about 45 minutes. Bus M-050 also runs direct from the airport; otherwise, travel via Jerez city centre. A taxi from Jerez airport costs many times more than the train and saves only a few minutes, so it's rarely worth it.
If you're arriving from further afield, Renfe trains run regularly from Seville via Jerez de la Frontera, with a small number of daily services from Madrid that require reservations. From Málaga, you'll need to change in Córdoba. By road, arrivals from Madrid, Córdoba and Seville follow the A-4 toll road, while those coming from Algeciras or Gibraltar use the A-381.