I had a look at the menus of some of the restaurants you mention online (those which have websites). There isn't a single vegetarian option on the El Faro menu. Balandro has 2 starters and 1 main course (vegetarian lasagne which is the classic copout vegetarian dish offered by restaurants which really can't be bothered, my OH hates it), Barrasiete (if that's the a Siete you meant) has a couple of tapas, you couldn't really make a meal out of those.

I'm sure lots of people have visited Cadiz and enjoyed it, but if I've been somewhere and not liked it I am not going to say I did just to avoid offending the residents' delicate sensibilities! I don't go to places just to find fault with them, as you'll see from my previous post I've visited quite a few different cities in Spain (and intend to go on doing so, the huge range of places to go and see is one of the reasons I like living here) and enjoyed them very much.

I didn't like Barcelona very much either, though, if it makes you feel any better - although many people rave about it.

Well, judging a Spanish city on the basis of its vegetarian dishes is a bit like judging a British city based on how nice the mosques are

I only spent 2 hours and a lunch in Cádiz, but it seemed pretty nice to me, but then there are dozens of lovely cities in Spain. Yes by my experience San Sebastian is the nicest, but it is also the most expensive by far

I spent a week in Seville but found it cold, windy and not worthy of the hype.
The so-called historical parts seemed to be small and not worthy, although the cathedral was mega-impressive it seemed to be dark and dingy and needed light
But then perhaps I stayed in an hotel in the wrong part, didn't go to the right places.
And what does a guiri know about anything anyway

The best way to experience a city is through someone who lives there, even better if they were brought up there, otherwise any city can seem a bit lonely and underwhelming, especially the bigger Spanish cities where you need a bit of guidance on where to go

sounds like a good business enterprise to get the unemployed working in the holiday industry, taking in foreign visitors, giving them the full experience of life in foreign lands.
Bet the hotels and restaurants will complain,

lets not tell the taxman just yet

Exactly - I was due to be there 4 days but the old city is so small that everything can be seen quite easily in half a day, so after that there really wasn't much to do. We went to El Puerto de Santa Maria and came back by boat across the bay which was quite nice, but again only took half a day in total. We spent a day in Jerez to pass some time, although we'd been there previously for a few days (and liked it), and we left Cadiz immediately after breakfast on our final day, got the train as far as Sevilla and left our bags there and spent the day there instead of staying in Cadiz as originally planned.

The vegetarian food thing was only a small part of it, had everything else been great that would not have been of huge significance. But to say that there are many restaurants in Cadiz which cater (well) for vegetarians simply isn't true.

And how can Cman form a reliable opinion of the place based on being there for "2 hours and a lunch" but I can't after 4 days?

There you are, then - you didn't like Sevilla very much whereas I love it and am happy to go back there any time. It is just a personal impression based on each individual's tastes and preferences, what one person likes will not appeal to everyone else. Doesn't make it any less valid to the individual concerned, whichever way.

Lynn, it was the experience based on probably a rose tinted ideal as to what was there. We got out of the city went on one of Stevies trains and visited a couple of towns which we found more fun and interesting.

The impression I got was one of a city that had reached and passed its BBE date. Probably no dirtier than Granada, but the grafitti was appalling. The old Expo 92 site deserted and falling apart. The Isla Magica was non-existant.
The Torre del Oro far smaller than anticipated.
As said previously the cathedral did impress, the piles of gold and silver, the monuments etc etc, it deserves its place. But lack of lighting.
The royal gardens worth the time, but smaller than anticipated.

Perhaps it was our fault for going end Oct/early Nov, it was enjoyable but not a place I would want to visit again unless my arm was up my back.
I am really sorry about this because I enjoy history, I enjoy architecture, I normally enjoy the whole panoply of what should have been on offer. Just felt it wasnt there. Perhaps Seville lives off its past too much without thinking how it is promoting that into the future.

Must get to Cadiz, even if its just to see why Drake "liked" the place so much, it has the history and also is one of the places that has been the capital of Spain.

The old city is very small and you can walk round it very easily in two hours.
The cathedral is nice but lacks colour. however the crypt is fascinating both in it's construction and due to the ECHO.

The Camera Obscura is worth a visit ( I like them ).
We didn't go to the museum on this visit but it is well worth seeing all the Roman and Phonecian bits they found in the Bay of GIBRALTAR.

Also the narrow city street are a hive of small shops that seem to be managing OK possibly due to the lack of supermarket competition.
The market was bustling with many small traders and a wide variety of produce at very keen prices.
We found ( used it to park ) a Lidl a good 5 kms from the centre, and checking online there is a Mercadona about 4 kms out.
Closer to the City there is an El Corte Ingles which is quite large, I suppose it has a Hipercore in it but we didn't notice. We went in looking for a particular product without exploring the whole store.

Restaurants, well there's hundreds of them.

Ifyou actuallygo into any of the restaurants they do have many other options, dont just look on the web, that never gives you the true menu , probably hasnt been updated for many years. We have a vegetarian friend and she has never found any problems there. Not so keen on Barcelona either.

Cue everybody who lives in or near Barcelona to say we are both wrong and it is marvellous, then!

Oh, dear. We spent a day in Cadiz a few weeks ago and didn't think much of it. We actually preferred Algeciras.

A lot of it depends upon; why/when you're there, who you're with, what you're expecting, lots of factors which aren't necessarily the fault of the place...

Hi

I live in the Cádiz region but dread my vegetarian kids coming in some ways. Spain is not yet geared up to vegetarians in the same way as the UK is. I can locally get a non meat tapa for one euro, and a meat tapa for 1-20€.

But the Spanish think that Tuna is acceptable (not meat) as is bacon and ham! We recently visited Granada for a couple of nights. Plenty of vegan restaurants; we disliked the first we chose but liked the second which actually did ONE meat meal as a token to non vegans!!!

But life is what you make it; it wouldn´t be for everyone to be the same. There are things I like and dislike and the small streets of Cádiz reminds me of the lanes of Brighton.

Davexf

This is getting to be a worrying habit, I'm agreeing with you once again!

The first time we went to Seville was with our Spanish son-in-law along with his sister who lives there.
We were shown all of the interesting places and lots that the normal tourist never sees, it was an experience that I shall never forget, and one that has played out again and again across many towns and cities over the years since.

Local knowledge is invaluable if one really wants to discover more than just the surface of whats on offer!

I loved Cadiz, and I'm a vegetarian.


Pontevedra was the worst place I was in in Spain for vegetarian food. I thought I was about to faint with hunger until I stumbled across a little street with 3 turkish cafes side by side.

(Later I found a pizza/pasta place whose name I can't remember but which is part of a chain up that way, but it was too late to rescue Pontevedra in my eyes.)