Cádiz, Costa de la Luz

Cadiz is the capital of the province of the same name in the Spanish region of Andalucia. The city is sited on a long narrow peninsula in the southwest corner of Spain, surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean. Founded in 1,100 BC, it's credited with being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the western world.

Christopher Columbus started two of his major voyages from here and secured a glittering future for the port which was to become the major trading centre with the Americas.

Cadiz is still a working port and both the city and wider province are popular holiday destinations for thousands of Spaniards who flock here each summer. Foreign students and business travellers make this a port of call but international tourists have largely overlooked the many attractions of Cadiz.

Unlike many of Spain's coastal towns these days, tourism is not the prime source of income here. Cadiz is mainly a commercial seaport exporting local produce including sherry, cork, figs, fish and olives and importing commodities such as coal, iron, timber, coffee and cereals.

But take the time to explore its intriguing ancient streets and you'll find plenty of fascinating stopping points, not least of which is the beautiful 18th century cathedral with its golden dome. The cathedralreceives relatively few visitors but its museum houses a priceless collection of gold, silver and jewels brought over from the New World and the crypt of the great Cadiz-born composer Manuel de Falla.

There's a wealth of museums, ancient monuments and churches to be found in Cadiz along with a mouth-watering array of traditional tapas bars and restaurants offering some of the country's finest seafood and typical Andalucian cuisine.

Venture beyond the city boundaries to explore the unspoilt coastline and miles of sand dunes which make up the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) stretching more than 100 kilometres to Tarifa, the southernmost tip of Spain.