Jerez de la Frontera
The city of Jerez de la Frontera revolves around the twin passions of sherry
and horses with a bit of flamenco to complete the full Andalucian experience.
Budget flights have started to arrive in the city from abroad which for the
first time is opening up the city to foreign tourism. The airport is only 6km
away from the city centre and transfers can easily be reserved in advance.
If you're arriving by car please read the next paragraph carefully and trust my
words. I've been driving clients on private tours to Jerez for several years and
the traffic system is an utter nightmare which insists on sendding you in the
direction you don't want to go. Of all Spain's cities this is one of the worst
to negotiate which is incredible considering how small the tourist centre is.
There are two exits off the AP-4 Seville-Cadiz motorway. The best one to take is
the Jerez Norte exit which also goes to Arcos de la Frontera in the opposite
direction. Follow the sign for city centre (centro ciudad) and continue through
several traffic lights and roundabouts until you come to a roundabout which has
the Hotel Jerez to your right. Take the road to your left off this roundabout
(Avenida Alvaro Domecq) and select one of the fine hotels which are located in
this part of town (see Jerez hotels). If you stay around here you are only a few
minutes walk from the Royal School of Equestrian Art where the dancing horses
show takes place and the Sandeman winery is just around the corner. You can walk
to Plaza Arenal and the Alcazar in the city centre in 10 to 15 minutes or get a
taxi to take you there or to some of the other Jerez wineries. Parking in this
area to the north of the city centre which we recommend for hotels is readily
available.
For cheaper accommodation try the c/Arcos and c/Medina and surrounding streets
in the city centre where there are various one and two star options available. A
particularly clean, friendly and well looked after option is Hotel Avila
(c/Avila, 3). Arriving by car is tricky, head for the railway station and cut up
to c/Arcos at the Harveys winery then park at any pay and display you can find.
The show of the dancing horses takes place every Tuesday and Thursday and must
be booked well in advance as it is always sold out. Check the Real Escuela
(www.realescuela.org ) for information and booking procedure. Alternatively, you
can book a tour from Seville. A tour of one of the sherry bodegas is the
other main tourist attraction of Jerez. Advance booking isn't necessary but
check the website of your selected winery to find out what time guided tours
take place in English (see Jerez Wineries).
The other main attractions of the city are the 12th century Alcázar (fortress)
within which you can visit the 'Camara Oscura', a 360 degree camera lodged at
the top of the Alcazár from where you get fabulous views of the whole
surrounding area. Now that all the construction has ended Plaza Arenal is once
again a beautiful square right in the heart of the city centre with a fabulous
fountain in its centre. As you walk north east out of the square along
c/Lancería you'll see the huge Domecq clock tower ahead of you in Plaza Gallo
Azul. This has long been Jerez's most well known landmark. Continuing on you
enter the pedestrianised Calle Larga which is the city's main shopping street.
The Centro Andaluz de Flamenco which was set up to protect and promote the art
of flamenco is worth a visit and for younger visitors a trip to the zoo (Parque
Zoológico) is a must. The most popular short excursion from Jerez is to Sanlúcar
de Barrameda just 20 minutes away by car where you can dine on some of Spain's
finest seafood at one of the restaurants at Bajo de Guía which overlook the
Doñana National Park (get directions in advance from your hotel reception).
For dining in Jerez a nice place to sit is at one of the terrace restaurants in
Plaza Arenal which serve up reasonable dishes relatively cheaply. If you're
looking for something more upmarket try La Mesa Redonda (c/Manuel de Quintana,3)
just opposite the Sherry Park Hotel (
www.restaurantemesaredonda.com ). In the old
town La Carboná (c/San Francisco de Paula, 3) is highly recommended as it is
located in an ancient wine cellar. Just a couple of doors down you can eat for
half the price in the popular local's bar/restaurant of Mesón Alcazaba.
A nice spot at lunchtime is the small alley next to the tourist information
office on the western side of Plaza Arenal. Here you'll find a few tapas bars
where you can order a selection of tapas or raciónes (they're bigger portions)
washed down with a few glasses of sherry of course. A great breakfast spot is
the kiosk in the market square (Mercado de Abastos) where you rub shoulders with
the locals who stand in line ordering their churros con chocolate.
Jerez takes its festivals seriously and a great time to visit is during the
Festival de Otoño which takes place during the middle two weeks of September.
This is a time to bless the grape harvest, dance flamenco, sing aloud and drink
sherry like there's no tomorrow. The other main annual festival is the Feria del
Caballo (horse fair) when similar raucous celebrations take place along with a
wide range of horse related activities.
A time to avoid Jerez unless your a motorcycle fan is one weekend in May (check
dates) when the Spanish motorcycle grand prix at the Circuit de Jerez attracts
an estimated 150,000 motorcyclists from all over Europe. It's a wild few days
but not recommended if your here to discover the cultural heritage of Jerez.
Hotels
www.prestigehotels.com (Palmera Plaza - opposite Sandemans)
www.villajerez.com
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