Puerta de Tierra (Earth Gate), Cadiz

Earth Gate isn鈥檛 just a doorway鈥攊t鈥檚 C谩diz鈥檚 grand front porch, welcoming you into the old town. Built in the 1500s to replace medieval walls that had outgrown their usefulness, the gate kept evolving as the city did. By 1574, bastions were bolted on for extra sturdiness, and by the 18th century it had settled into the imposing look you see today.

Its centerpiece is a stout tower framed by a marble frontispiece from 1756, decked out with the royal shield, C谩diz鈥檚 own coat of arms, and a few well-placed military symbols. Later, a marble gateway shaped like a triumphal arch was added, turning the entrance into a statement piece fit for a king.

Taking a leap to the 20th century, when the Earth Gate nearly lost its place in history. Demolition plans were floated, but common sense prevailed. Instead, the city covered the old moats and carved out two big arches to let cars through. They also planted a pair of marble obelisks at the entrance to honor C谩diz鈥檚 patron saints, Servando and Germ谩n鈥擝aroque art with a protective streak.

Today, the gate isn鈥檛 just stone and symbolism. Tucked inside you鈥檒l find the Lithographic Workshop Museum, where printing once brought C谩diz鈥檚 words to life, and the Puppet Museum, which adds a splash of whimsy to the history.

So when you walk through Earth Gate, take it as a teleportation device, one that does its job even today.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Puerta de Tierra (Earth Gate)
Sight Location: Cadiz, Spain (See walking tours in Cadiz)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Cadiz's Old Fortifications Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Cadiz, Spain

Create Your Own Walk in Cadiz

Creating your own self-guided walk in Cadiz is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Cadiz's Old Fortifications Walking Tour

鈥淐谩diz is a silver cup, surrounded by walls and kissed by the sea.鈥� The saying isn鈥檛 just poetry鈥攊t鈥檚 urban planning. For over 3,000 years, this port city has been circling itself with stone, preparing for whoever might come sailing over the horizon. And given C谩diz鈥檚 enviable position and wealth, plenty of enemies did.

After Columbus launched voyages two and four from here,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.3 Km or 2.7 Miles

Cadiz's Plazas Walking Tour

Nicknamed 鈥渢he silver cup鈥� for the way its peninsula juts into the Atlantic, C谩diz sparkles as one of Spain鈥檚 oldest coastal gems. The Old Town is a maze of narrow streets, whitewashed fa莽ades, and balconies that seem to compete over who can grow the brightest gardens. Add in centuries of Moorish, Baroque, and Neoclassical influence, and you鈥檝e got a city that wears its history in layers... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles

Cadiz Introduction Walking Tour

C谩diz isn鈥檛 just old鈥攊t鈥檚 mythologically old. Some say Hercules himself founded the city after his tenth labor, fresh from slaying a three-headed monster and stealing a herd of red cattle. Others鈥攍ess into mythology, more into maritime records鈥攕ay it was the Phoenicians who rolled up in black ships around 1100 BC and named it Gadir, meaning 鈥渨alled stronghold.鈥� Either way, it鈥檚... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles

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