Taxis from Cadiz Train Stn to Ship

[rowdy1red2004@yahoo.ca]

Hello,

 

Does anyone know whether taxis are available at 11:30pm at the Cadiz train station? We are planning to return from a day trip in Seville via train and want to ensure that we won't have difficulty getting a taxi back to the Regatta at that time of night. Thank you.

[goeurope]

The Cadiz train station is right next to the port, and the port is very small. You won't need a cab.

[rowdy1red2004@yahoo.ca]

Thanks for the quick response....

[roothy123]

The port in Cadiz IS close to the train station (and even closer to the bus station, where you can get a bus to Seville, although I don't know how late they run). However, don't panic if you come back late and find the port gate you went out of is closed and locked up tight. At night there's only one gate open - the one closest to the train station and farthest from the bus station. I came back around 10:30 PM and almost had a heart attack when I found the gate locked with nobody in sight to let me into the port! I had to walk all the way around the port, away from where the Regatta was docked, to find the other gate. The "open" gate was the one closest to the little park and fountain (and train station, which is behind the tall white building marked "hostal" or something like that, with small RENFE logos up top)!

[ErinH1]

Thanks for that very important information! We will make note of the gate tip. So then there's no problem getting back on the Regatta late at night, say around 11 or midnight? You wouldn't by chance know if there are flamenco shows in Cadiz? The return times for the train and bus from Seville are too early for most of their flamenco shows. Thanks.

[roothy123]

I'm not really sure, but I remember the folks at Destination Services saying that there wasn't much in the way of flamenco in Cadiz, which is why they had chosen to take the shore excursion group to Jerez de la Fronterra. Although I stayed out until 11 in Cadiz walking around, I didn't see much night life in Cadiz, but perhaps it DOES exist. I don't remember for sure how far Jerez is (you can go there by train), but I know it's definitely closer than Seville. So if you could find a show there, you might be able to go to that and still get back to Cadiz on a train - if they have train or bus service that late!! In May, Oceania DID offer a flamenco show at night as a shore excursion, so you could do that as well. I don't know anyone who went on it, so I can't give you any feedback, but in general I heard that O's shore excursions were pretty good, though a little pricey. Another possibility, although more for the adverturous, is to stay overnight in Seville at your own expense. The Concierge would probably be able to help you find a place. I don't know if they really LIKE you staying off the ship all night, but if you told them that what you were doing, I'm sure it would be ok. We had planned to do that, but then they changed the departure time from Cadiz on the second day to two hours earlier than originally scheduled, and we were nervous about getting back in time so we canceled our hotel reservation. The Concierge (Bruno on Regatta in May) was helpful and did that for us. There's a cultural center in Seville (in the Barrio Santa Cruz) that supposedly has reasonably-priced flamenco shows many nights - if you want more info on that, I can probably dig it out. It was near the Hotel Alcantara and I think I got a glimpse into the large patio where it's performed (half inside, half out). There is no food, drinks, or anything but music, but it sounds like it's reasonably authentic stuff, which appealed to me. Of course, it might not start until 10 or 11, since we ARE talking Spain here.....

 

If you go to Jerez, be aware that there are two towns with kind of similar names. In addition to Jerez de la Fronterra, which is the sherry and horse town, there's Arcos de la Fronterra, which I think is quite a bit farther from Cadiz.

 

Cadiz was a pretty interesting place, so if all else fails, just stay there and check out its charms - lots of parks, churches, squares, and a beach over by the forts (2 of them) and the lighthouse. There's a bus that goes around the perimeter, plus plenty of taxis, plus horse drawn carriages for about 20Euros. We loved Cadiz - very underrated!

Have fun!

[roothy123]

I meant to tell you that, no I don't THINK there's a problem getting back into the port, or onto the ship, at 11 or 12 at night. There's someone on the ship at the boarding door at all hours as far as I know, but you might want to ask before you leave. For the port, there was a guard at the gate, so have your Oceania card with you. I think I got back there around 11:00 or 11:15 and while it was a little creepy (my husband wasn't with me), there was no problem getting into the port (which has a fence around the whole area) or onto the ship.

[roothy123]

Oops - I mentioned horse drawn carriages and plenty of taxis, but this was not Cadiz, it was Malaga. Sorry!

 

If you want to find out if there's flamenco in Cadiz or nearby, you might want to go to madridman.com and pose the question. There's a lot to be learned on that message board!!!

[Merriem]

Having lived in Spain, it is typical for meals to start at 10pm, and everything is much later than our schedule. I doubt if you would have a problem finding a taxi at anytime in the night.

 

As far as Flaminco, I would just stay in Cadiz. It is a very pleasant town, and no doubt you can find some local places to enjoy. Stay away from the tourist spots, and organized tours.

[ErinH1]

Very helpful, info--thanks everyone! I did find flamenco in Cadiz at "La Cava". That's about all I could find on the internet--just that one name and address. I imagine there could be more possibilities once we get there, although our stay is a Monday night so that may be not the best of nights. My research tells me Jerez is 30 minutes from Cadiz, but the last train leaves at 10:40 p.m. Maybe a taxi from Jerez to Cadiz would be reasonable? I did find a flamenco show in Seville at 7:30 p.m. at El Patio Sevillano. Roothy, the only info I could find on the cultural center flameno is that it's next to Hotel Alcantara. Do you have anything that indicates show times?

 

We considered spending the night in Seville but have already purchased tickets for the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art--the show starts at noon in Jerez. So paying for a night in Seville may not make much sense since we'd have to leave fairly early. Very interesting, Roothy, that you mentioned your ship left 2 hours earlier than scheduled--I had not even considered that possibility!

 

Well, I confess we are probably trying to cram too much into each port/stop. I know we can't see everything in such a short amount of time. We'll try and take things more leisurely at some of the other ports (maybe).

[roothy123]

You sound like a person after my own heart - trying to cram a lot into a little bit of time! Oh, does that sound familiar....I envy you with the horse show tickets. Should be pretty neat. I would guess that a cab from Jerez to Cadiz would be affordable - they were fairly cheap in Cadiz and other parts of Spain we visited - especially considering the price of gas in Europe!

 

I looked on the internet a little and found something about "cadiz summer flamenco". I only printed out a third of the page, and the web page address isn't too clear, but maybe you can search for it, find it, and make some sense out of it. It starts our

Cadiz Summer Flamenco

Baluarte, Teatro de Verano

 

Apart from a small commercial tablao in the old town, there are outside flamenco venues in the old part of Cadiz, both close to.... and virtually overlooking the Bay of Cadiz:

 

Baluarte de la Candelaria

Teatro de Verano

 

Here's something I found on the internet - can't vouch for it's accuracy, recentness, or anything, but maybe if you search more you can find more. The "cultural center" they speak of sounds like the one I had read about - although not through this source.

 

"Sevilla has been cashing in on the ever-growing tourist interest in flamenco, opening up a number of flashy flamenco clubs with overpriced obligatory drinks. The most original impromptu flamenco can be found in dingy bars and bodegas across the Quadalquivir river in the barrio of Triana. Just another first-time tourist with no local connections, I settled for what rumor has it is the most authentic flamenco show around, at Tablao Los Gallos. Set in a narrow old building on the charming Plaza de Santa Cruz, this cozy theater hosts two shows every night, and the hefty price of admission includes a drink. Two hours flew by as I watched the colorful ensemble of dancers clicking their heels in syncopation, exclaiming spontaneous Olés and haughtily showing off their seductive moves. That spectacle got me hooked, and I couldn’t turn down another night of flamenco the following evening. Set on the verdant patio of a sixteenth-century mansion that is home to Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus, a cultural center hosting a variety of performances ranging in style from flamenco to Sephardic, this show was by far more professional than the first I saw. The audience mirrored the dignity of the dancers with quiet admiration – a much different atmosphere than the raucous rooms of Sevilla’s bars and bodegas. Two subtly dressed dancers elegantly swirled around the center of the patio, while a guitar player and a singer took the audience on a musical journey through the turbulent past of Gypsy clans that left us spellbound."

 

As a note about the ship leaving Cadiz two hours early: It was the only time it happened, but O. DOES tell everyone that schedules can change, especially if the weather is bad. What my husband heard was that some people with O-booked flights had REALLY early flights out of Lisbon, so O. needed to get into port earlier than planned. (Flights from Lisbon are a bit limited, I noticed!!!) Chances are pretty great that you'll get in and leave exactly the time they've planned (and published) for months, but if possible, I'd avoid making plans you can't change.

 

Did I mention going on madridman.com to see if anyone knows anything about the flamenco venues in Cadiz or Jerez? I think that board is more for backpackers than cruisers, but I found it very helpful in finding out more about the ports in Spain that you'll be visiting. (It's not just a Madrid board!)