# Cerca de Cádiz

From Cádiz you head along the coast or towards the sierra. To the south, the A-48 leads to Vejer, El Palmar and Trafalgar; to the north, Sanlúcar and its manzanilla facing Doñana; to the east, Grazalema, Zahara, Setenil and Ronda, less than two hours away.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cadiz/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Vejer: walls and fish at El Palmar](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/vejer-de-la-frontera/itineraries/vejer-walls-fish-at-el-palmar-and-trafalgar-sunset.md) (45 min en coche): The walled old town and the castle in the morning, a fish lunch facing El Palmar beach and a walk along the sand to the Trafalgar lighthouse as the sun sets.
- [Sanlúcar: castle, manzanilla and Bajo de Guía](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sanlucar-de-barrameda/itineraries/saturday-with-barbadillo-and-prawns.md) (50 min en coche): Santiago castle first thing, the visit with tasting at Barbadillo, prawns at Casa Bigote and sunset at Bajo de Guía with Doñana opposite.
- [Carmona: necropolis, alcázar and mill](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/carmona/itineraries/necropolis-and-alcazar-sunday.md) (1 h 35 en coche): The Roman necropolis first thing, the Alcázar tower before it closes, the museum, lunch in a former mill and the vega from the Parador.
- [Grazalema: Zahara, the pass and the Majaceite](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-grazalema/itineraries/zahara-puerto-de-las-palomas-and-majaceite-river-trail.md) (1 h 35 en coche): A mountain Sunday without permits: Zahara castle above the reservoir, the viewpoints on the Puerto de las Palomas, trout in El Bosque and the Majaceite trail.
- [Genal: Copper Forest and Ronda](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/ronda/itineraries/autumn-in-the-copper-forest.md) (2 h en coche): A morning going from village to village through the Genal chestnut groves as they turn copper, Benito Gómez's tapas in Ronda and the Tajo at sunset. An hour and a half from Málaga.
- [Doñana by 4x4 and El Rocío](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/donana-and-el-rocio/itineraries/donana-4x4-sunday-from-el-acebuche.md) (2 h en coche): The official 4x4 across beach, dunes and marsh at 8:30, lunch facing the marsh in El Rocío, the Charco de la Boca trail and flamingos as evening falls.
- [Ronda: bridge, Arab baths and tapas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/ronda/itineraries/ronda-puente-nuevo-arab-baths-and-tapas.md) (2 h en coche): The bridge first thing, the Arab Baths before three, the Mina stairway down to the river, tapas at Tragatá and the bullring with the sun going down.
- [Setenil and Ronda: streets under the rock](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/setenil-de-las-bodegas/itineraries/setenil-and-ronda-day-trip-from-seville.md) (2 h en coche): A morning in the streets of Setenil that run beneath the rock, lunch in the village and an afternoon in Ronda, 20 minutes away, with the Puente Nuevo and the monuments pass.
- [Setenil: mills and streets under the rock](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/setenil-de-las-bodegas/itineraries/setenil-mills-walk-and-cave-streets-from-malaga.md) (2 h en coche): An easy walk along the valley, past an olive mill, two flour mills and a waterfall, then Setenil's streets under the rock and lunch in the village. Good with a dog.

## Almost everything by car and in three directions

Almost everything that leaves Cádiz is done by car and in three directions. To the south, the A-48 drops along the Costa de la Luz to [Vejer de la Frontera](/en/spain/andalusia/vejer-de-la-frontera) in about 45 minutes, with El Palmar and Cape Trafalgar a quarter of an hour from the town. To the north, via El Puerto de Santa María, you reach [Sanlúcar de Barrameda](/en/spain/andalusia/sanlucar-de-barrameda) in 50 minutes, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, with [Doñana](/en/spain/andalusia/donana-and-el-rocio) on the opposite bank. To the east, the Arcos road climbs to the [Sierra de Grazalema](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-grazalema) and, beyond, to the mountains of [Ronda](/en/spain/andalusia/ronda) and [Setenil de las Bodegas](/en/spain/andalusia/setenil-de-las-bodegas), where the last kilometres are winding.

Without a car, the clearest exit is Sanlúcar: train to Jerez and a Monbus bus to the town, and once there everything is done on foot. For the sierra and the Vejer coast, in practice, you need a car.

## Vejer and Sanlúcar, the two coastal plans

**Under an hour** are the two coastal plans. Vejer (45 minutes), with the walled old town and the castle, and El Palmar beach and the Trafalgar lighthouse for the afternoon. Sanlúcar (50), with Santiago castle, Barbadillo manzanilla and the walk along Bajo de Guía.

The sierra and countryside are **between an hour and a half and two hours** away. Zahara, the Puerto de las Palomas and the Majaceite river, in Grazalema, are an hour and a half away, as is [Carmona](/en/spain/andalusia/carmona), with its Roman necropolis, on the other side of Seville. About two hours away are Ronda and Setenil, which combine in one day, and Doñana, which from Cádiz means going through Seville: the boat along the Guadalquivir from Sanlúcar is more practical.

**Further away** the trip calls for a night: the [Caminito del Rey](/en/spain/andalusia/caminito-del-rey/itineraries/caminito-del-rey-weekend-from-malaga), about two and a half hours away, and [Sierra Nevada in two nights](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-nevada/itineraries/sierra-nevada-ski-snowshoe-weekend-from-granada), a little over four hours away, for the snow.

## Vejer also works with a coat on, and the beach almost empty

In winter, the countryside and the cities. [Carmona on a Sunday](/en/spain/andalusia/carmona/itineraries/necropolis-and-alcazar-sunday) is an October to May plan, with the necropolis and the Alcázar open in the morning only; [Doñana by 4x4 from El Acebuche](/en/spain/andalusia/donana-and-el-rocio/itineraries/donana-4x4-sunday-from-el-acebuche) is an autumn-to-spring one, with the marshes full of water. Vejer also works with a coat on, and the beach is almost empty.

Spring is the season for the sierra. The Setenil stream carries water and the [walk through the mills](/en/spain/andalusia/setenil-de-las-bodegas/itineraries/setenil-mills-walk-and-cave-streets-from-malaga) is at its best; Zahara and the Majaceite are at their peak, and in Ronda the [Sunday of the Puente Nuevo and tapas](/en/spain/andalusia/ronda/itineraries/ronda-puente-nuevo-arab-baths-and-tapas) is done without the summer heat.

In summer the coast rules. Vejer and El Palmar, from April to October, with one caveat: in August parking is hard, and with a strong levante wind it is better to swap the beach for the Torre del Tajo, among the pines. The sierra, in July and August, only first thing.

In autumn, from the end of October to early December, the Genal chestnut woods turn copper. There is a [Sunday in the Copper Forest](/en/spain/andalusia/ronda/itineraries/autumn-in-the-copper-forest), two hours away, and a [weekend in Ronda with the Genal](/en/spain/andalusia/ronda/itineraries/ronda-genal-copper-forest-autumn) to see it at leisure.

## Prawns at Casa Bigote, which closes on Sunday

- **Without a car, on a Saturday:** [Sanlúcar de Barrameda](/en/spain/andalusia/sanlucar-de-barrameda/itineraries/saturday-with-barbadillo-and-prawns). Santiago castle first thing, the visit with a tasting at Barbadillo, prawns at Casa Bigote, which closes on Sunday, and sunset at Bajo de Guía with Doñana opposite.
- **Along the coast:** [Vejer, El Palmar and Trafalgar](/en/spain/andalusia/vejer-de-la-frontera/itineraries/vejer-walls-fish-at-el-palmar-and-trafalgar-sunset). The walls in the morning, fish opposite the beach and the lighthouse with the sun going down; back in Cádiz around eight.
- **With one night:** [the Sierra de Grazalema](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-grazalema/itineraries/grazalema-pinsapar-weekend-from-seville). An hour and a half away, to do the Pinsapar or the Garganta Verde with a permit and the rest unhurried: Zahara, the Puerto de las Palomas and the Majaceite.