Mercado Central

The Mercado Central, in Cadix

The Mercado Central of Cadix is one of the most lively and most authentic places of the town, where the Gaditans have come to buy fish and local products for nearly two centuries. The Cadix audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this elegant neoclassical hall of 1838, surrounded by Doric columns, become the temple of Andalusian gastronomy and local fishing.

The neoclassical hall with Doric columns

The Mercado Central of Cadix is one of the most lively and most authentic places of the town. Here, for nearly two centuries, the Gaditans have come to buy their fish, their vegetables and their local specialities, in a typically Andalusian atmosphere. The building you see was inaugurated in 1838, on the former land of an orchard belonging to the Discalced Franciscans. The architect Juan Daura created there a great neoclassical porticated square, surrounded by elegant Doric columns that still give the market its so particular charm. Over time, the market grew: in the 1920s, a covered central pavilion was added, and in 2010 a great renovation allowed to modernise the installations while preserving the original architecture. Today, this ensemble mingles harmoniously tradition and modernity. Inside, the market gathers more than one hundred and sixty stalls, and it is the ideal place to discover all the culinary richness of Cadix. The absolute star, here, is the fish: you find nearly fifty stalls of fish and seafood, freshly caught in the bay and the nearby Atlantic. To this is added the Rincón Gastronómico, where you taste on the spot tapas and fried fish in a lively atmosphere. A place of life and flavours, the market is the belly of Cadix. A neoclassical hall and a temple of fish, the Mercado Central is a fine stop of the discovery of Cadix.

What to see

Here you discover one of the most lively places of Cadix, an elegant neoclassical hall inaugurated in 1838 by the architect Juan Daura, surrounded by Doric columns and built on the former orchard of the Discalced Franciscans; enlarged in the 1920s and renovated in 2010, it gathers more than one hundred and sixty stalls, including some fifty of fish and seafood, and a Rincón Gastronómico. The Mercado Central is the belly of Cadix. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Mercado Central lies in the heart of the historic centre of Cadix, near the Plaza de las Flores, reachable on foot. It is a food hall whose stalls follow their own hours, generally in the morning, from Monday to Saturday; the Rincón Gastronómico also comes alive in the evening. It is best to come in the morning to enjoy the fresh products.

When was the Mercado Central of Cadix built?

The building was inaugurated in 1838, on the former orchard of the Discalced Franciscans, by the architect Juan Daura, in the form of a neoclassical porticated square surrounded by Doric columns; enlarged with a central pavilion in the 1920s and renovated in 2010, it today gathers more than one hundred and sixty stalls and remains the great fish market of Cadix.

Where is the Mercado Central in Cadix?

In the heart of the historic centre of Cadix, near the Plaza de las Flores, in Spain.