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Jerez de la Frontera

• 180.000 inhabitants, from Nerja 350 km (3,75 hours)

Jerez, the city of the famous sherry wine, horses and flamenco… It doesn’t get any more Spanish than this! The name sherry comes from the English pronunciation of the word Jerez. This typical Spanish drink – which combines perfectly with tapas – is made all over this area. This is due to the fact that the ground is full of calcium. This white content in the soil prevents the ground from dehydrating in summer and reflects the sunlight so all grapes ripen equally. The adding of ‘de la Frontera’ which means ‘at the border’ exists since times when Jerez formed the border between Christians and Moors.

The Moorish fortress ‘Alcazar’ and the Barroc Villavincia palace (with an antique pharmacy, gardens, Turkish baths and a camera obscura), the cathedral and the old town are nice to visit. Next to the centre lies the Bodega of Gonzaless-Byass, known from the sherry brand Tio Pepe (litteraly Uncle Pepe, which miraculously is short for Francisco…) which is exported to 115 countries worldwide. The tour around the bodega tells you all there is to know about sherry and the most fun is of course the tasting afterwards. Tio Pepe and Osborne are the biggest producers of sherry, but the Osborn bodega lies outside the city. In total the amount of bodegas adds up to 20 of which you could visit 9. Of course we wouldn’t suggest visiting them all…

Another nice thing to do once you’re in Jerez is to visit the stables of the famous Real Escuela de Arte Equestra and on some days you can even see the horses being trained (information on 0034 - 956 318 00). And just so you know: the horses you see in the famous riding school of Vienna are also originally from Jerez.

In May the fabulous Feria del Caballo takes place which you really shouldn’t miss if you’re in Spain around this time. It’s definitely worth the trip: this is Andalucia in capitals! The feria is held on a big terrain in the centre of the city and the place is completely built in Spanish style with all kinds of bars, restaurants and a huge fair on the site next to the feria. Probably half of all people go to the feria in traditional clothing and it all just looks perfect. It goes without saying ofcourse that there are many beautifully dressed horses, carriages and people young and old are dancing their ‘sevillanas’ everywhere. Make sure you have a hotel reserved before you go, because this festival is very popular among the Spanish.

Additional attractions: the clock museum ‘Museo del Reloj’, a flamenco dance school and museum ‘Centro Andaluz de Flamenco’ and the bull fighting museum ‘Museo Taurino’.

Even though the map might make you think differently, the fastest route is to first drive to Seville and then South to Jerez. The direct route from Malaga to Jerez de la Frontera is also just fine, but it’s slightly longer. Because of the long drive and the amount of things to see, we’d suggest staying overnight. Maybe you could even extend your trip by visiting Cadiz, Sanlucar de Barrameda, the gorgeous village of El Puerto de Santa Maria or the National Park La Donana.

Feria Jerez de la Frontera: half of May!!!