Jerez Tourism. So you are thinking about coming to Jerez de la Frontera. You are in the right place!

The city of Jerez de la Frontera has become fashionable. The wine, the dance of its horses, the bullfighting and now also the Motorcycle World Championship have made Jerez a city open to the world and of course to tourism.

History

Tartessian peoples baptized the first settlements in the area currently occupied by Jerez de la Frontera as Xera. Before the Romans knew it as Ceret. During the Arab occupation, when it became known as Xeres or Xerez, it achieved a certain economic prominence, as evidenced by the construction of palaces and mosques. The addition “de la Frontera” was signed by Alfonso X the Wise, who reconquered the city in 1264. The splendor of the Muslim period was revived in the 15th century thanks to agriculture and the wine industry. The discovery of America gave Jerez a new commercial impulse, thanks to the proximity of the towns of Seville and Cadiz. During the 18th and 19th centuries, industrialization and the arrival of the railroad marked the beginning of the future development of the wine industry and its wineries.

What to see in Jerez de la Frontera?

Tourist places (and others not so much). Discover what the guidebooks don’t tell you.

Walking in Jerez is not an option, it is a necessity. There are places so narrow that even a cat would have a hard time getting through. There are as many churches and monuments as your mood and your shoes allow you to visit. The good thing is that in between there are many bars where a fino or oloroso is waiting to be tasted.

On your walk you should visit the remains of the old wall along the Ronda del Caracol to the gates of the Arroyo and the Alcazar of Jerez, which presides over the old town. The old Arab square contains a mosque transformed into a Christian temple: the church of Santa Maria. A few meters away, the Arenal square distributes the streets of the city and leads to the church of San Miguel (16th century), in Elizabethan style and with a surprising classical facade. Its tower projects elegantly above the surrounding buildings.

Further up, at the confluence of Porvera and Larga Honda streets, the enormous construction of the convent of Santo Domingo exhibits a premature Gothic style and displays a beautiful cloister. Back to the Plaza del Arroyo should approach the Cathedral of San Salvador, with its five Gothic naves and its half-orange dome.

It is obligatory to go to the Plaza de San Dionisio, where you will find the headquarters of the Cabildo Municipal, in Plateresque style, and the Royal School of Equestrian Art, with its fantastic training sessions open to the public, which allow you to admire the wonderful dances of majestic horses.

The school was founded in 1973, by Alvaro Domecq, and is recognized worldwide for the show “How the Andalusian horses dance”. But do not stay only in the show there is much more to see.

The Palace of the Recreo de las Cadenas, is an architectural jewel designed by Charles Garnier, author of the Paris Opera.

Opposite the palace is one of the most fascinating places in the entire school; The Saddlery (La Guarnicionería). There you can spy on the daily work of the saddlers and their training process. You can also see all the stages of the manufacturing of the saddles used by the foundation riders.

And finally, the Museo del Enganche is another amazing place where you can see luxurious carriages from the time of Mesopotamia 4,500 years ago to present day Jerez.

Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre: Av. Duque de Abrantes s/n. Show: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 noon. The ticket includes access to the Equestrian Art and Harness Museum.

Jerez and the importance of Flamenco

Another popular option among tourists who come to this town is to attend a flamenco show. The people of Jerez feel this art, and share it as one of their traditions and celebrations. Along with Cadiz and Seville, this city is one of the three pillars of Andalusian flamenco, so it is worth finding a place that is not too touristy where you can let yourself be enraptured by the dancers and their spectacular movements. For the most passionate, we recommend that you visit the Andalusian Flamenco Center, located in the Permantín Palace, built in the 18th century.

The world famous dancer “Sara Baras” was born very close to Jerez in San Fernando (Cádiz).

Best places to eat in Jerez de la Frontera and its typical food

The Jerez table is composed of vegetables and game meats, unlike the bet of other nearby towns for fish and seafood. Thus, dishes such as hot garlic, stew, kidneys in sherry and oxtail enjoy fame and prestige. But the city is, above all, famous for its wines and its numerous wineries. The Gonzalez, Osborne and Garvey produce finos, olorosos, sweet and amontillados, highly appreciated both within and outside the Spanish borders.

The best breakfast you can have at Café La Vega in front of the market in Plaza Esteve. This café is a must for a good start to the day. Delicious freshly made churros with chocolate.

Bar Juanito: (Pescadería Vieja, 8-10) Simple place, like its cuisine. The artichokes and anchovies are magnificent, as well as the pestiños with tocino de cielo (fritters with bacon).

And as tradition dictates, going for tapas at nightfall is a must.

Las Brigadas (Av. Rosaleda 4) has a superb ensaladilla. In Maypa (Cruz Vieja, 11) is famous tortilla in the Taberna Marinera you can try the “molletitos” of smoked cod with salmorejo and in Tendido 6 the bull and scrambled eggs of Mr. Vizconde.

Wines with designation of origin

It is impossible to talk about Jerez de la Frontera without referring to its wines, present in all the culture and traditions of this town since 1100 BC.

In Jerez, along with the most important monuments of the municipality, it is essential to visit its wineries “bodegas”. Wine tours are offered to visit some of them, such as Domecq, Gonzalez Byass, Williams Humbert, Maestro Sierra, Harvey’s or Wisdom. During the visit it is possible to taste excellent wines (finos, olorosos and sweet wines) and brandies, accompanied by samples of the tasty local gastronomy. This is a must for wine lovers.

If you do not know which one to choose, we recommend you to focus on 2 of the wineries. We love them:

Gonzalez Byass, whose winery “La Concha” was designed by the French engineer Gustav Eiffel.

And the second one is Domecq, with a winery “La Mezquita”, with an arcade similar to the mosque of Cordoba.