Torre Tavira (Tavira Tower), Cadiz (must see)
The Tavira Tower isn鈥檛 just another old lookout鈥攊t鈥檚 C谩diz鈥檚 version of a rooftop with a 300-year-old guest list. At 149 feet above sea level, it holds the title of tallest spot in the Old City, giving anyone at the top a serious advantage in the 18th-century game of 鈥淲hat ship is that?鈥�
Originally part of The Palace of the Marquises of Reca帽o , the tower came with all the aristocratic bells and whistles. C谩diz was booming from its trade with the Americas and needed more than your average harbor patrol. All of this resulted in a skyline punctuated by over 126 watchtowers, with Tavira Tower sitting at the very top.
Built in 1780, Tavira Tower was always meant to be the city鈥檚 official lookout. And who better to man the post than Don Antonio Tavira, the first watchman and the man who gave the tower its name? He didn鈥檛 just climb the stairs鈥攈e left a legacy.
Today, Tavira Tower still keeps an eye on things鈥攚ith a twist. Step into the Camera Obscura, and a guide will darken the room and light up your curiosity. Thanks to an old-school optical system (think spy tech meets science fair), real-time images of the city and sea are projected onto a circular table. It鈥檚 like Google Earth, but powered by mirrors and 18th-century ingenuity. The show lasts about 20 minutes, long enough to be amazed but short enough to still grab a tapa afterward.
The other rooms of the tower house exhibitions on C谩diz鈥檚 golden age, the evolution of the camera obscura, and a star-studded chapter on Spain鈥檚 1812 Constitution鈥攜es, the country鈥檚 very first, penned right here in C谩diz.
So climb up, squint out, and time-travel a little. Tavira Tower offers the best views in town鈥攁nd not just the physical kind.
Originally part of The Palace of the Marquises of Reca帽o , the tower came with all the aristocratic bells and whistles. C谩diz was booming from its trade with the Americas and needed more than your average harbor patrol. All of this resulted in a skyline punctuated by over 126 watchtowers, with Tavira Tower sitting at the very top.
Built in 1780, Tavira Tower was always meant to be the city鈥檚 official lookout. And who better to man the post than Don Antonio Tavira, the first watchman and the man who gave the tower its name? He didn鈥檛 just climb the stairs鈥攈e left a legacy.
Today, Tavira Tower still keeps an eye on things鈥攚ith a twist. Step into the Camera Obscura, and a guide will darken the room and light up your curiosity. Thanks to an old-school optical system (think spy tech meets science fair), real-time images of the city and sea are projected onto a circular table. It鈥檚 like Google Earth, but powered by mirrors and 18th-century ingenuity. The show lasts about 20 minutes, long enough to be amazed but short enough to still grab a tapa afterward.
The other rooms of the tower house exhibitions on C谩diz鈥檚 golden age, the evolution of the camera obscura, and a star-studded chapter on Spain鈥檚 1812 Constitution鈥攜es, the country鈥檚 very first, penned right here in C谩diz.
So climb up, squint out, and time-travel a little. Tavira Tower offers the best views in town鈥攁nd not just the physical kind.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Cadiz. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Torre Tavira (Tavira Tower) on Map
Sight Name: Torre Tavira (Tavira Tower)
Sight Location: Cadiz, Spain (See walking tours in Cadiz)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Cadiz, Spain (See walking tours in Cadiz)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Cadiz, Spain
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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.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.3 Km or 2.7 Miles