Oceania Regatta
Dover-Barcelona Cruise

ABOVE: The Regatta occupies a berth in central Cádiz, a block away from the old town and the new railroad station.

Port of Cádiz

Continued from: Lisbon shore excursions

Cádiz is built on a projection of land from the Costa de la Luz, between the Portuguese border and Gibraltar. The city has been a port for more than 3,000 years, and it was Spain's wealthiest port for trade with the New World from the time of Christopher Columbus until the late 1700s.

Today, Cádiz is the port for ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. It's also a popular stop for cruise ships, such as Oceania's Regatta, that offer bus excursions to Seville and Jerez de la Frontera.

The inner-city Puerto Comercial shown in the photo above can handle several cruise ships and ferries at a time. During the Regatta's visit, the Costa Romantica was berthed by the maritime terminal and we were tied up across the way. Everything of interest was within walking distance, making taxis or buses unnecessary (although many passengers took advantage of the inexpensive "hop on, hop off" sightseeing buses that stopped just outside the port's gate).

For more information on port and cruise facilities, see:

Port of the Bay of Cádiz

Next page: Cádiz shore excursions

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