Spain: What to do in Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a historic Andalucian city located in the ‘Sherry Triangle’ region of south-west Spain. Also known for its Andalusian horses and flamenco, it’s a must-see destination to visit, either on a day trip from nearby Seville or Cadiz, or on a short break to the region.
There are a few significant attractions to see in Jerez, including a beautiful cathedral and a historic Moorish fortress. But as it’s a relatively small, compact place, it’s a perfect destination for exploring at a relaxed pace, away from the larger crowds of the bigger cities.
This post covers what to do in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, to help you plan your visit.
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What to do in Jerez de la Frontera
Below are some of the top attractions if you’re considering what to do in Jerez de la Frontera. Read on for more information on all of these.
Top things to do in Jerez
– Visit the city’s Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art
– Experience Jerez’s famous horse show
– Sample the city’s famous sherry in a bodega (perhaps learn about the Tio Pepe mouse!)
– Grab a bite to eat in the city centre
– Visit the Alcazar and its gardens
– Stroll through one of the most beautiful streets in Spain
– Stop off at Jerez Cathedral and climb its clock tower
– Watch a flamenco show
Where is Jerez de la Frontera?
Jerez de la Frontera is located in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia. It sits between the cities of Cádiz and Seville, and is not far from the Costa de la Luz coastline in an area that is known as the ‘Sherry Triangle’.
Because of its location, it’s a perfect day trip from both of these cities. It’s also an ideal place to base yourself and day trip to other destinations around the region.
Why visit Jerez?
There are lots of reasons to visit Jerez, especially if you’re already in Andalucia in southern Spain. However, for many people, there are two top reasons to go: horses and sherry.
Jerez is home to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, a world-famous centre for horse breeding where you can visit and watch its unique ‘How the Andalusian Horses Dance’ show.
It is also known as the ‘City of Sherry’ and is one of the three main destinations in the ‘Sherry Triangle’, a geographical area where the soil provides perfect conditions for the wine used for its production. This area is north of the city of Cadiz and includes the towns of Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Can you visit Jerez on a day trip?
Yes, it’s easy to visit Jerez for a day. Being a relatively small city, it’s easy to see the main attractions in a short period of time, so long as you plan your time carefully.
It’s just over half an hour by train from the port city of Cadiz, and just over an hour to Seville. When you arrive, it’s about a 20-minute walk into the centre, although we caught a taxi so we could go straight to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art on the outskirts.
Alternatively, you could book a guided tour that will take you to Jerez, or to Jerez along with other nearby places.
That said, if you want to stay in a charming location where you can try a glass of sherry (or two!) of the famous local tipple, then there are plenty of places where you can stay.
What to do in Jerez de la Frontera
Read on to discover what to do in Jerez de la Frontera. This is based on my recent visit to the city.
Visit the city’s Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art
One of the must-see attractions in Jerez is the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art (the Fundación Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre). The centre is dedicated to promoting and protecting horse breeding and equestrian art and, in its own words, “to further the respect and culture of the horse as an integral part of Andalusian identity”.
You can buy a ticket that will provide entry to different parts of the site.
You can visit the museum of equestrian art, where there are a range of thematic exhibitions on display. There is also a carriage museum that focuses on horse driving and showcases historic carriages and harnesses. If you’re a horse lover, you’ll also enjoy visiting the stables and seeing some of the horse training in action.
The school is set in beautiful grounds, so it’s worth having a stroll around while you’re here.
Experience Jerez’s famous horse show
A visit to the Royal School is worth it if you have the time.
However, the top draw, and certainly the most popular attraction to book at the School, is undoubtedly the opportunity to see the famous ‘How the Andalusian Horses Dance’ show. This is a 90-minute horse show in a stadium (with a short interval in the middle) of what is essentially horses performing ballet dances.
We recently attended a show and can vouch that it is nothing short of incredible.
During the performance, you see a series of ‘dances’ featuring horses and their riders, set to traditional Spanish music. There are solo performances, duets, quartets, a horse-and carriage-dance, and finally an incredible showstopper featuring eight horses.
They trot, gallop, canter, rear up, and truly showcase their amazing abilities. And the skills of their riders are also something to see – they gently steer the horses through the show, praising them at the end for their work.
You can book tickets for the horse show here.
Top tip: If you can get tickets for the show, I’d recommend it. However, note that it does not run every day, so do plan in advance to avoid disappointment. You also cannot take photos of the horses during the performance.
Sample the city’s famous sherry in a bodega
If you’re in Jerez and like sherry, then a visit to an authentic sherry bodega is a must. There are several to choose from, all of which produce world-renowned sherry that you can sample and later buy in the bodega shop.
We visited the Tio Pepe bodega. We chose this because on the day we visited, it was the only bodega that offered guided tours later in the afternoon. This allowed us to experience the horse show and a bodega visit on the same trip.
However, if you’re not planning to go to the show, then you’ll have a lot more options for bodega tours to choose from.
Sherry cellar tours
There are quite a few sherry tours you can choose from and book for your visit. You can explore these here.
This tour takes place at the Bodegas Fundador and combines a tour around the winery with a tasting. If you’re not a fan of sherry, this tour gives you the opportunity to also sample their brandy.
Alternatively, you can visit the Alvaro Domecq bodega cellars, with options to taste different types and amounts of sherry. If you’ve arrived by train and time is tight, this might be a good place to visit as it’s near the train station.
Top tip: if you want to combine a visit to the horse show at the Royal School with a sherry tasting, check the show’s schedule so you can book a tasting before or after it.
The Tio Pepe sherry tour
As mentioned above, we opted for the tour at the Tio Pepe bodega. Our tour took place at 4.30 pm, so we were able to watch the horse show, wander through the city centre, see some of the sights, and grab a bite to eat beforehand.
Although we were limited with regards to the tour we chose, we really enjoyed it. The group was quite large for an organised tour, and the actual tasting part felt slightly rushed, but overall, it was enjoyable and informative, with a lot to recommend it.
Our sherry tour
We started our sherry tour with some historical information about the bodega: its origins in the first half of the 19th century, a later collaboration with an English merchant, and how it came to acquire its name.
We then got to ride in a toy train around the Tio Pepe site. This allows you to see the different sections of the bodega and appreciate how extensive it is.
You go past different warehouses, up narrow vine-covered streets, and past small gardens. And although the journey’s a bit bumpy at times, it’s good fun!
After disembarking the train, we walked through a series of cellars where sherry barrels are stacked high in long lines. Our guide explained how the sherry is made, fermented, and stored, and how differences in the sherry production process lead to different types, whether that is dry or sweet, white or ruby red.
In the cellars, towards the end of the tour, we also saw barrels signed by famous visitors to the bodega. Among these were barrels signed by the Duke of Edinburgh, Steven Spielberg, Orson Wells, and Bobby Charlton. There was also one dedicated to Winston Churchill.
We then ended our tour through the cellars with one of the more unique stories about the Tio Pepe site: the Tio Pepe mouse and its drinking habits!
The Tio Pepe mouse
The story goes that the workers noticed mice coming into the cellars and eating the crumbs from bread they’d dropped.
One day, one of the workers decided to give a mouse a taste of the sherry and noticed it liked it…so from then on, a glass of sherry was placed on the floor every night for the mice to drink. This practice had the added benefit of deterring any rats in the cellar, as the two species do not co-exist in the same environment.
Now, a glass of sherry is left out every night for the mice. When you visit, you can see the tiny ladder they use to climb up to the glass to sip it!
Sampling the sherry
The tour culminated with a sherry tasting. We’d chosen the tour that included four glasses of sherry and some tapas (there are other options available).
We started by sampling a glass of Elisa de Blanco de Albariza, a dry white wine made from the same grapes as the sherry. We then tried a dry white fino, an alfonso, and a solera cream sherry. Our guide gave us information about the different types and explained which food to pair them with.
The tasting was great – a fun way to end the tour and to sample the sherry we’d learnt so much about.
Top tip: if you’re only visiting Jerez for the day, time your tour well in advance of travelling home. We left ourselves a bit short on time before needing to hop in a taxi to the train station, so unfortunately needed to rush the tasting a little. We’d have liked to have stayed longer!
Grab a bite to eat in the city centre
Jerez is not big, so if you’ve visited either the equestrian school or a sherry bodega, it won’t take too much time to walk into the centre. The horse school also has a bus stop across the road if you’d prefer to use public transport.
If you walk, some of the route will take you through the city’s old, narrow streets. If you visit during the winter months, you’ll see the orange trees heavily laden with fruit (this is quite a sight).
In the centre, you’ll come across quite a few places where you can stop off and grab a drink or try some of the local cuisine.
The focal point is the Plaza del Arenal, a large square with a striking fountain and equestrian statue in the centre. The square is lined with grand, beautiful buildings and palm trees, as well as some bars and restaurants.
And just off the square is the Calle Consistorio, an attractive side street lined with more restaurants (we ate here at Albores).
It is a lovely spot, with an attractive Town Hall opposite the restaurants’ outdoor terraces.
Top tip: If you don’t have time to stop off for food, a short distance away is the local market, the Mercado Central de Abastos. This is housed in a late 19th century building and sells a variety of local food.
More things to do in Jerez de la Frontera
If you’re only on a day trip to Jerez and plan to catch the horse show and do some sherry tasting, then you may not have a great deal of time left to see much more of the city after you’ve fitted in some lunch.
However, if you do have time or are staying, there are a handful of attractions you can add to your itinerary.
Visit the Alcazar and its gardens
Jerez’s Alcazar is only a short walk from the main square, Plaza de Arenal. If you’re in the centre, you’ll probably walk past it on the way to some of the sherry bodegas (in particular the Tio Pepe cellars).
Dating back to the 12th century, the Alcazar is considered to be one of the region’s best-preserved Almohad Moorish structures. There are various sights inside, including a small mosque, a hammam, a Royal Pavilion, and an octagonal tower. You can also wander around its beautiful garden.
Top tip: If you plan to go inside Jerez’s Alcazar independently, this information sheet provides a recommended a route to take.
Stroll through one of the most beautiful streets in Spain
In Jerez, you can stroll through what is regarded as one of the most beautiful streets in Spain (some say in the world). Unfortunately, however, you can only do this if you visit the Tio Pepe bodega, as it is part of this site.
If you do book to go to this bodega, you’ll come to Ciegos Street towards the end of your tour. It certainly is a beautiful street – a short one lined with vines crawling up the sides and covered with a canopy of vine leaves.
We visited in winter when a lot of the leaves had fallen. However, in summer it’s apparently completely covered, which can entirely obscure the view of the Cathedral at the end.
Stop off at the Cathedral of Jerez
The Cathedral of Jerez (Catedral de Jerez) is close to the Alcazar and the sherry bodegas. It’s therefore easy to stop off here as well.
Dating back to the 17th century, it’s a beautiful structure with ornate architecture that reflects Gothic, Neoclassical, and Baroque styles. Inside, there is a small art museum.
Standing beside it is a bell tower, which you can climb for great views across the city. The bell tower, not to mention the cathedral, is beautiful when lit up at night.
Watch a flamenco show
The Andalucia region of Spain is known as the birthplace of flamenco, with Jerez being one of the main cities associated with this famous Spanish dance. So, if you have time on your trip, try to watch an authentic flamenco show. We didn’t, but we’ve previously been to a show in Granada when we visited the Alhambra Palace, and I can vouch that it’s a pretty impressive spectacle.
There are a few places where you can watch flamenco in Jerez. One such spot is in the oldest wine bar in Jerez, the Tabanco el Pasaje. Here you can catch a show (there are three a day) and experience local culture, while sipping wine straight from the barrel.
Is Jerez worth visiting?
Yes, in my opinion, Jerez is definitely a destination worth visiting. However, whether it’s worth it for you very much depends on what you want to do and what type of trip you’re looking for.
It’s not very big, so if you’re looking for a city crammed full of sightseeing, then you probably won’t find it here. And if you don’t drink or are not interested in sampling the local sherry, then one of key reasons to visit Jerez is probably not likely to attract you.
However, if you like sherry, horses, or fancy a slower city break or day out in the south of Spain, then you should consider a trip to Jerez.
What to do in Jerez de la Frontera
If you visit Jerez on a short trip, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, especially if it’s your first time. I also have other posts on trips to southern Spain that you may be interested in – on:
For other ideas to inspire your next European city break, click here.
