Cadiz and White Villages, Spain

Our first stop in Spain was Cadiz, said to be the oldest on the Iberian Peninsula, maybe even in Western Europe. It stands on a peninsula that juts out into a bay and is almost surrounded by water. Named “Gadir” by the Phoenicians, who founded a trading post here in 1100 B.C., it was later controlled by the Carthaginians, until it became a thriving Roman port.

Under the Visigoth and Moor occupations, Cadiz fell into oblivion. It regained prominance in the early 16th century as a launching point for journeys to the newly discovered lands in America. Opulent buildings represent the colonial legacy that began with Christopher Columbus in 1492.


Later, the city was sacked by Sir Francis Drake, but it withstood Napoleon’s revolution because the French couldn’t get passed the thick city walls, which, ironically, they had built in earlier times.


The Spanish Constitution was declared at the last anti-monarchist holdout of Cadiz in 1812. The monument commemorating this event is topped with a book, which represents the law.


These photos were taken from the ship. I got this information and more history from our guide as we drove through Cadiz on our way to the village of Vejer de la Frontera (which is one of the “White Villages”).


As soon as we got out of the bus and hiked up the hill to the center of Vejer, it began to pour rain.


But it stopped after a bit while we explored hilly cobblestone streets, hidden patios and lovely plazas.


Here’s a church square near the 12th Century walls which surround the old town.


This church is dedicated to The Virgin of the Olives.

Next, we drove along the Atlantic Coast through the La Brena Nature Park which is covered with thousands of acres of pine trees from which pine nuts are harvested. We stopped at the Cape of Trafalgar for a look at the lighthouse where the famous Battle of Trafalgar took place in 1805. Admiral Nelson suffered a fatal wound here, and, according to our guide, he was shipped back to England in a barrel of brandy.

We continued along the coast to another white village called Conil de la Frontera. Many of these towns have “de la Frontera” in their name indicating that they were on the frontier between the Christians and the Moors.


A typical Andalusian town, Conil attracts legions of visitors, especially in the summer, where they enjoy the beaches, the surf of Cabo Roche, and the local specialties like pescaito.

I just had time for some tapas.



and a glass of Vino Verano at the Café Manolo. Salud!


As I am writing this, we are sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar. We are closer to the African side of the Straits. Both sides are mountainous; the peaks of Sierra Bullones and Ibed Musa on the African Side rise to more than 2625 feet.

I am six hours ahead of Eastern Time. It is now 9:30 p.m. The time stamp at the bottom of my blog is not correct.