10 Things to do in Cádiz with Kids

Cadiz is one of the favourite destinations for tourists travelling to Andalusia and is also an ideal place to visit with the family and children, as it offers family beaches, water parks for young and old, exhibitions of all kinds and a wide variety of attractions for children.

To the list of the best things to see and do in Cadiz with children you can also add ice skating, a dolphin and whale watching excursion in the Strait of Gibraltar, a visit to an amusement park or a trip to a youth fair. There are also plenty of Christmas activities for all the family during the winter in Cádiz and excursions to enjoy in the summer.

If you are planning to visit Cádiz in summer you cannot miss the beaches of Cádiz, which are some of the best on the Andalusian coast. If you are visiting the city with children I recommend:

• La Caleta, located in an area close to the old town. It is ideal to visit with children because it has warm waters and is surrounded by gastronomic services and other leisure activities. It is also a favourite with visitors and one of the largest in Cádiz, so you'll never be short of space to set up your parasol, although it can get very crowded during the summer.
• Sanlúcar de Barrameda, ideal if you prefer beaches with fewer tourists. It is a seaside resort near Jerez de la Frontera which is also the epicentre of local activities. If you visit Cádiz in August you can attend the Sanlúcar Horse Races, a traditional event that has been held in the city for over 100 years.
• Playa de la Calzada and Playa de las Piletas beaches, located in Sanlúcar, are quiet areas for swimming.
• Bolonia Beach, located in Conil de la Frontera, Zahara de los Atunes and Tarifa, was chosen several years in a row as one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain.

The youngest members of the family will have a great time if you book a horse show in Jerez, an event that will allow you to enjoy a unique experience at the Royal School of Equestrian Art of Andalusia.

Lasting approximately three and a half hours, this event offers not only a show of horses dancing to the rhythm of Spanish music, but also the opportunity to explore the city of Jerez with a professional guide.

The guide will take you to discover the most emblematic monuments of the city such as the Alcázar of Jerez, the Church of San Miguel or the Plaza del Arenal. And at the end of the tour, you will enjoy the equestrian show, whose choreography will be accompanied by riders dressed in 18th century style. An unforgettable memory for both children and adults.

The Parque de la Ciudad de los Niños y las Niñas which is located halfway between Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera is not an amusement park or a theme park, but a fictitious, scale-built village designed for children, where the whole family can enjoy themselves among the play and leisure areas, the shows and a long list of activities.

In this park children can learn about life in society and visit benches, public squares and do adult activities. They can also use the zip lines, water areas, bicycle and tricycle areas and skating areas.

In addition, there are restaurants and bars for lunch. If you plan to visit Cádiz in December, you can also enjoy the Christmas activities. During the summer, the park also offers a series of summer films and camps for children's groups, which include craft workshops, balloon twisting and painting. You can find out more about this park by booking a guided tour of Jerez.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the park has a starting price of approximately €9 per person.
• Opening hours... Monday to Saturday, from 8am to midnight. On Sundays the park is closed and is only available for private events.
• Where... Arcos de la Frontera s/n, Jerez de la Frontera.

If your travel itinerary includes a visit to Cadiz in October, you can opt for a dolphin and whale watching excursion in the Strait of Gibraltar, an experience the kids will love and you will discover the beauty and history of the Strait.

The boats of the whale watching tours in the Strait of Gibraltar leave from the beaches of Tarifa during the mating and migration season of the whales and dolphins, and during these tours you can also live the experience of sailing between two continents. On clear days you can also see the Rock of Gibraltar and the African coast of Morocco from the boat.

You can also go on whale-watching excursions if you decide to visit Cadiz in January, although it is a cold and rainy season, which makes sailing difficult, but on mild days you can discover the marine species that live permanently in the area of the strait. And in case it's not the right time of year, you can book a private boat trip around Cadiz.

If you are planning to visit Cadiz in December or during Christmas with children, there are many plans you can make to enjoy the festive atmosphere, including visiting the Expoclick Playmobil fair, visiting the Christmas market in the Plaza de San Antonio and visiting Juvelandia. Book the Cádiz tourist bus and go to the one that best suits your preferences. Here is some more information:

• The Playmobil Expoclick fair in Chiclana is an exhibition of dioramas and giant plastic dolls that has become a tradition for the whole family. This event is held every year from the last days of November until Epiphany and each edition has a different theme, which can consist of the recreation of famous series and films such as The Walking Dead and Star Wars, which makes it one of the children's favourite activities.
• The Christmas market in the Plaza de San Antonio is one of the most traditional in Cádiz and is the centre of some of the most important activities during Christmas. There you can browse the stalls, buy gifts and Christmas decorations, enjoy the winter gastronomy and see the 12-metre Christmas tree that every year becomes the main attraction in the old quarter of Cádiz.
• Juvelandia, in Jerez de la Frontera, is a children's and young people's leisure fair that takes place every year in the González Hontoria Park. Its programme combines games libraries, sports competitions, inflatable games, circus performances and children's music shows. This fair also allows you to visit Jerez, which is one of the best activities to do from Cádiz.

If you plan to visit Cádiz in winter with children you can visit the Plaza de San Antonio, which during Christmas Eve becomes the landmark of the old town and one of the stops if you book the guided tour of Cádiz.

There you can visit the Christmas Market and the 12-metre high tree, as well as the ice skating rink, which is open for young and old alike. The ice skating rink in the Plaza de San Antonio is open from the first days of December until Epiphany and admission is free. You can go with your skates or rent a pair from the stalls at the Christmas Market.

To get to the historic quarter you can take public transport or the Cádiz tourist bus, which stops at the square. The Christmas Train, the Christmas Carol Stall and the Professional Craft Fair are other children's attractions to be found in the Plaza de San Antonio.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the ice rink is free.
• When... From the first week of December until Epiphany.
• Where... Plaza de San Antonio, Cádiz.

The Puppet Museum in Cádiz is one of the children's favourite activities. Located at the old Puerta de Tierra entrance to the city, it houses displays with information and history about the world of puppets and puppeteers, as well as 500 objects representing what was for years one of the city's main industries. Bear in mind that Cadiz was famous for the manufacture of puppets and ventriloquist puppets.

The museum also offers interactive activities for children, and tours in which the most significant historical events in Spain and Cadiz are reviewed in puppet performances set up in small theatres in which the little ones can also play characters and recreate their own stories.

Admission to the Puppet Museum of Cádiz is free and it is also possible to see performances at the Tía Norica Puppet Theatre, which is famous for its musical shows for children and its comedy monologues. Don't miss it, for example, after enjoying the bike tour of Cádiz.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the museum is free.
• Opening hours... Tuesday to Sunday from 8am to 9pm.
• Where.... Puertas de Tierra, Bóvedas de Santa Elena, Cádiz.

In summer, Cádiz stands out for its beaches, its warm weather and the number of summer attractions the city offers. One of them is to visit one of Cadiz' s water parks, an alternative that is particularly popular if you are planning to visit the city with children. The most popular are:

• Aqualand, located in El Puerto de Santa María, offers visitors giant slides, wave pools, children's playgrounds and water games. There is also a restaurant and drinks area.
• Bahía Park is located in Algeciras and is a water park with slides, five pools, trampolines and rest areas for all ages, with restaurants and bars.

Please note that the water parks are usually open during the high season months between June and August, which are the hottest months in the city. To make sure you get your place you can book your tickets in advance online, especially as the summer season is when the city receives the largest influx of tourists.

Genovés Park is one of the most emblematic places in Cádiz and a visit to it is one of the best things to see and do in Cádiz. Moreover, it is sure to be one of the points of interest if you book a guided tour of Cadiz. It is the most representative green lung of the old town. Located by the sea, it has a wide variety of local shrubs and trees, monuments, palm trees, a grotto with a pond and a children's area with games for children.

The grotto is also often a favourite spot for children because the area includes a waterfall that flows into a pond inhabited by a large number of ducks and surrounded by giant dinosaur sculptures. There is also an area to buy food and drinks.

The Parque Genovés also includes attractions for adults, as there you can access the Mirador de Santa Bárbara, a place from where it is possible to contemplate the immensity of the bay and also the perspective of the park and a large part of the old town. Admission to the park is free.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the park is free.
• Opening hours... The park is open daily from 8am to 9pm.
• Where... Av. Dr. Gómez Ulla s/n, Cádiz.

During the summer, El Puerto de Santa María offers one of the most eclectic Cadiz experiences with the presentation of the medieval street market, a fair where you can discover the city's past during the Middle Ages and which includes dance performances, medieval gastronomy and craft stalls, and children's activities.

If you plan to visit the medieval market with children, you can attend the circus shows and the performance of jesters, among other typical characters from the Middle Ages. The medieval market is held every year in June in the Plaza del Castillo, which adds to the atmosphere of the period.

El Puerto de Santa María is located very close to Jerez de la Frontera and the beaches of Levante and Valdelagrana, so you can make the most of your visit by visiting these nearby sites as well, especially if you are planning a short stay in the city and want to save time. If that's your case, here's a list of things to see and do to discover Cadiz in 3 days.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the street market is free.
• When... Every year during the month of June.
• Where... Plaza del Castillo, El Puerto de Santa María.

The patron saint's fiestas of the Virgen del Rosario have a special celebration in Los Barrios, a village in the interior of the province of Cadiz. There, the town council organises a charity amusement park named after the Virgin, the aim of which is to collect donations.

The amusement park in Los Barrios has children's games, food stalls, a roller coaster and a bumper car track for young and old, so it can be visited by the whole family. In addition, it has an initiative whereby for two hours of the day the attractions operate without music or animation sound so that children with autism can attend.

The park is open during the patron saint festivities, which are held every year during the second week of October, although Los Barrios is just over 100 kilometres from the capital of Cádiz, so it can be an uncomfortable trip if you are planning a short stay in the city. If that's your case, here's a list of the best things to do in Cádiz in 2 days

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the park is free and each attraction has an initial cost of approximately 3 euros.
• When... During the second week of October.
• Where... In Los Barrios, Cádiz.