A city trip to Cadiz with kids is definitely recommended! Many families with kids include the city of Cadiz in their itinerary when traveling through Spain’s beautiful Andalusia. Cadiz has a beautiful city center that you can combine with the beach. Especially in the summer months, that can be really nice with kids. In addition, you have several other activities you can do here with the family in the region, making it great to stay here for 2-3 days. In this blog, we list the best children’s activities in Cadiz.
Best travel time Cadiz with kids
The best time to visit Cadiz with kids is in spring (April-May) and fall (September-October). During these months it is pleasantly warm and the temperature is around 20-25 degrees, making it nice to walk around the city with the family without getting too hot.
In summer, Cadiz is also a popular destination among families with kids, but temperatures can reach above 30 degrees. For a beach vacation, summer is of course fine, but that depends a bit on what you want to do. We ourselves never find it a problem when it is over 30 degrees.
Usually we then try to do something with our daughter in the early morning and late afternoon and lie by the pool or the beach for the rest of the day. Therefore, definitely don’t be discouraged if you want to visit the city in the month of July or August.
Transportation to and in Cadiz
The city is easily reached by car or train from other cities in Spain. Unfortunately, you cannot fly directly to Cadiz, as the city does not have an airport. For many families with kids, a visit to Cadiz will be part of a trip through beautiful Andalusia. Most families with kids explore this region by car.
We ourselves have done this as well. We ourselves started in the south of Portugal in the city of Lisbon and rented a car there and then explored the south of Portugal and Andalusia by rental car.
If you only want to explore Andalusia, most families with kids arrive at Seville or Cordoba airports. From the airport you can then very easily rent a car, with which you can explore the rest of Andalusia. We always rent a car abroad through the organization Sunny Cars, as we find this a super nice rental company that offer an all inclusive package for a rental car. So be sure to check online for car rentals in Andalusia.
Cadiz is a compact city that you can easily explore on foot. Many attractions are close together, so walking is an ideal way to explore the city. If you don’t have a (rental) car in Cadiz, you can always also use the bus or cab in the city to get around to the various sights. However, you should keep in mind that many of the activities we describe here are most easily accessible by private car.
Children’s activities Cadiz
#1 Center of the city
When taking a city trip to Cadiz with kids, it is definitely recommended to take a walk through the old town center. Cadiz has a cozy center with the cathedral as one of the city’s biggest eye-catchers. You pay a small fee to enter the cathedral and then you also have access to the tower. From the tower you have a beautiful view of the city.
This cathedral is located on a very pleasant square (Plaza de la Catedral), where you have several terraces and where you can have a bite to eat and a drink with kids. Fun is to climb the Torre Tavira in the center of Cadiz with kids. This is a tower in the center of the city, where you also have a great view of the city.
In addition, it is fun to visit Mercado Central in the city center. This is a nice market to visit briefly with lots of food items being sold.
If you want to visit the city under the guidance of a guide, we recommend booking a Free Walking Tour of the city. These tours start at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and last a total of 2 hours. You then pass by the main sights in the center and afterwards you pay an amount you thought was worth it. Even with kids, this Free Walking Tour in Cadiz is highly recommended.
#2 Cycling in the city
Of course, besides a Free Walking Tour of the city, there are other fun ways to explore the city of Cadiz with kids. For example, in Cadiz you can take a fun guided bike tour with the family. The organization Baja Bikes organizes these bike tours of the city that last 2.5 hours and also take you past all the city’s sights.
Of course, you can also see a lot in a short time with a bike, and we always find these bike tours by Baja Bikes a really fun way to explore a city. You also often get to places you wouldn’t easily get to as a tourist yourself. For families with children, this organized bike tour of Cadiz is also ideal, as they also have children’s bikes and child seats, so kids can also join this tour just fine.
In addition, you have several other ways to explore the city with kids. Similarly, the familiar red double-decker buses operate in the city. These hop on hop off buses stop at 15 spots around the city, and you can buy a 24- or 48-hour ticket here. You can then use these buses indefinitely during this time period. The buses also work with an audio tour in lots of different languages, which also helps you learn a lot about the city.
#3 Playa de La Caleta
A great advantage of visiting the city of Cadiz is that this place is located by the sea. Therefore, especially in the hot summer months, you can also have a great day at the beach. Cadiz’s most famous beach is Playa de la Caleta. This beach is between two forts and you also have several tents on the beach, where you can buy some food and drinks or an ice cream for the kids.
Another beach that is crowded in Cadiz is Playa Santa Maria del Mar and that is because this beach is the closest to the city center. You can very easily walk from the center to this family-friendly beach. This golden beach is also popular among families with kids.
Another beach you can visit in Cadiz with kids is Playa de la Victoria and this is the longest beach in the city. This beach is no less than 3 kilometers long, so there is always a place to be found at this beach. You can also rent beds with umbrellas here and there are plenty of catering establishments where you can go for a snack and a drink. Because of the many facilities you have at this beach, this is also an ideal beach to visit with families with kids.
#4 Dolphins and whales tour
You can also go on a tour in the Cadiz area to go whale and dolphin watching. These can be admired from March to October, and the boats that go in search of these magnificent animals leave from the port of Tarifa. This is a 1-hour and 20-minute drive from Cadiz, which means you’ll be on the road for a while with kids.
These tours take 2 hours total and you can spot different animals. In fact, depending on the time of year, the species differ. Throughout the year you can see dolphins and pilot whales. Sperm whales and fin whales are mostly found in spring, early summer and autumn. Orcas, on the other hand, occur mainly in the summer.
You go out in a boat for 10 people and the tours are both morning and afternoon. So with the travel time, you are about half a day with this. You can find several providers of these tours online, so be sure to compare prices as well. If you are with a large family, you could possibly try to arrange a boat in Cadiz just for you alone.
#5 Aqualand Bahia de Cadiz
You can also spend a day at a water park in Cadiz with kids. We always like it when we are traveling with our daughter in a country where it is very hot, to definitely take in a water park once in a while for variety. Aqualand Bahia de Cadiz is located slightly outside the center of Cadiz about a 25-minute drive from the city center.
This water park is suitable for both young and older kids. For the youngest kids, you have several separate sections in the water park. For example, you have Family Adventure Land and Children’s Paradise which are pools with all kinds of play equipment for the youngest kids. For the older kids, you have some spectacular slides. Some slides also require you to go down the slide with an inflatable tire.
Do check the Aqualand Bahia de Cadiz website to see what the minimum length is for the different slides, so you know which slides your kids can all go down. The water park also has a kind of beach, where they can also produce artificial waves.
You can easily have a whole day of family fun at this water park. They also have special tickets for families for admission tickets. This water park is only open during the summer months, so check the website in advance to make sure it is open.
Family-friendly restaurant Cadiz
You can also have great food in Cadiz with kids. You have several nice family-friendly restaurants in town. We list some of them.
Pizzeria Da Mario: Located in the center of Cadiz, this Italian restaurant is very popular with families. Here you can find fresh pizzas and pastas. There is also a children’s menu especially for kids. The atmosphere is informal and the staff is friendly. These are always very nice restaurants for families with kids, as there is usually something in there that kids like.
El Faro de Cádiz: El Faro is a Spanish restaurant with an extensive menu, including family-friendly dishes such as tortillas, fries and chicken. They also have smaller portions for kids. The restaurant is located near Playa de La Caleta, so you can grab a bite to eat here after a day at the beach. The restaurant looks very cozy with all the frames on the wall.
Family-friendly hotel Cadiz
If you are looking for family-friendly accommodation in Cadiz, there are several great options in this city. You have plenty of places to stay in Cadiz with kids. We list below only the top rated accommodations from many reviews from families with kids. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Pensión Cadiz
Mid-range accommodation: Senator Cadiz
Luxury accommodation: Tandem Palacio Veedor de Galeras Suites
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Cadiz.
