Question 1

Seville and Cádiz on Your Own

Accepted Answer

What you can do on your own depends on where your ship docks. In Seville, the cathedral, the Alcázar and the Santa Cruz quarter are in the old town, so ask your ship how far the walk is from the terminal; in Cádiz, the old town is right at the harbor, and Seville is a train ride away. From the Seville terminal: Walk along the river to the Torre del Oro, then inland to the cathedral, the Alcázar and the narrow lanes of the Santa Cruz quarter. The Plaza de España is in María Luisa Park, which borders the Delicias quay. The cathedral: A visit to the cathedral and its tower, the Giralda, takes about 75 minutes and begins with the climb up the tower. Adults paid €13 online or €14 at the ticket office in 2026, children up to 13 enter free with an adult, and entry is by timed ticket with limited numbers. The Alcázar: The royal palace opens from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to September and to 5 p.m. from October to March. A general ticket cost €15.50, and children up to 13 with an adult need a free ticket; hours and prices change, so check before you go. From Cádiz: Walk into the old town from the harbor for the cathedral, the Torre Tavira lookout tower and the Mercado Central, or take the train from Cádiz station, beside the port, to Seville. A trip to Seville uses most of a port day, so plan the return train well before all-aboard. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, and a missed train from Seville can mean a missed ship. Watch the clock: Mainland Spain is one hour ahead of the United Kingdom all year, so if your phone or your ship is on UK time, check which clock all-aboard is given in. Carry photo ID: In Spain you must show photo ID if a police officer asks for it, so take your passport or another photo ID ashore.

Question 2

Getting Between Cádiz and Seville

Accepted Answer

Trains between Cádiz and Seville take about 1 hour 45 minutes and run through Jerez de la Frontera. Buses on the same route take about as long. Cádiz station is on Plaza de Sevilla, at the edge of the old town near the harbor. Seville's main station, Santa Justa, is about 1 km east of the city center. In Seville, a short tram line of about 2 km runs from Prado de San Sebastián past the cathedral to Plaza Nueva, a stretch most visitors walk. In Cádiz, the old town and the north end of the island are walkable, while the long beaches to the south are a bus ride away. Horse-drawn carriages wait near Seville Cathedral; in summer heat, it is kinder to the horses to ride early or late in the day.

Question 3

Where to Eat

Accepted Answer

Tapas are the way to eat in Seville: a tapa is a size, so many bars serve the same dish as a tapa, a half portion (media ración) or a full one (ración). In Cádiz, the specialty is fried fish, cooked in olive oil at freidurías that often sell it to take away. Salmorejo, a cold soup of tomato, bread, olive oil and garlic, often topped with ham and chopped egg, comes from Córdoba and is also served in Seville's tapas bars. Other common tapas include tortilla española (potato omelet), olives, patatas bravas and Manchego cheese. In Cádiz, look for tortillitas de camarones, thin fritters of batter and tiny shrimp fried in olive oil, fried fish of the season, and tuna caught in the traditional almadraba nets along the coast. Sherry comes from this province: dry fino and manzanilla are the usual match for seafood, and Jerez de la Frontera, on the train line between the two cities, is known for its oloroso wines. The Mercado Central de Abastos in Cádiz is a covered food market, open Monday to Saturday.

Question 4

Tipping in Spain

Accepted Answer

Tipping in Spain is not mandatory and is not a strong custom, though leaving a little extra is common. In better restaurants, some people add 5 to 10 percent when the service has been exemplary. Restaurant bills do not include a service charge. Some taxi drivers ask foreign passengers for a tip, but a tip is in no way required. Spain uses the euro.

Question 5

Culture & Local Life

Accepted Answer

Seville's year is shaped by two great festivals: Holy Week, when processions carry carved religious scenes through the streets, and the April Fair two weeks later. Cádiz has its own: a carnival of street songs and satire, held in the run-up to Lent. In Holy Week, each procession carries up to three pasos, floats bearing lifelike wooden sculptures, often covered in gold or silver. The Feria de Abril starts at midnight on Monday and runs six days, to Sunday. Rows of decorated marquees, the casetas, fill the fairground, and riders and carriages parade each midday. Flamenco is popular in Spain with locals as well as visitors, and Seville has a museum of flamenco dance in an 18th-century building in the Santa Cruz quarter. Triana, across the river from the center, has been Seville's pottery and ceramics quarter for centuries. Cádiz's carnival was declared a festival of international tourist interest in 1980. Groups compete in the Gran Teatro Falla in January and February, and the carnival itself centers on street performance: singing, dancing and satire in costume.

Question 6

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Cádiz was a Phoenician trading post nearly 3,000 years ago, and Seville grew from the Roman city of Hispalis into the capital of Moorish and then Christian kings. From 1503 Seville held Spain's monopoly on trade with the Americas, and in the 18th century the trade moved down to Cádiz. Phoenicians and Romans: Tradition dates the founding of Cádiz, as Gadir, to around 1100 BC, though the oldest remains found date from the 9th century BC. Under Rome it was Gades, and Seville was Hispalis. 711 to 1248, Ishbiliya: Seville was ruled by Muslim dynasties for more than five centuries. The Almohads built a great mosque in the late 12th century, and its minaret survives as the lower part of the Giralda. 1248, Castile: Ferdinand III took Seville after a siege of fifteen months. In the 1360s, King Pedro I built the Mudéjar palace that is the heart of the Alcázar. 1401 to the 1500s, the cathedral: The city decided in 1401 to replace the mosque with a cathedral, and when it was completed in the early 16th century it was the largest cathedral in the world. Christopher Columbus is buried there. 1503, the trade with the Americas: Seville became the seat of the Casa de Contratación, which controlled trade with Spain's colonies, and grew into one of the largest cities in Western Europe. Columbus sailed from Cádiz on his second and fourth voyages. 1587 and 1596, raids on Cádiz: Francis Drake raided the harbor in 1587, and in 1596 an Anglo-Dutch fleet captured the city, held it for almost a month and burned much of it. 18th century, the trade moves: As sandbars made the river harder to use, the American trade moved from Seville to Cádiz, which enjoyed its own golden age until the monopoly ended in 1778. Many of the old town's buildings date from that century. 1812, a constitution: Holding out against Napoleon's armies, Cádiz became the seat of Spain's parliament, and the liberal Constitution of 1812 was proclaimed there. 1929 and 1992, two world fairs: The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 gave Seville María Luisa Park and the Plaza de España, and Expo '92 marked 500 years since Columbus's first voyage. In 1987 UNESCO listed the cathedral, the Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies as a World Heritage Site. To learn more ashore: In Cádiz, the Museo de Cádiz on Plaza de Mina covers archaeology, fine arts and ethnography, including two Phoenician sarcophagi. In Seville, the General Archive of the Indies on Avenida de la Constitución, beside the Alcázar, holds the records of Spain's empire in the Americas and Asia and is free to enter.

Question 7

Traveling with Family

Accepted Answer

With children, plan Seville and Cádiz in short stretches with shade and water breaks, especially in summer. Both cities have towers to climb, gardens and, in Seville, an aquarium right at the cruise terminal. Younger children: The Seville Aquarium, on the Delicias quay, has 35 tanks with more than 400 species and an ocean tank of about two million liters; part of the route follows the first voyage around the world. María Luisa Park, next door, has tiled fountains, ponds and palms. School age: The Alcázar's gardens include a maze. In Cádiz, the camera obscura in the Torre Tavira projects a live view of the city onto a screen in a darkened room. The castles on La Caleta: In Cádiz, the beach of La Caleta lies between two forts: Santa Catalina, built in 1598, and San Sebastián, on an islet reached by a causeway. Teenagers: The walkway on top of the Metropol Parasol, a huge timber structure in Seville's old quarter, gives views across the city. Isla Mágica, a theme park with roller coasters and a water park on the 1992 Expo site, makes a full day out. Kids at the cathedral: The cathedral asks that children stay with an adult and not run inside.

Question 8

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Seville Cathedral offers free entry to visitors with a disability of 65 percent or more, a free service for people with reduced mobility, and braille leaflets. The Alcázar is free for visitors with a disability of more than 33 percent and one companion, with proof. The cathedral visit starts with the Giralda, which is climbed by ramps rather than steps, though the climb is long. The cathedral has toilets in the Patio de los Naranjos and the permanent exhibition area, and free sign-language guides for deaf visitors. In Cádiz, the old town is a maze of narrow streets between squares, so allow extra time with a wheelchair or walker. Ask your ship about the gangway and the route from the terminal in either city before you go ashore. Seville's summer heat makes long walks hard, so plan indoor stops.

Question 9

Shopping & Local Markets

Accepted Answer

Seville is known for its painted tiles and pottery, from the old ceramics quarter of Triana across the river. In Cádiz, the covered Mercado Central is the place for food. Triana has many ceramics workshops selling tiles and plates. Calle Sierpes, near the cathedral, has shops that make tiles and plates to order. The lanes of the Santa Cruz quarter sell Andalusian souvenirs, T-shirts and flamenco dresses for little girls. Cádiz has an El Corte Inglés department store at the foot of the Constitución bridge.

Question 10

Beaches

Accepted Answer

Seville has no beach, but Cádiz is surrounded by them: La Caleta is in the old town, and the long city beaches run down the island's Atlantic side to the south. If your ship docks in Seville, the beaches are a long trip away. La Caleta, on the west edge of the old town, is a small beach between the castles of Santa Catalina and San Sebastián. Santa María del Mar, between 630 and 850 meters long, is reached from the promenade by two ramps and a stair; it can get large waves in rough weather. La Victoria, south of Santa María del Mar, runs for about 3 km along the west side of the newer city, backed by hotels and cafés and served by city buses.

Seville (Cadiz), Spain

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