Cádiz Cathedral is an impressive kind of a structure, I’ll give it that. Its yellow-domed towers and light stone exterior seem to glow even on a rainy day, and its famous bell tower offers stunning views- of the white rooftops of the city, and in the opposite direction, the wild Atlantic Ocean.
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Cádiz Cathedral- ‘The Cathedral of the Americas’
Like many a European port city, Cádiz really began to thrive during the Age of Discovery, when explorers were racing to do discover distant lands across the ocean. Christopher Colombus launched two of his expeditions from here, and over the coming centuries Cádiz would have the monopoly on trade between Spain and the Americas.
Whilst goods like tobacco, alcohol, cotton and fabric were imported into the city, Cádiz was also a key player in the slave trade, although it’s very tricky to find more than a few words about this. (This is an interesting read, though.) From everything I’ve read, it seems a pretty natural conclusion that slaves, and the slavery system, helped Cádiz on its route to riches, but these days the only vague acknowledgement of this within the city (that I can find), is the name of one street- the Callejon de los Negros, which is the main street from the port into the old town. Other cities like Bordeaux have done a really great job of acknowledging where their fortunes came from, and it’s something that I’d be really interested to learn more about here in Cádiz.
Because I’m telling you now folks, the city really did become super duper rich from all that trading back in the day. This growing wealth helped to fund a lot of its beautiful architecture; in fact, Cádiz Cathedral also became known as the ‘Cathedral of the Americas,’ because it was constructed with money that was made through its trade between Spain and the Americas.
Building the cathedral
Work on the cathedral began in 1716 and took 116 years to complete. Like Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, this lengthy building process means that the cathedral is comprised of a variety of architectural styles. The oldest parts of Cádiz Cathedral are baroque, and later additions like the main facade, the dome and the towers, were built in the neoclassical style.
Whatever the mishmash of styles is, there’s no denying the cathedral’s beauty. Inside is an intricately carved wooden choir, an underground crypt, and then of course the climb to the top of the Torre del Reloj. At the top of this bell tower, you can take in the spectacle of 360º views of the white rooftops of the city (reminiscent of Andalusia’s quaint pueblos blancos), along the Atlantic coastline and across the ocean to the distant lands.
Inside the cathedral, keep your eyes peeled for the ‘pasos,’ ornately decorated religious floats which are sometimes draped with flowers and candles. During Semana Santa these floats are paraded through the city’s streets- carried on the shoulders of men who walk barefoot in perfect unison while marching bands play music and priests waft incense. It’s quite the spectacle.
My experience of Semana Santa in Cádiz
How to visit Cádiz Cathedral
Entry to Cádiz Cathedral costs €7 (2025), and from Monday to Saturday it’s open from 10am-8pm. On Sundays, mass is held at 12pm and then the cathedral is open to paid visitors from 1.30-8pm. Sunday hours for the tower are 12-2.30pm and 3.30-8pm.
Pay at the entrance to the cathedral. At busier times, access to the tower is allowed depending on the traffic going up or down the narrow stairs. (So be prepared to wait a little.)
