Cadiz with visit to Jerez & Cellars of Bodega Tradición via Silversea
Port: Cadiz, Spain
Today Silversea’s Silver Spirit called on what is considered Western Europe’s oldest inhabited city (circa 1100 bc). Our ship docked at the Alfonso XIII quay in the Port of Cadiz with enough time for me to take a two hour walk that would help me capture the spirit of the city.
Because the ship was docked so close to the city center, there was plenty of time left in the day for a four-hour organized Silver Shore Collection excursion to nearby Jerez, which is internationally known as a world-class producer of Sherry.
Cadiz Highlights
Cruise visitors taking to the streets will encounter narrow alleyways, public gardens and an eclectic mix of architecture. Must see’s include the Ayuntamiento, Cadiz Cathedral, Plaza San Francisco, and Oratorio de la Santa Cueva (look for three frescoes by Goya).
I am going to suggest walking outside the secured port area and going to the tourism office to get some maps, especially the “Walks through Cadiz” walking guide (free). The pamphlet has four color-coded walks to help you get the most out of a self-guided walking discovery of the city. A helpful website to get information about what to do in Cadiz is www.cadiz.es.
Surf’s up in Cadiz
While driving out of Cadiz’s old city the tour group learned about the history of Cadiz and Andalusia while we enjoyed a the narration from our guide. While stopping to take photos, I managed to catch some locals surfing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Getting out of town: heading to Jerez & the Cellars of Bodega Tradición
The Andalusian town of Jerez is well-known for its sherry wine, its origins extend back nearly 3000 years.
Silversea has amazing shore excursions. Escorts from the ship accompany cruise passengers on tour, which is such a nice touch, if you ask me. Richard and Maria from the ship helped our tour guide keep track of about 20 people in search of a wine cellar in Jerez to sample sherry.
Bodega Tradición hand-bottles the sherrys that are classified as VOS – vinum optimum signatum indicating that the sherry has aged for more than 20 years or VORS – vinum optimum rare signatum – indicating that the wine is more than 30 years old. Depending on the age of the sherry the vintage is classified as Amintillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado or Pedro Ximénez.
Art Gallery at Bodega Tradición
Besides the sherry tasting, cruise passengers got to view the bodega’s art gallery. A section of the winery has been restored and serves as a gallery exhibiting the Joaquin Rivero Collection of Spanish Art. The private collection consists of 300 major works by artists of Spanish Art from the XVth to the XIXth centuries. We were able to browse some of the pieces by Zurbarán, Velazquez, Hiepes, Labrador, Valdés Leal, Goya, Maella, Lucas Velazquez, Madrazo, Lucas Villamil, and Carlos de Haes.
For more information visit the bodega’s website here.
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