“La Isla del Sur” is a beautiful town off the coast of Cadiz with fascinating historical buildings and proximity to a vast natural park.
Although it is actually a peninsula in the heart of the Bay of Cadiz, San Fernando is often called “The Island of the South.”. This historic town of well-preserved old buildings is surrounded by a protected coastal wetland habitat. Go on long walks through the scenic countryside and visit places where Spanish history was made.
Explore the Castle of Romualdo, close to the center of town. The 13th-century structure is a ribat, an Islamic building used as a place of worship and as a fortress. Go on a guided tour of the Royal Institute and Observatory of the Navy, which was established in 1753 and lays claim to being the oldest astronomical observatory in the country.
Visit the Plaza del Rey for the Casa Consistorial, a magnificent neoclassical building that serves as the town hall. The first Supreme Court of Spain was founded here, in 1813. Go to the Main Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, where in 1810 the representatives of the first Constitutional Court in Spain were sworn in. Discover more of the city's past inside the Municipal History Museum of San Fernando and the San Fernando Naval Museum.
San Fernando’s historical attractions are only a part of its charms. There is also a lot of beautiful scenery to explore in the Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park that surrounds the town. Hike through a landscape of marshes, salt flats and dunes and head to the beaches of the Playa de Camposoto and the Playa de Levante for watersports, swimming and sunbathing. Nestled in a part of Spain that receives more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per annum, San Fernando's beaches can be enjoyed for at least 6 months of the year.
Witness more of nature's beauty in the Botanical Garden of San Fernando, a showcase of plants that grow in different environments in the province of Cadiz.
From the Spanish mainland take a bus, train, taxi or rental car to reach San Fernando, a destination of outstanding scenery and fascinating buildings from the past.
