Castillo de Santa Catalina

An 18th-century Baroque-Neoclassical cathedral with a golden tiled dome, a symbol of Cádiz's maritime skyline. Composer Manuel de Falla is buried in its underground crypt. You can climb the Torre de Poniente for a panoramic view over the city and the Atlantic.

The city's former watchtower and Cádiz's tallest tower, home to a camera obscura that projects the streets and monuments live onto a circular screen in real time. From its terrace you can pick out the roughly 130 watchtowers dotting the city's rooftops, a legacy of Cádiz's trading past with the Americas.

A small urban beach between the San Sebastián and Santa Catalina castles, the city's most iconic and the setting for a James Bond scene. Its fine sand, the Balneario de la Palma promenade and the sunset views make it a must, though it fills up fast in summer.

Cádiz's oldest quarter, with remains of the city's medieval gates (Arco de los Blancos, del Pópulo and de la Rosa) and, beneath its houses, the second-largest Roman theatre in Hispania, dating from the 1st century BC. Its narrow streets pack in more than three thousand years of urban history.

A neoclassical food market from 1838, one of Spain's oldest, ringed by a stone colonnade. Stalls selling fish and shellfish fresh off the bay, fried-fish counters and tapas bars make this market a living portrait of Cádiz's food culture.

Cádiz Carnival is officially recognized as a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest, and it has nothing to do with float parades. Here, the coupla song rules. Two carnivals run in parallel: the official contest (COAC) at the Gran Teatro Falla, ticketed, and the street carnival, free and stageless, where the so-called "illegal" groups sing on any corner.

About 30 brotherhoods make their official penitential walk to Cádiz Cathedral, and the whole official route fits inside the old town: Calle Nueva, San Juan de Dios, Pelota and Plaza de la Catedral. The date moves every year, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Watching the processions from the street costs nothing.

A 14th-century Muslim fortress perched 130 metres above the sea, connected to the Alcazaba by the 'coracha' wall. From its battlements you command views of the Port, La Malagueta and the whole bay. A museum room on its military history was opened in 2003. Entrance: €7 (combined with the Alcazaba: €10); free on Sundays from 2 pm.

A castle built by the Moors between the 8th and 9th centuries, conquered by Afonso Henriques in 1147 following the capture of Lisboa.

A 123 m hill crowning the old town, topped by the Castillo de la Mota (12th century) and a monumental statue of the Sacred Heart (11 m). Paths through gardens and cannon batteries lead to viewpoints with panoramic views over La Concha bay and the port. Free entry all year round.