There are no open hours for this historical tower. You can't climb it. It is basically just a…read morepretty place to take a picture. The base of the tower is currently used as an exhibition hall. The tower is all that remains of the former Convent de la Merced (convent of mercy), which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1722. The Convent de la Merced was built on the foundation of the hermitage of Veracruz, once the oldest in Rota, completed in 1620. Nextdoor, the ca.1929 Public Market was built on the remains of the rest of the old convent.

The cruise port in Cadiz is near the old town. My husband and I were on a Celebrity Cruises ship…read morethat docked in this port for several hours. We had no problems with the terminal or employees. Our tour guide took us on walks down old cobblestone alleys past historical buildings such as a cathedral, to a fantastic central market that sold a variety of delicious foods, to an entertaining flamenco show, and to a beautiful park with unique trees and birds. Cadiz also has beaches that you might consider using. Overall, Cadiz is not one of our favorite cruise ports, but we were happy to visit once.

This is the main cruise port for ships visiting Cadiz Spain. There could be several ships visiting…read moreat the same time so depending on the location of your port, you may be able to walk right off the ship and into town within 10 mins. The other docks are farther and require you to ride a shuttle bus which is provided complimentary. The port was easy to enter as a passenger and had a good security process.

Cute little square abutting Iglesia de Santa Cruz. This plaza is great for pictures! The green line…read morefor walking tours will take you right through this square. This square is all hill, so expect to stand on a slant, unlike most flat plazas. History? This square dates to the Middle Ages. Enclosed by the "Old Cathedral" of Cádiz, aka the church of Santa Cruz, on one side, and Casa de la Contaduría on the other. In the early 1700s the cistern was built in the square. Other surrounding buildings include the former Bishop's House, and the Estopiñán house.

Located in a corner of Plaza de Catedral, this arch is another pretty old landmark in Cádiz. Can't…read morego inside, can't climb it, etc. just for taking pics and touching really old stone. Still pretty cool! Arco de la Rosa (Arch of the Rose), dates to the 13thC. There is conflicting info about this arch, from Wiki vs tourism sites. I would trust the Spanish to know their own stories (thus the tourism sites win for me), but to go by the actual plaque on the wall, beside the arch, here's a loose translation: "This arch, called rose, named after the image of the virgin that it housed in its niche, is part of the Medieval wall. It [the wall] was ordered by Alfonso X the Wise (1221-1284), to be built to reinforce the city, when [he was] reconquering this city in 1262. "The literary, artistic, and scientific athenaeum (institutions) of Cádiz, in tribute to, and memory of that same king, to whom this city owes so much, dedicate this plaque on March 28, 2006." (español) "Este arco llamado de la rosa por la imagen de la virgen que albergó en su hornacina pertenece a la muralla Medieval. Se mandó reforzar por Alfonso X el Sabio (1221-1284) al reconquistar este ciudad en 1262. "El ateneo literario, artístico, y científico de Cádiz, en homenaje y memoria de aquél rey, a quien tanto debe este ciudad, colocó esta lápida el 28 de marzo de 2006."

We were very excited about visiting this historic site as it's reportedly the oldest city…read morediscovered in the Western hemisphere. It's a fantastic discovery of a Phoenician port of the city of Gadir which dates back to the 3rd century BC! The site was then used by the Romans and in more modern/recent times it was a flamenco tavern. The port was thought to be a military port, a dry dock used to build and repair warships. The excavation project was initiated within the last few years and it's still ongoing. The 1-hour guided tour costs 8 euro per person and it first starts with a video, a 3D reconstruction of what the port entrance and dock would have looked like, and is then followed by a visit to the underground historic site where we can still appreciate original rock material from those ancient Phoenician times. It's a fascinating journey back in time!

Fun free museum to see Roman and Phoenician ruins under the city streets. Free to enter but you…read morehave to pick up tickets at the ticket booth ahead of time. I was there in December on a weekday and there were only three time slots (11:00/12:00/13:00). The ticket office opens at 10:45 so be there then if you want to have your choice of time slots.

The tours here last about 45 minutes. While there is no admission fee, you *DO* need to reserve a…read moreticket, since tour group-size is limited. Here you will see Gadir (Cádiz) in situ from the time it was colonized by the Phoenicians, through the Roman period. The building houses a beautifully preserved space, with translucent walkways over the ruins. Different-colored gravels distinguish between Phoenician and Roman structures. A multimedia presentation at the beginning lends a wonderful overview to the space throughout its history. There are even skeletal remains of an unfortunate that was overcome by smoke during a fire some 2,800 years ago. The tour guide we had spoke wonderful English, was VERY knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. Kudos to her! The only reason for losing a star: apparently in very recent history, lightning knocked out the air conditioner and dehumidifier for a while... this has led to some very musty odors at one end of the site, that made it difficult for us to breathe without covering our noses. This site is definitely worth a visit!

This beautiful square is one of the welcome sights for people coming into Old Town Cadiz…read more The old Plaza Mayor of the city, also known as La Corredera, was found outside the walls, as was common in medieval cities, and near one of the access gates, in this case to the original Puerta del Mar, today Arco de la Pópulo. The irregular layout of this square is conditioned, since in the past it coincided with one of the mouths of the ancient sea, which crossed the current island of Cádiz. In the Plaza de San Juan de Dios, several buildings of interest stand out, such as the Municipality, the church of San Juan de Dios and the Casa de los Pazos Miranda. We loved seeing the activity in here, kids running around and playing, people strolling, just a nice cute cozy place in Cadiz.

The is a beautiful plaza and very easy to find coming from the cruise port as it is the first thing…read moreyou see on your way into the city. It is a very vibrant area with a lot of activities going on. There are tents with merchants selling local made products at reasonable prices. We worth a stop to check them out.

Los Corrales de Pesca de Rota are Roman fishing corrals in the intertidal zone off the beach at the…read moreCorrales Park in western Rota. When I call them Roman, they are genuine Roman ruins, not something just named or invented by Romans. When I researched the corrales, there was mention of tours, however, there was no apparent way to sign up for these tours, neither online, nor at the park. I had to take a star off for the lack of signage directing you through the park to the corrales, and for the lack of info about tours. You can, of course, just walk down the beach and stumble upon the corrales, but one would hope this ancient site could be honored with a little more circumstance than that. The Corrales are along the beach, of course, in the water, but there is a park on land, just behind them, officially called Parque la Almadraba (sometimes "Corrales de Rota" on the map), which is a separate venue, for hiking/jogging/dog walking, along the boardwalk trails of the Camino Natural de Rota. Apart from the two didactic signs I posted pictures of (located at the eastern edge of the park), we did not see any other info about the Corrales. The Romans created small walls in the intertidal zone, covering 110ha; they are designed to be exposed at low tide, for harvesting fish and shellfish. They were in use in Rota until the 1950s. The 8 Corrales de Rota are some of the best-preserved examples of this Roman fishing invention. The Corrales were Andalusia's first designated Natural Monument. The marine life that dwells in the Corrales attracts shore birds, and makes the area known for birdwatching as well. Sea life living in or caught by these corrales: - fish, particularly cuttlefish - octopi - sea urchins - shrimp - crabs - (famous) large oysters - barnacles - algae - marine phanerogams - a variety of seaweed - worms - molluscs - white sea bream - conger eels Rota's older traditional houses (with architectural features created to facilitate fish-harvesting) are called "mayeteria," because the biggest fishing harvests are in May. ** If you like Roman ruins, there is a Roman archaeological site called Baelo Claudia, located between Cadiz and Tarifa, which is a 1.5hr drive from Rota. Great for a day trip!