Logbook · 11 places

What to see and do in Puerto Real

What to see and do in Puerto Real (Bahía de Cádiz, Cádiz): 11 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 5 Monuments · 2 Nature · 1 Activities · 2 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Puerto Real

Towns near Puerto Real

Spain › Andalusia › Cádiz › Bahía de Cádiz › Puerto Real

What to see and do in Puerto Real

Puerto Real
Village
Puerto Real is a town in the province of Cádiz located on the north coast at the head of the bay, probably near the former Roman settlement of Portus Gaditanus, evidenced by sites with pottery kilns and a large mosaic of Bacchus found at the Roman villa of Puente Melchor. Founded in 1483 by the Catholic Monarchs through a founding charter and separated from the jurisdiction of Jerez in 1488, its independence was confirmed by Charles I in 1543 and by Philip II in 1572. Its historic centre, declared a historic-artistic site, preserves the grid layout typical of new Renaissance cities. Today its economy depends on the shipbuilding and aeronautics industries and the service sector, and it is home to several faculties of the University of Cádiz.
Church of San Sebastián (Puerto Real)
Monument
The church of San Sebastián, or Iglesia Mayor Prioral de San Sebastián Mártir, is the oldest church in Puerto Real (Cádiz), built on an earlier hermitage. It was constructed between 1490, already in the 15th century, and 1592, the year of its consecration, in Gothic, Renaissance, plateresque and baroque styles: the Gothic is found in the presbytery and the baptismal chapel, with pointed arches and ribbed vaults; the Renaissance style predominates in the three-nave plan separated by Tuscan columns. Its Mozarabic tower is simple, with a pyramidal tiled crown and four bells. A fire in 1754 destroyed much of the church, which was later rebuilt, and it was damaged again at the start of the Civil War, being restored in 1946. The Portada de las Novias, from the 16th century, is one of the few plateresque portals in the province.
Fair of Puerto Real
Activity
Local fair held since 1843, considered one of the three oldest in Andalusia.
Parque Natural Bahía de Cádiz en Puerto Real
Nature
The Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park, protected since 1989 and covering an area of 10,522 hectares, extends across the municipalities of Cádiz, San Fernando, Puerto Real, Chiclana de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María. Within Puerto Real it comprises marshland, pine groves and riverside sand flats of the bay, including the Isla del Trocadero. Located in a migratory bird corridor between Doñana and the Strait of Gibraltar, it provides habitat for distinctive species such as the little tern, the black-winged stilt and the avocet. The park's headquarters are located in neighbouring San Fernando, next to the botanical garden dedicated to conserving the area's native flora.
Fundación de Puerto Real
Historical milestone
The Catholic Monarchs founded the town by charter (carta puebla) in 1483, with a Renaissance-style grid layout; in 1543 the town gained its jurisdictional independence from Jerez de la Frontera.
Iglesia de San José (Puerto Real)
Monument
An 18th-century Neoclassical temple built by the shipwrights' guild, linked to the town's naval tradition.
Iglesia Conventual de la Victoria (Puerto Real)
Monument
A 17th-century temple that preserves the celebrated carving of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, the work of the Sevillian sculptor Luisa Roldán, 'La Roldana.'
Teatro Principal de Puerto Real
Monument
A 19th-century theater considered the second oldest still operating in Andalusia.
Mercado de Abastos de Puerto Real
Monument
A public market considered probably the oldest in Andalusia still preserved in its original use.
Primer ferrocarril andaluz
Historical milestone
The Jerez-Trocadero line, opened in 1856 and running through the municipal term of Puerto Real, was the first railway built in Andalusia.
Reserva Natural Complejo Endorreico de Puerto Real
Nature
A protected area of about 800 hectares made up of inland lagoons, among them the Comisario, San Antonio and Taraje lagoons, of great value for waterfowl.