We embarked on a road trip from Estepona to Cadiz.
The bad:
The locals really hype up Cadiz for its white sand beaches and Atlantic ocean waters. The roads to Cadiz from Estepona were a tad brumby and motion-sickness inducing.
Firstly, despite local hype about Cadiz tuna and beach towns we struggled to find an actual tuna beach town. After many confused looks and some internet searching we found and visited one named Zahara de los Atunes and playa de Zahara. The beach (Playa de Zahara) was a bit dirty with dog poop (sparingly), juice boxes in the water, and my mother who was barefoot noticed insulin needles in the sand. I really dislike when people don’t pick up after their dogs because it makes all dogs and owners look unfavorably in public.
Some people had their dogs peeing in the sand. Most beaches are a little dirty especially popular ones. However, because of the hype I did expect better. There was a small beach stand restaurant that was lovely and the owner super kind. He happily watched our things (dog stroller, luggage) while we dipped our feet in the water. Overall, I’m happy I went so I could experience it myself. There are several beaches in Cadiz, the one I planned to go to I did not even get the chance to visit. Maybe going by bus directly to a specific beach is better or paying for beach access at a specific maintained area is best. My visit to Cadiz solidified the love I have for the area I currently reside.
The good:
The Cadiz Cathedral and tower visit and a brief walk through town, from visiting local handmade leather shops to other stores was lovely. I only wished I had picked a hotel more central to Cadiz downtown rather than the one in Chiclana however I picked our hotel (Alboran Chiclana) because it accepted dogs. When I was researching I found many Airbnb apartments in city center that accepted pets and I’d recommend going that route instead because the taxi or gas money combined with a cheaper hotel will add up to the same price point as central Cadiz.
All in all, happy I went so I can understand when people reference Cadiz and to have visited the Old Town part of the city because it is one of the oldest towns in Europe. My labor day trip turned out more adventurous than relaxing as planned but it was a worthwhile experience. ❤
Simple Concept Style 