6. From Gibraltar to Seville.
a. Viâ Bobadilla and Utrera.
Steamboat from Gibraltar (Commercial Pier) to Algeciras Puerto in ½ hr. (fare 1½ or 1 p.; passengers with through-tickets have their luggage conveyed gratis).—Railway from Algeciras Puerto to Seville, 214 M., in 10½ hrs. (54 p. [20], 40 p. [20], 24 p. [85] c.); carriages are changed at Bobadilla, La Roda, and Utrera. Rail. Restaurants at Ronda, Bobadilla, and Utrera. There are through-expresses from Granada to Seville (thrice weekly, in 7¾ hrs.), but they do not correspond with the Algeciras trains.
Algeciras (Hot. Reina Cristina, first-class; Hot. Anglo-Hispano; Hot. Marina; Brit, vice-cons., W. J. Smith; pop. 13,300), a small town on the W. margin of the bay of that name, is a winter resort of English and American visitors. The famous Morocco Conference (comp. p. [96]) of 1906 was held in the Casa Consistorial or town-hall.—Local steamer to Ceuta, see p. [102].
The train for Bobadilla, soon after starting, crosses the rivers Palmones and Guadarranque. To the right we have a final view of the Bay of Algeciras and the African coast. Beyond (8¾ M.) San Roque we traverse extensive plantations of cork-trees (p. [171]). 26 M. Jimena; 36 M. Gaucin, in the Guadiaro Valley, the station for the little town high up on the hills, 5½ M. to the E.—We next pass through the romantic Guadiaro Ravine, and through many tunnels under the slopes of the Sierra de Ronda, and skirt the foot of the barren limestone slopes of the Sierra de Libar.
65½ M. Ronda (2460 ft.; Rail. Restaur.; Hot. Reina Victoria, first-class, pens. from 17½ or 20 p.; Hot. Royal, in the new town, English, pens. from 12½ p., good; pop. 19,000), one of the most interesting towns in Spain, occupying a plateau girdled by grand mountains. From the station we follow the Carrera de Espinel to the W. to the Calle de Castelar, the main street of the new town, and the Plaza de Toros (bull-ring). From the railed-in platforms of the Paseo de la Merced, a park a little to the N.W. of the plaza, we enjoy a fine view, with the foaming Guadalevin, or Guadiaro, some 660 ft, below us. The Puente Nuevo, crossing at the S. end of the main street (p. [56]) from the new town to the old town, affords a splendid view of the *Ravine of the Guadalevin (El Tajo, ‘the cutting’), about 330 ft. deep and filled with the spray of the river. The bed of the latter is strewn with rocks and the abrupt sides of the gorge are thickly overgrown with cactus.
The train descends between olives and cork-trees into the valley of the Guadalete (p. [59]), and then cuts through the last N. spurs of the S. Andalusian Mts.
110 M. Bobadilla (1240 ft.; Rail. Restaur.) is the junction for Cordova (see R. 9), Granada (see R. 9), and Málaga (R. 11).
We follow the Cordova line as far as (124½ M.) La Roda (comp. p. [72]; change carr.), and then turn to the W. to (147 M.) Osuna and (166½ M.) Marchena, junction of the Utrera and Cordova line (p. [59]). We next cross the Guadaira (p. [59]) and pass (184 M.) Empalme de Morón. At (194 M.) Utrera (Rail. Restaur.; change carr.) we join the Cadiz and Seville line (R. 6 b).
The train now runs to the N.W., mostly through fertile land (oranges, pomegranates, olives), and crosses the Guadaira.
214 M. Seville (Estación San Bernardo or de Cádiz), see p. [59].
b. Viâ Tangier and Cadiz.
From (Gibraltar) Algeciras to Cadiz. Steamers of the Vapores Correos de Africa (agents at Gibraltar and Algeciras, see p. [53]; at Tangier, p. [98]; at Cadiz, p. [58]) from Algeciras (steamboats from Gibraltar, see p. [56]) every morning except on Mon. & Frid. (from Cadiz daily except on Sun. & Thurs.) to (3 hrs.) Tangier and (9 hrs.) Cadiz (fares 1st cl. 30 p., 2nd cl. 23 p.; to Tangier only 15 or 12 p.). From Gibraltar to Tangier there ply on Tues., Thurs., and Wed. the small cargo-steamers of the Bland Line (about 2¼ hrs.; 10 or 5 p.). Steamers of the Hall Line ply weekly and those of the Royal Mail Steam Packet and the Oldenburg-Portuguese lines mentioned at p. [104], as well as of the Navigation Mixte, ply occasionally to Cadiz. The voyage to Cadiz viâ Tangier is picturesque in itself, and it affords also a most interesting glimpse of Moorish-Mohammedan life at Tangier. On the other hand the steamboat communication is uncertain in stormy weather, and to many travellers the voyage, especially in the smaller vessels, is very trying.
From Cadiz to Seville, 95 M., railway in 3¼–5¼ hrs. (fares 19 p. [80], 14 p. [50], 8 p. [70] c.). Railway Restaurant at Utrera only.
For Algeciras and the voyage through the Straits, see pp. [56], 5. As far as Tarifa the steamers usually skirt the Andalusian coast, and then strike across the straits to the semicircular Bay of Tangier, which is bounded on the E. by Cape Malabata.
Tangier, see p. [98].
After leaving the Bay of Tangier we sight Cape Spartel (p. [102]) on the coast of Morocco. In clear weather we command a beautiful retrospect of the mountainous coast, as far as the Sierra Bullones (p. [103]). Opposite, on the Spanish coast, where the hills gradually recede, at the N.W. end of the shallow Bay of Barbate, rises Cape Trafalgar, the Promontorium Junonis of the Romans and Taraf al-Ghâr (‘cape of caverns’) of the Moors. The tall lighthouse on the cape is visible at night from a distance of 22 M. It was here, on 21st Oct. 1805, that Nelson won the brilliant victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets under Villeneuve and Gravina that cost him his life and made Britain mistress of the seas.
Farther along the sandy coast, are the little town of Conil and the insignificant Cape Roche, beyond which we sight San Fernando (p. [59]). At length, rising out of the blue sea, appear the lofty quays and the white houses of Cadiz, overtopped by the cathedral, a beautiful sight in sunny weather. We steer round Fort San Sebastián, skirt the cliffs of Los Cochinos and Las Puercas, and enter the broad Bay of Cadiz.
Cadiz.—Arrival. Passengers of the Vapores Correos de Africa steamers are landed in tenders gratis, but heavy luggage is taken ashore by special boats according to tariff. The mandadero, or porter, usually gets ½–1 p. for taking luggage to the Aduana (custom-house) or to the hotel.—The Railway Station (Estación) lies at the harbour.
Hotels (comp. p. [51]). Hôt. de France, Plaza de Loreto, pens. from 12½ p.; Hôt. Continental, Calle del Duque de Tetuán 23; Hôt. de Cadiz, Plaza de la Constitución, pens. from 10 p.
Cafés. Cervecería Inglesa, Plaza de la Constitución, corner of Calle del Duque de Tetuán; Café Imperial, Calle del Duque de Tetuán 6; Cervecería Alemana, Calle Zorrilla 2.
Post Office (Correo), Calle del Sacramento 1.—Telegraph Office, Alameda de Apodaca 20.
Bankers. Ant. Sicre & Co. (Agents of Crédit Lyonnais), Calle Diego de Cádiz 5; Amaro Duarte & Co., Plaza de Mina 18.—Money Changers. Casa de Cambio, Calle de San Francisco 8 and 16.
Consuls. British Vice-Consul, R. A. Calvert, Alameda 20.—U. S. Consular Agent, J. Sanderson, Alameda 12.—Lloyd’s Agent, H. MacPherson, San Ginés 6.
Steamboat Lines. Hall Line, weekly from London to Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, and Málaga (comp. pp. [1], 89); the Compañía Trasatlántica (office in the Calle Isabel la Católica) has a Philippine Line (monthly from Liverpool to Lisbon, etc.; comp. p. [1]), a Canary Line, and several others; Vapores Correos de Africa (agent, Antonio Millán), comp. p. [57]; steamers of the Austro-American Line (office, Viuda de R. Alcon) ply between Trieste, Almería, Las Palmas, and Buenos Ayres; Navegación é Industria (Viuda de R. Alcon), for the Canaries.
Cadiz, Span. Cádiz, the Gadîr of the Phœnicians and Gades of the Romans, now a provincial capital of 64,100 inhab., and a fortress, is most picturesquely situated on a low limestone rock, which was once an island, on the W. side of the Bay of Cadiz.
From the harbour or from the railway-station we cross the Plaza Isabel Segunda either to the Calle Alonso el Sábio and the Cathedral (Catedral Nueva), or to the Calle del Sacramento, leading to the Torre del Vigía or de Tavira, 102 ft. high, which is accessible only by special permission of the Capitania del Puerto (Calle de Aduana). The top (151 steps; fee 30–50 c.) commands an excellent survey of the town, surrounded almost entirely by the sea, with its flat-roofed houses and their miradores or belvederes.
The Calle Sagasta, the second side-street off the Calle del Sacramento, leads to the right into the Calle del Duque de Tetuán, the chief artery of traffic, which ends in the busy Plaza de la Constitución to the N.W. A little to the N.E., in the pretty Plaza de Mina, is the Academia de Bellas Artes, the picture-gallery of which contains several admirable works by Murillo, Zurbarán, and other masters. (Adm. 9–3, in summer 7–4; Sun. and holidays 10–3.)
On the N. outskirts of the town are the beautiful *Gardens of the Alameda de Apodaca and the Parque Genovés, with their fine palms. On the S. side of the town, not far from the W. end of the shadeless Paseo del Sur, rises the former Capuchin convent-church of Santa Catalina (ring on the left in the adjacent court; adm. 20 c.), containing Murillo’s last work, the *Betrothal of St. Catharine.
The Railway to Seville runs along the narrow neck of land which connects Cadiz with the mainland, rounds the Bay of Cadiz, passing between salt-marshes, where salt is obtained by evaporation, and then strikes across the delta of the Guadalete. The chief stations are the naval harbour of San Fernando, the sea-baths of Puerto Real, and the Puerto de Santa María (‘El Puerto’). Turning to the N.E., the train now runs through a hilly country to (30½ M.) Jerez (or Xeres) de la Frontera, the third-richest town in Spain, with 52,500 inhab., far-famed for its ‘sherry’.
Our next run is through moor, alternating with fertile tracts, to (75 M.) Utrera (p. [57]), junction for La Roda (and Bobadilla, R. 6 a), and also for the direct line to Cordova. Lastly, we cross the Guadaira to (95 M.) Seville (Estación de Cádiz, see below).