JUST a few hours from the UK is a vibrant Spanish city that holds an uncanny resemblance to Cuba’s Havana.
Cadiz, that sits on the coast of southern Spain, is the perfect mix of city by sea, not to mention it’s seeing soaring temperatures this week.
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The city of Cadiz is called the ‘Cuba of Europe’Credit: AlamyIt’s been compared to Havana in Cuba with colourful buildings and narrow streetsCredit: Alamy
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Cadiz is nicknamed the “Cuba of Europe” thanks to its tall, colourful architecture and narrow cobbled streets.
It has a vibrant carnival culture too, holding one of Spain’s ‘most vibrant’ festivals with street parties, music, and elaborate costumes.
Meanwhile, Havana annually holds the second largest carnival in Cuba.
Cadiz has its sea-facing promenade Campo del Sur, and Cuba has El Malecón – both have similar looks with pastel-coloured buildings and of course sit by the ocean.
For Brits, Cadiz is much easier to explore with it being in Spain and as little as two and a half hours way rather than as many as 16 hours to Havana.
The city in Spain gets weather too – this week, it’s seeing highs of 25C.
In peak summer months, Cadiz gets average highs of 28C and usually no rain.
When it comes to dining out Cadiz is a great spot as it’s pretty cheap – you can get a beer from €3 (£2.61), coffee from €2.17 (£1.89) and a meal at an inexpensive restaurant from €14.50 (£12.61), according to numbeo.
A few years ago, Cadiz was named one of the cheapest places in Spain for a city break.
And when one Travel Writer visited, she hopped on public transport for as little as €1 (87p) and picked up bottles of wine for less than €4 (£3.48) at the supermarket.
As for the city’s food scene, visitors will often find restaurants serving traditional Andalusian tapas like tortillitas de camarones – crispy fritters made with tiny local shrimp.
Or if you fancy living like the locals do, head to Mercado Central de Abastos which is Spain‘s oldest covered market where you’ll find lots of fresh food.
It said: “Cádiz’s Carnaval is Spain’s biggest annual party, bringing extravagantly costumed revelers to its streets for 10 days of parades, fireworks, singing and dancing in February or March, to the accompaniment of more than 300 local murgas (bands).
“Pack a costume and book your accommodations months in advance or commute from nearby El Puerto de Santa María.”
Cadiz is just a few hours from the UK with highs of 25C this weekCredit: Alamy
For more on Spain – here are some of our favourite holiday spots…
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Hotel Best Punta Dorada, Salou
The Spanish resort is a popular destination near PortAventura World, a theme park with over 40 attractions and huge rollercoasters. It’s also close to sandy beaches like Platja de Llevant, and the scenic Camí de Ronda coastal walk.The hotel itself has an outdoor swimming pool to enjoy, as well as two bars along with evening entertainment and shows.
With its palm tree-lined pool and Mediterranean backdrop, it’s a miracle this Majorca resort is so affordable. Expect a classic family holiday feel – where days revolve around soaking up the Spanish sunshine, chilling by the spacious pool and sipping on frozen cocktails. Set away from the busier resorts, it’s a good option if you’re after a more out-of-the-way escape.
The Magic Aqua Rock Gardens Hotel is African-themed and less than a mile from the beach. It has two outdoor pools, including a children’s freshwater pool with a waterfall and a tipping water bucket for the little ones. There’s also an aquapark with slides, and a kids club for both younger children and teens.
For a calmer side of Ibiza, this hillside resort has two pools, a kids’ splash zone, and an all-inclusive buffet with a poolside bar. It’s a 10-minute walk from Cala Llonga’s shallow turquoise bay, offering a scenic, family-friendly base away from the island’s main party zone.
You can pick up cheap beer and wine in CadizCredit: Alamy
When it comes to what to see, Travel Reporter Jenna Stevens who recently visited the city, gives her verdict.
She said: “In Spain’s quieter Costa de la Luz, sunny Cadiz is where the locals like to holiday – and has even been compared to the likes of Cuba.
“The southern Spanish city has the best of Andalusian culture, with charming narrow streets overlooked by the impressive 18th century Cádiz Cathedral.
“The cathedral itself is well worth a visit, with an £7 ticket granting you access inside, as well as the top of the tower, the crypts and exhibitions.
“Plus this area comes alive in the evenings, with a vintage carousel in the same plaza and buskers playing the guitar.
“When you’re not strolling the narrow streets lined with tapas bars and cafes, you must make sure to tick off the beaches in Cadiz.
“Playa la Caleta is a small stretch of sand that sits between two castles (and was used to filmthat Halle Berry moment in James Bond) whilst Playa Victoria has white sand and a lengthy promenade to stroll.”
For those who want to organise a getaway to Cadiz you can get flights from £38 departing from London Stansted in May with Jet2.
The cost is slightly more expensive it you want to go immediately with one-way flights this week starting from £54 from Birmingham (involving a long stop-over in Majorca).
You can’t fly directly to Cadiz, but the nearest airport, Jerez, is just a 35-minute drive away.
For some frequent flyers, this might seem like a dream about to come true
08:04, 20 Apr 2026Updated 08:05, 20 Apr 2026
The new Qantas A350-1000ULR aeroplane will be trying out a non-stop route of 22 hours. This picture shows a Qantas Boeing B737-838 plane, registration VH-XZH, taking off from the third runway of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport as flight QF139 to Christchurch(Image: Getty Images)
If you’ve ever taken a long haul flight from London to Australia, you’ll be familiar with a standard refuel stop on route. Well, soon, an ultra-long-haul flight will be set to test out a non-stop route as Australian airline, Qantas, prepares a plane that will be a record breaker for the world’s longest flight.
Next year (2027), the first test flight of the new Qantas A350-1000ULR aeroplane will be trying out a non-stop route with the aim of reaching its destination as quickly as possible.
For some frequent flyers, this may seem like a dream about to come true, while other air passengers may prefer to stick with the standard stop-off option, which gives a chance to get off the aircraft and walk around a little before setting off again.
The airline’s pending launch of the world’s longest commercial flight next year is highly anticipated by many – and will see passengers strapped in for 22 hours in total.
Two new direct routes will connect Sydney to London and New York, beating the current longest commercial flight of 18 hours and 30 minutes, which connects Newark Liberty International Airport in the US state of New Jersey to Singapore’s Changi Airport.
A specially configured aircraft will soon be able to fly for longer, all due to an additional rear centre fuel tank with a 20,000 litre capacity.
The first of these aeroplanes is currently awaiting its destiny in Toulouse, France, with its engines fitted, and final ground checks will take place soon before it’s ready for its first test flight.
Inside the plane, first class can enjoy reclining armchairs along with a separate bed – and Qantas describe the cabins as having a “science-backed design to minimise jetlag and maximise wellbeing”.
The aeroplane will boast a total of 238 seats, less than the standard 300 or more seats that other flight providers offer.
Extra space provides a unique “wellbeing zone” which both premium economy and economy cabin passengers can enjoy while flying long haul.
In total, there are six first class suites on board, 52 business class suites, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats for passengers to book up (when the flight launches next year).
The new extra-long haul flight has been nicknamed “Project Sunrise” since it was first considered nearly 10 years ago.
Euro News explained the nickname as “a nod to the ‘double sunrise’ endurance flights operated by Qantas between Crawley in Western Australia and RAF Base Koggala in what is now Sri Lanka”.
During the Second World War, “both Airbus and Boeing were tasked with extending the flying range of their next generation of long-haul aircraft to accommodate such routes”, Euronews reported.
Chocolate lovers will soon be able to enjoy a brand new theme park based on an iconic Swiss brand, and at the heart of it all will be a real-life working chocolate factory to explore
The park is a chocolate lover’s dream(Image: Maison Cailler )
If you’ve got a serious sweet tooth, and spent your entire childhood reading and re-reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then a new attraction could soon be top of your bucket list.
Switzerland is already a major destination for chocolate lovers and for many of them the highlight of the trip is visiting Maison Cailler in Broc, Gruyère. It’s where the iconic Cailler chocolate has been made since the late 19th-century, and is among the oldest chocolate factories in the world to still be in operation.
At the moment, chocolate lovers can visit the factory and take tours, and there’s already a museum on the history of Cailler. Guests can take a chocolate workshop to learn to make their own treats such as truffles, and of course, there are plenty of opportunities for tastings along the way.
Now, new plans could mean the chocolate factory will be just the start of the excitement for fans of the brand. While the current attraction is 2,000 m2, there are plans for it to be expanded to nearly 30,000m2, allowing for what its website bills as a “memorable sensory experience”. The plan is for a park that’ll take around four to six hours to explore, taking visitors on a “journey of discovery through cocoa”.
Around 400,000 visitors a year already visit the attraction, making it one of Switzerland’s most visited museums, and there are reports that the park could double this number in the first phase alone.
Plans also include a cable car to whisk visitors from the car park to the factory, and a ‘flying theatre’ that will allow for stunning views over the Swiss scenery. There will also be a huge cocoa greenhouse so visitors can see how chocolate is grown and harvested.
And if that’s not enough chocolate-themed fun, a new hotel will allow visitors to indulge their sweet tooth overnight. If the project goes forward, the first phase should be open by 2030.
Maison Cailler can be reached by train from Montreux, and even the journey itself has been designed for chocolate enthusiasts with a themed train that zips you across stunning Swiss landscapes. Most visitors from the UK fly to Geneva, just a 90 minute flight from the UK, with a number of services run by easyJet, TUI, and British Airways.
Broc itself is worth spending some time in, whether it’s in the winter when the snowy Alps are at their most beautiful, or during the summer when the mountains are lush and green. Explore the fairytale-like Château de Gruyères whose stone walls are covered in ornate oil paintings and treasures.
Just down the road another of the area’s famous exports is made. At La Maison du Gruyère you can explore a working cheese factory and sample this distinctive local product. You can even take a tour and see the huge wheels of cheese being ripened to perfection.
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