Jerez de la Frontera

Alcázar de Jerez

• Originally a mosque (confirmed)

An Almohad fortress from the 12th century, one of the most important surviving examples of their architecture in al-Andalus, containing a small mosque preserved with its dome and mihrab, an Arab bath and gardens.

Museo Palacio del Tiempo – Museos de la Atalaya

A 19th-century palace in the “La Atalaya” gardens, housing more than 300 antique European clocks from the 17th–19th centuries that still work. The most beautiful moment is when they all chime together at 12 noon.

Centro Andaluz de Flamenco – Palacio Pemartín

An official institution preserving flamenco heritage, housed in a 15th-century palace with a wonderful wooden Mudéjar ceiling and an Andalusian patio. It holds an archive, audiovisual displays and historical recordings, in the heart of Barrio de Santiago, the cradle of flamenco.

Barrio de Santiago

The historic district north-west of the old town, inside the Almohad walls, is the cradle of flamenco and “cante jondo”, and great singers came from it. Narrow lanes, courtyard houses and visible sections of the Islamic wall.

Museo Arqueológico Municipal de Jerez

A modern museum in an old palace on the market square, presenting the region's history from prehistory to the Islamic period. Among its best-known pieces is a Greek helmet from the 7th century BCE. It has a section on Andalusi Jerez de la Frontera and on the city of “Asta Regia”.

Palacio del Virrey Laserna

A family palace that is still lived in, built on part of Jerez de la Frontera's Islamic wall, with furniture and paintings from the 17th–19th centuries and a lovely garden. A member of the family guides you in person, so you hear the history from its owners.

Bornos – Castillo Palacio de los Ribera

· Bornos

A white town on the lake of the Bornos reservoir, with at its heart a fortress-palace that began as an Islamic tower and was turned in the Renaissance into a palace with an Italian garden, one of the oldest Renaissance gardens in Andalusia. Entry is free, and it has a tourist office.

Prado del Rey – Salinas de Iptuci

· Prado del Rey

A “modern” white town, laid out in the 18th century with straight streets, unlike the mountain villages. Nearby are the inland “Iptuci” salt pans, where salt has been drawn from a salt spring since Roman times; they are still in operation.

Sanlúcar de Barrameda – Castillo de Santiago

· Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, from where Magellan's expedition set out around the world in 1519 CE, and it overlooks the Doñana reserve across the river. The Castle of Santiago (15th century) rises above the upper district and contains a small museum.

Easy to reach · needs a car

The upper district is a moderate climb; the lower district and the beach are flat; parking is difficult near the castle. 30 minutes from Jerez de la Frontera.

Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre

The world-famous “How Andalusian Horses Dance” show presents authentic Spanish horses and classical dressage in a royal hall, with a carriage museum and 19th-century palace gardens.

Yeguada de La Cartuja Hierro del Bocado

The oldest stud for Andalusian horses, the Cartujano horses that the monks have kept since the 15th century, part of whose blood goes back to Barb and Arabian horses; you stroll among the mares and foals, then watch a riding display.

Season

All year, and foals in spring (March – May)

Rancho Cortesano – Museo de la Miel y las Abejas

A large farm near Jerez de la Frontera with a honey museum featuring live hives and historic hives, and a visit to the apiary in protective clothing, plus candle-making. It has children's play areas, animals and a restaurant, so it suits a full family day.

Zoobotánico Jerez

A historic zoo and botanical garden founded in 1953, shaded by trees and focused on endangered species such as the Iberian lynx, wolves and monkeys. Small, easy and suitable for families.

Mezquita de Jerez

The community mosque in Jerez (Jerez de la Frontera).

Casa Palacio María Luisa

• One of the city's best hotels
• Romantic

A restored five-star palace on the edge of the old town, with high personal service and a quiet inner garden.

Barceló Montecastillo Golf

• I stayed here in 2025

A five-star golf resort outside Jerez de la Frontera, next to the racing circuit, with a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus and a health spa.

Hotel Villa Jerez

• One of the city's best hotels

An aristocratic villa in a walled garden with a pool, near the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre.

Parador de Arcos de la Frontera

· Arcos de la Frontera

The Corregidor's House (Casa del Corregidor) at the top of the white village of Arcos de la Frontera, on a cliff edge overlooking the Guadalete river and the countryside. Small and intimate, and its terrace is one of the most famous in Andalusia.

Hotel Soho Boutique Jerez

• Boutique

A boutique hotel in an old palace near the Royal Riding School and the historic centre, with spacious rooms and private parking. Good value for money.

Hotel Bodega Tío Pepe

• Boutique

An elegant boutique hotel overlooking the cathedral and the alcazar, with high ceilings, a rooftop pool, and breakfast on request in the courtyard. It sits within a historic bodega complex.

Calle Larga

Jerez de la Frontera's main shopping street, pedestrians only, lined with shops, cafés and modern-style buildings. It runs north from the Plaza del Arenal towards the “Alameda Cristina” tower.

Mercado Central de Abastos

A covered 19th-century market, one of the finest fish markets in southern Spain, with fresh Atlantic fish and shellfish, vegetables and large fruit. A lively local experience, especially in the morning.

Mercado Central de Abastos de Jerez

A neoclassical market from 1885 in central Jerez de la Frontera, one of the richest in southern Spain for fresh fish.

LUZ Shopping Jerez

The first “outlet + shopping” centre in Andalusia, at the entrance to Jerez de la Frontera, rated 4.4 by more than 20,000 visitors, with a dedicated outlet area.

Plaza del Arenal

Jerez de la Frontera's main square, which in the Islamic period was an open space outside the walls for training horsemen. It has a fountain and a horseman statue at its centre, surrounded by elegant buildings and the “Lusada” clock tower.

Plaza de la Asunción – Cabildo Antiguo

One of the most beautiful squares in Jerez de la Frontera, dominated by the old town hall (the Cabildo) with a Renaissance façade from the 16th century and a triple-arched loggia reminiscent of Florence. The Gothic-Mudéjar façade of the church of San Dionisio also looks onto it.

Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre

A world-renowned institution in Jerez de la Frontera that presents “How Andalusian Horses Dance” with authentic Cartujano horses to classical Spanish music. It includes a 19th-century palace and museums of carriages and equestrian art.

Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto

A legendary motorcycle racing circuit that hosts the Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix every spring with more than 100,000 spectators. It also offers museum and track tours, and driving days.