After leaving Malaga we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on route to Cadiz. We reached the strait at about 10pm at which point we went to the top of the ship to view on our right side the Rock of Gibraltar, in Europe, and on our left Morocco, in Northern Africa. A very special experience.
The following morning we arrived in Cadiz and went on a short tour of the city before going to Jerez for a sherry bodega tasting and tour.
As we left Cadiz we crossed one of the 3 main bridges that connect it to the mainland. Originally an island, it is now considered a peninsula.
On route to Jerez we passed by large salt pans and mounds of salt.
Salt production is a major industry in the region due to the swampy marshes. The salt produced, amongst other things, is used in curing the Jamon found all over Spain.
Once we reached Jerez we did a short tour around town. There were a lot of sherry bodegas, but some of them were no longer operational suggesting some decline in the industry and changing tastes.
The bodega at which we were doing our tour was González Byass, a very big brand in Spain, having bodegas all over the country.
They produce many types of wines, but they’re most famous brand is Tio Pepe a dry sherry. The bodega we were touring was the original site where the business started and was huge. It was for sherry and brandy production, and had over 90,000 barrels on site, each containing 500 litres.
Once we were back in Cadiz we went to explore the town a little more, after a quick tapas and sangria.
We strolled through the old town and Bel did a little shopping. Thankfully it was a Sunday so many things were closed, but she still managed to buy some shoes. On the edge of the old town we reached the coastline and the beautiful beaches Cadiz is known for.
And then it was back to our boat to eat, drink and sail to our next port.
