Four Great Reasons to Visit Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez de la Frontera is one of those cities that make people wonder how they have never heard of it before. The home of Sherry, the city also boasts a renowned equestrian dressage center, a grand prix racetrack, and the birthplace of Lola Flores, the most famous flamenco dancer of her age.

Getting to Jerez de la Frontera

Situated in the South West of Andalucia, Spain, there are direct train services from nearby cities Màlaga and Cadiz. 

It is the fifth largest city in the region, but because it is not on the coast it has had somewhat less development as a tourist center.

Jerez de la Frontera Beaches

Having said that, Jerez de la Frontera is not far from the coast, and some of Spain’s highest-rated beaches. It is just 12 km (7.5 miles) from the Port of Santa Maria and just a little further to La Caleta Beach at Cadiz, so you’re never too far if you want to also do a boat trip.

Parking at Jerez de la Frontera

The city center is pedestrianized, so if you are arriving by car head for one of the underground car parks. They are not expensive, and it will keep your vehicle out of the sun for the duration of the trip.

• Top Tip: Don’t be tempted to use the on-street city center parking as it is expensive and the duration is usually limited. 

• Top Tip: There are buses in the city center that can get you from A to B, but most of the attractions in the old city center are within easy walking distance.

• Top Tip: Parking is free in most car parks on a Sunday, however many of the best places to visit are closed too except for the cathedral, which is also free to visit on a Sunday.

Spending a day in town will likely not be enough time to see everything, so here’s our guide to what the city has to offer, to help you decide.

1. Visit for the Sherry

Sherry is the result of distilling wine, fortifying its alcohol content, the process introduced to the region’s winemakers in the eighth century by the Moors. Today several bodegas (cellars) offer tours and tastings.

• If you ever wondered where the name for the drink sherry came from, then Jerez is the root you are looking for!

• Legend has it that Francis Drake of England ransacked the sherry distilleries in the 1500s, taking over 3,000 barrels back to London and establishing it as a favorite drink at the time.

• The English soon returned to Jerez de la Frontera to set up shop, notably as Sandeman and Byass, among others.

• Tio Pepe in González Byass is probably one of the best-known sherry brands in the world, established in the early 1800s and built upon a centuries-old tradition.

• If you can’t get on a tour, or would rather take a less formal, more exploratory route into the world of this ancient fortified wine, then visit the tabancos in the Plaza de la Yebra.

• A tabanco is a tapas bar that will serve a wide range of sherries from all of the local producers. When you discover your favorite, ask for a bottle to take home as a souvenir.

• On your tour of the old city check out Ciegos Street with its wonderful, natural grapevine canopy. It is said by some to be the most beautiful street in Spain and one day it might qualify as the most-photographed Spanish street too!

2. Visit for the Horses

The Andalucian Horse has been a recognized regional breed of horse since the 15th Century and has been prized by European Royal houses who admire the breed’s strength and agility. 

For horse lovers and those interested in seeing a world-class spectacle a visit to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is an absolute must. Tickets start at €26 per person for a two-hour show.

What to expect:

• The show is called How the Andalusian Horses Dance and is billed as a ballet in five acts!

• Doma Vaquera: The show opens with a display of Spanish cattle herding techniques that would leave your average cowboy panting in the dust. The rider spins the horse through pirouettes and arreones (gallops) around the arena.

• Classical Dressage: The second part includes the kind of display of choreography seen at Olympic competitions running through such disciplines as the Pas de Deux and Passage and Piaffer. You will be amazed by the expertise of both horse and rider.

• Carriage Driving: Not since the chariot racing days of Ben Hur has there been a similar presentation of driving skills. Not so very long ago this was the only way to get around, and it certainly looks a lot more complicated than driving a car.

• Work in Hand: Watch and wonder as a horse responds to the commands of a person standing in front of it, demonstrating the dressage techniques of caprioles, courbettes, and the famous Spanish walk.

• Carrousel: The grand finale comes when a team of horses and riders present a display together.

Check availability and book your seat on a Tuesday, Thursday, or one Saturday per month. The shows start at noon.

The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art teaches blacksmithing, saddlery, and the breeding of horses and is open for visits between 10 am and 2 pm on weekdays only.

3. Visit for the Flamenco

Any history of the Flamenco Dance would be incomplete without mention of perhaps its most famous 20th-century artist Lola Flores. She appeared in thirty-eight movies and released twenty albums during her career and came to personify the dance and the songs of flamenco.

• Several restaurants and tabancos feature flamenco shows, some with purpose-built stages to the rear of the building.

• Most shows will offer seating and food, and a good show with dinner is a great way to end a day sightseeing in the city of Jerez de la Frontera.

• Wait staff, and sometimes dancers, will expect tips, oftentimes ten percent is the standard, for a dancer, perhaps €5.

• Flamenco shows are extremely popular in the high season so it is advisable to book up online ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

• There is a statue commemorating Lola Flores in the old town. A remarkable singer and dancer, she garnered awards for the export of Andalucian culture in a career that spanned more than fifty years.

4. Visit for the History

Jerez de la Frontera is one of the oldest cities in Andalucia with evidence of habitation going back millennia to the Phoenicians, then the Romans, and the Moors, each leaving their own unique legacy.

• The most obvious examples are the Alcazar, the fortified Moorish Palace, and the Cathedral. 

• When the Moors were in charge the city boasted thirty mosques, today one remains within the Alcazar, although it has since been converted into a Catholic Christian place of worship.

• Still, the rectangular ponds and the symmetrical gardens built to emulate the Islamic concept of paradise remain. 

• The fort was begun in the tenth century, and added to over time by a series of different rulers, each with their own individual style. If history is your thing then there are guided tours in more than one language, but they are a bit pricey at €30. 

• In the 14th century, the Ponce de León octagonal tower was constructed within the complex. Today it stands amongst impeccably presented gardens with water features and palm trees, and it’s a great place to cool off.

• The Arabic bathhouse, which was built over the existing Roman baths with its star-shaped cut-outs in the roof, exquisitely filters the brightest midday sunshine. The light is brilliant for instagrammable filter-free selfies!

• The Alcazar is only €3 to visit and €1.80 for concessions, so it’s not an expensive destination for your day in town.

• The Cathedral, on the other hand, is always guaranteed to be cool, even on the hottest Andalucian summer’s day. The highest price is €7 for the audio tour, but you could turn up on a Sunday and see it all for free.

• Inside the cathedral, there are 17th-century paintings, which were the blockbusters of their day. Hard to imagine the stir they caused four-hundred years ago!

• The cathedral tower was built next to but apart from the main building and entry is included in a ticket for an extra Euro, so if you are afraid of heights you don’t need to pay more!

• However, I would recommend that you climb the tower for the most amazing views of the city. Yes, it’s another insta-opportunity. Allow forty minutes for the tower tour on a Saturday as it can get quite crowded.

• The Palacio Domecq is an aristocratic palace built in the late 18th century and oozes wealth and splendor. The building is filled with Italian marble which gives a peculiar liminal quality to the interior. Spooky.

Final Thoughts on Reasons to Visit Jerez de la Frontera