Torre Tavira

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.

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.

A star-shaped fortress built in the late 16th century after the Anglo-Dutch attack of 1596, standing right by La Caleta beach. Today it hosts temporary exhibitions and offers one of the best free viewpoints over the Atlantic and the old town.

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 13th-century Almohad watchtower on the banks of the Guadalquivir, one of Seville's great defensive symbols. Its name comes from the golden tiles that once covered it. It houses the Naval Museum, with historical maps and objects from the American expeditions. The view from Puente de Triana at sunset is breathtaking.