Cádiz · The Oldest City in Western Europe 🌆

Originally planned to visit Ronda + Málaga as a day trip, but the journey was too long. My host suggested heading straight to Cádiz after lunch in Ronda to experience this ancient city—the oldest in Western Europe! 🐚 Cádiz was founded 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians as a trading post between Phoenicia and Tartessos. 🏛 The Romans made it a naval base, boosting its prosperity. ⚔️ In the 5th century, the Visigoths replaced Roman rule, and Cádiz was destroyed. 🏰 From 711 to 1262, it was under Moorish rule (Arabic: قادس), and its current name derives from the Arabic. Eventually, King Alfonso X of Castile expelled the Moors. The city revived during the Age of Exploration. ⛵️ Napoleon sailed from Cádiz twice. During his conquest of Europe, Cádiz was one of the few regions that resisted French invasion. 📜 In 1812, Spain’s first constitution was born here, earning Cádiz the nickname "La Tacita de Plata" (The Little Silver Cup) as a symbol of freedom and democracy. 🌍 Cádiz has a tropical Mediterranean climate—east winds in the morning, west winds in the afternoon. Just 600 km from Cabo da Roca, Europe’s westernmost point, it’s now one of Spain’s most important shipbuilding hubs. 🌏 It’s very close to the Strait of Gibraltar—if you have a UK visa, you can even pop over to Gibraltar! ✈️ #TravelTheWorld #MustVisitPlaces #Cádiz #Spain #Andalusia