The Province of Cádiz (Spanish: Provincia de Cádiz) is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is the southernmost part of mainland Spain, as well as the southernmost part of continental Europe. Its capital is the city of Cádiz, though the largest city is Jerez de la Frontera.
It is bordered by the Spanish provinces of Huelva, Seville, and Málaga, as well as the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.
It has a population of 1,261,420 in an area of 7,444.00 square kilometres (2,874.14 sq mi) across its 45 municipalities.
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Administrative subdivisions
The province encompasses 44 municipalities; besides its capital, other important cities are Jerez and Algeciras. (See the list of municipalities in Cádiz.) According to a roster developed by the Council of Tourism and Sport of Andalusia on 27 March 2003, there are officially six traditional or touristic comarcas (provincial areas or counties) in the Province of Cádiz:
Bahía de Cádiz (Bay of Cádiz)
Campiña de Jerez (Countryside of Jerez)
Campo de Gibraltar (Countryside of Gibraltar)
Bajo Guadalquivir (Lower Guadalquivir, or Northwest Coast, Costa Noroeste)
La Janda
Sierra de Cádiz (Cádiz Mountains)
Bay of Cádiz (Bahía de Cádiz)
This area comprises towns and cities on the shores of the Bay of Cádiz on the west-central coast of the province:
Cádiz
Chiclana
El Puerto de Santa María
Puerto Real
San Fernando
Campiña de Jerez (Countryside of Jerez)
This fertile area only includes two municipalities, both large in area:
Jerez de la Frontera
San José del Valle
Campo de Gibraltar (Countryside of Gibraltar)
The towns that extend into the rural hinterlands north of Gibraltar are:
Algeciras
Jimena de la Frontera
Castellar de la Frontera
San Roque
La Línea de la Concepción
Los Barrios
Tarifa
Bajo Guadalquivir (Northwest Coast; also called Costa Noroeste)
The towns of this area called the "Bajo Guadalquivir" (lower Guadalquivir valley), are:
Chipiona
Rota
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Trebujena
La Janda
Towns included in La Janda, an area in the southwestern part of the province, are:
Alcalá de los Gazules
Barbate
Benalup-Casas Viejas
Conil de la Frontera
Medina Sidonia
Paterna de Rivera
Vejer de la Frontera
Sierra de Cádiz (Cádiz Mountains)
Towns included in the Cádiz Mountains area, in the northeastern part of the province, include:
Alcalá del Valle
Algar
Algodonales
Arcos de la Frontera
Benaocaz
Bornos
El Bosque
El Gastor
Espera
Grazalema
Olvera
Prado del Rey
Puerto Serrano
Setenil de las Bodegas
Torre Alháquime
Ubrique
Villaluenga del Rosario
Villamartín
Zahara de la Sierra
Geography
The highest point in the province is El Torreón, which stands at 1,654 m above sea level.
Climate
The entire province of Cádiz has a Mediterranean climate, mostly Köppen Csa but also Csb in high altitude areas. Large differences in summer temperatures exist between the three official stations in Cádiz, Jerez, and Tarifa depending on position relative to the coastline. Tarifa is exceptionally mild for such a southerly place in Spain, meanwhile winter temperatures are mild throughout the province with less difference between localities than in summer. Average yearly rainfall is 521 mm (20.5 in) in Cádiz, 573 mm (22.6 in) in Jerez, and 603 mm (23.7 in) in Tarifa. This is comparable to much cloudier climates further north in Europe, in spite of the high number of sunshine hours in the province. The Cádiz region is also much wetter than the arid Almería province further east in Andalusia.
Demographics
As of 2025, the population is 1,261,420, of which 49.2% are male, and 50.8% are female. Minors make up 17.0% of the population, and seniors make up 19.2%.
Immigration
As of 2025, immigrants make up 7.6% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Morocco, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Germany, and Argentina.
Economy
In 2014 the unemployment rate was 42%, the highest in the country.
The main industry is tourism, mainly from non-coastal Spanish cities, Germany and the UK. Its once-important shipbuilding industry (Astilleros) is now in crisis due to competition from South Korea and China. There are factories of Airbus and Delphi. It also exports sherry as well as alimentary products.
Primary sector
Sherry production
John Harvey & Sons in Jerez de la Frontera
Gonzalez Byass
Olive groves
Fishing Ports, as in Cádiz and Algeciras.
Cork products from the Alcornocales cork-oak forests
Major industrial facilities
Navantia
Airbus
CASA
Delphi
Ford
Cepsa
Lufthansa CityLine
Endesa
Acerinox
Tourism
Beaches
The province of Cádiz has many kilometres of beaches and (as of 2005) the highest number of Blue Flags of all coastal provinces in Europe.
Some of these beaches are relatively wild and far from big urban areas. One of the attractions of the area is its contrast to the mass tourism on the Mediterranean coast. There are extensive nature reserves in the region and the unspoilt feel of the area is heightened by the presence of wild animals including cows and horses on many stretches of beach.
The Costa de la Luz has traditionally been a popular destination for Spaniards wanting to enjoy the beach while avoiding the stifling heat of the Mediterranean Coast, although until recently this largely unspoilt Atlantic coastline was little known to foreign visitors. One of the factors that brought the region to the attention of foreign holidaymakers was the growing realisation that its Southern reaches are one of the world's best locations for wind sports.
Tarifa, located on the Strait of Gibraltar at the southernmost point of mainland Europe, has become Europe's leading kitesurfing destination due to the area's unique wind phenomena, reliably sunny summer weather and the variety of beaches at locations such as Los Caños de Meca, Bolonia, Punta Paloma and, most famously, Playa de Los Lances where in the summer months over 1,000 kites are often seen in the air. The local economy has benefited significantly from the wind sport explosion: there are more than 50 kite schools in Tarifa and hundreds of shops, bars and hotels serving the many thousands of kitesurfers who visit every year.
Notable beaches:
Playa La Barrosa in Chiclana de la Frontera
Playa La Victoria in Cádiz
Playa de Levante in El Puerto de Santa María
Playa de Bolonia in Tarifa
Playa de Camposoto in San Fernando
Los Canos de Meca
Events
Carnival of Cádiz
Feria de Jerez
Semana Santa in all municipalities of the Province
Horse racing in Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Circuito Permanente de Jerez
White Towns of Andalusia
Ruta del Toro
Nature
Doñana National Park is one of two national parks in the autonomous community of Andalusia. A small area of the park extends into Cádiz Province, just north of Sanlucar de Barrameda and on the south bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. This area is primarily marismas. The public have access to a recreational area and a short walking trail. There is no direct access to the bulk of the park that lies on the north bank of the river in the provinces of Seville and Huelva.
100 km2, located at the mouth of the Guadalete river, consists of marshland, beaches, reed and sand dunes.
Bird watching. Sailing, windsurfing, hiking.
(Ocean) Pine. Many types of shrubs and bushes.
Gannet solan goose, stork, cormorant, great crested grebe, (sea)gull, flamingo, tern, sea eagle, avocet.
37.97 km2, high cliff rock formations covered by pine trees.
Bird watching, archeological and botanical excursions, diving, windsurfing, sailing, hiking.
Strandpine, black juniper tree, black spruce, juniper, small palm tree, rosemary.
Herring gull, chaffinch, greenfinch, cattle egret, little egret, crested tit, woodpecker, kestrel, peregrine falcon.
This natural park is shared by three provinces, Cádiz, Huelva and Seville. It is an area to the east and northeast of the national park.
Home of the Iberian lynx, a protected species.
Information center in Alcalá de los Gazules; visitors centers in Algeciras and Cortes de la Frontera (Málaga).
Transport
Roads
Autovía A-4
Autovía A-7
Autovía A-381
N-340
Autovía A-48
Airports
Jerez Airport
Railroads
Cádiz-Seville Line
Cercanías Cádiz
Algeciras-Granada Line
Ports
Port of Algeciras
Port of Cádiz
The main ways to enter the province are by road from Seville or Malaga and by the Jerez Airport.
Sports
Football
Cádiz CF in the Segunda División. (LFP)
Real Balompédica Linense in the Tercera Federación - Group 10.
Algeciras CF in the Primera Federación - Group 2.
Racing Club Portuense in the División de Honour - Group 1.
Xerez CD & Xerez Deportivo in the Segunda Federación - Group 4.
Chiclana CF in the Tercera Federación - Group 10
Rugby Union
CR Atlético Portuense in the 1ª División Regional.