Jerez de la Frontera
Travel Guide > Europe > Spain > Andalusia > Jerez de la Frontera
In this Article
- Introduction
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Keep Connected
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Herr Bert (78%)
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Introduction
Jerez de la Frontera (203.000 inhabitants) in Andalusia, southern Spain, is mainly known for two things: Sherry and horses. The best sherry's are produced in this region, and you will find a lot of well-known brands in or around this town. In this town you'll find a very strong English connection, as a lot of the sherry was exported to England, and also a couple of the bodegas were and are still in the hand of English owners.
Sights and Activities
City Centre
The city centre of Jerez is pretty small, and can easily be seen on foot. Parts of the old city walls can still be seen. The main sights in the center of Jerez are the Cathedral and the Alcazar. The 11th- or 12th century Alcazar has a pretty little mosque, and in the mainbuilding it houses a camera obscura, that you can visit on sunny days, to get a very nice panoramic view over the city.
The Sherry Bodegas
A lot of the Bodegas can be visited but it is recommended to make a call to reserve a tour. It is good to go to the tourist office (at Plaza de Arenal) to get an overview which bodegas can be visited at which times. At some of the bigger bodegas, you can get a tour with an appointment. These are Sandeman and Gonzalés Byass. Some of the bodegas are in the center of town, others are further away. The bodegas of Gonzáles Byass are opposite the Cathedral.
Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art
Jerez houses a training school for horses (and their riders.) called the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art. Shows of the school can be visited on Thursday afternoon, with some additional days in the summer season. (on Tuesday, and in August also on Friday). Training sessions are cheaper to watch, and can be visited in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at some points in the year also on Tuesdays.
Circuito de Jerez
Near Jerez there is a race track, that hosts one of the rounds of motorcycle world championships in April or May, on these days Jerez is packed with people, as Motorracing is one of the sports that draws a lot of people to the circuits (and in front of the television in Spain. In the past it also has been used as a track for the Formule 1. Nowadays it still is a beloved track to test Formule 1 cars in the winter.
Events and Festivals
Festival de Jerez
In late February and or early March, Jerez is the scene of a music and dance (flamenco) festival that last for 2 weeks, the Festival de Jerez.
Feria del Caballo
In the first half of May, one of the biggest festivals of Andalusia takes part in Jerez, the Feria del Caballo. Like most festivals in Spain this means a lot of music and dance, a couple of bullfights, and in this case also a lot of horseriding competitions. There are also parades through the Parque Gonzáles Hontoria in the north of the town.
Getting There
By Plane
Jerez de la Frontera has a small airport (XRY), that is serviced by Iberia from Madrid and Vueling from Barcelona, and some of the other lowcost airlines, with destinations like Helsinki, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Palma de Mallorca, Brussels, London, Manchester and several other domestic destinations and seasonal flights (Amsterdam for example).
There are busses running from the busstation to the airport, on somewhat regular times.
By Train
Jerez is reachable by train. The trainstation is on the eastside of the town at the Avenida de la estacion. Seville can be reached in about 1 hour and 10 minutes, and the train to Cádiz still takes about 45 minutes to get there. Trains run by Altaria are a little bit faster (and thus more expensive), than the regional express trains.
You can check the website of Renfe, the Spanish Railway Company, for timetables to cities within Spain.
By Bus
The busstation is next to the trainstation, and the buscompanies services routes to most of the bigger Spanish towns and cities. From here it is also possible to take a bus to nearby towns like Cádiz, Puerto de Santa Maria and Arcos de la Frontera.
By Car
Jerez de la Frontera lies on the E5 motorway, that runs from Seville until the south end of Spain.
Getting Around
By Car
By Foot
If you stick to the city center than everything is within walking distance.
By Public Transport
If you are planning trips to Bodegas that are outside of the town, or to some other towns in the neighbourhood, take a good look at the website of the consorcio de bahia de Cadiz, that runs most of the public transport in the region.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostal las Palomas | Higueras 17 | Guesthouse | 71 |
| Hotel Avila | Calle Avila, 3 | Hotel | 80 |
| Tierras de Jerez | Corredera 58 11402 | Hotel | 62 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
This is version 19. Last edited at 22:37 on Aug 27, 09 by Herr Bert (+2). 10 articles link to this page.
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