Transportation in Cadiz

Cadiz is built on a narrow peninsula, which means the old town is compact enough that your feet are the best transport option, most of what you came to see sits within a twenty-minute walk. Local buses connect the newer mainland neighborhoods to the historic core and run frequently enough that you rarely wait long. But for the old quarter itself, no bus will get you somewhere faster than walking its tight streets will. Taxis are easy to flag down and reasonable compared to most European cities, though short hops within the old town are almost never worth the fare when the distance is so walkable. The detail that catches first-timers off guard is the airport situation: Cadiz doesn't have one. You're flying into Jerez de la Frontera, about thirty-odd kilometers up the coast. The Renfe cercanías train from Jerez airport into Cadiz is the move, it's cheap, direct, and drops you at the Cadiz station on the edge of the old town. A taxi from Jerez airport will cost many times more and only saves you a few minutes, so unless you're arriving very late or hauling oversized luggage, the train is the honest choice. What you should *not* do is book a private transfer online before checking the train schedule, the markup is steep for a route the commuter rail handles cleanly. One practical note: Cadiz is a ferry port with boats running across the bay to El Puerto de Santa Marían and other towns, which makes for a far more pleasant day trip than grinding through traffic on the coastal road. If you're heading to nearby beach towns or sherry country, check the catamarán schedule before defaulting to a rental car, parking in these towns is its own ordeal, and the ferry ride across the Bay of Cadiz is half the experience.