Jerez de la Frontera

As soon as you arrive in Jerez, it’s worth popping into the Central Market, which is open Monday–Saturday mornings. If you want to see the widest selection of fish and seafood, go early before they sell out.

The oldest parts of the Muslim Alcázar or fortress date back to the 9^th or 10^th century, but most of it was built in the 12^th and 13^th centuries, under the rule of the Almohads, the North African dynasty that ruled much of what is now Spain during that period. You can visit the mosque and Arab baths and climb the octagonal tower for some great views.

You’ll also see the keep added by Ponce de León in the 1400s to bolster the defences, and the Baroque Villavicencio Palace built inside the fortress in the 1600s.

Jerez has a large number of excellent bodegas where you can take a guided tour and taste a range of sherries and brandies. If you’re only familiar with cream sherry popular in the UK and Netherlands, you’ll find there’s a whole world of new flavours to discover. See our article on Andalucían wines for a quick primer.

You may have heard of the big brands like Tío Pepe (produced by Bodegas González Byass) and, if you’re from the UK, Harvey’s (Bodegas Fundador), but it’s worth considering a visit to one of the lesser-known operations like Bodegas Lustau or Bodegas Tradición. Most visits take 1-2 hours, but you can decide on how many wines you want to taste and whether to go for a premium option. Whatever you decide, make sure you organise your visit in advance – most bodegas offer online booking.

The museum, which has recently been completely revamped, is organised into three sections: Jerez before Jerez, covering prehistory through to the Roman period; The Islamic City; and Jerez in the Early Modern Period. It’s a great introduction to the area’s rich history, which gives you a good sense of how the changing sea and river levels affected Jerez’s development over the centuries. We loved the unusual carved idols from the 2^nd-3^rd millennia BC and a beautiful alabaster relief made in England in the 1400s.

Lola Flores grew up in Jerez and went on to become a huge star in Spain and internationally – particularly in Latin America. Trained in flamenco, her performances as a singer, dancer and film actress embraced various genres as she constantly reinvented herself over her long career. In the centre, you can hear her life story as told by her granddaughter, watch a selection of her most memorable performances and see some of her dresses, jewellery and other memorabilia. You get a real sense of her energy and force of character: she was a businesswoman and celebrity as well as an artist.

At 12 o’clock on Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturdays you can see the show How the Andalusian Horses Dance, which includes dressage with and without a rider, carriage driving, skills based on cattle herding and riding in formation. On other days when there isn’t a show, you can see the horses being trained. There’s also a guided visit of the riding school, including the stables and tack room, and two museums.

Information and bookings: https://www.realescuela.org/en/main/

Historic centre of Jerez

Explore Jerez’s historic centre, with its pleasant squares and beautiful Baroque mansions and churches. You’ll also get a sense of the dominance of the sherry industry here, with its huge warehouses – known as cathedrals due to their height – still taking up quite a lot of the central area.

With his VoiceMap audio tour, Food, Flamenco, and Sherry: Exploring the Flavours of Jerez de la Frontera Clive Muir guides you around the main points of interest while you listen to his fascinating cultural and historical insights and anecdotes.

Audio Tour: Food, Flamenco, and Sherry: Exploring the Flavours of Jerez de la Frontera

By Clive Muir