Jerez Mini Guide:
Jerez Airport is located five kilometres to the north of the city of Jerez. The Airport is served by a number of airlines including budget airline Ryanair, Iberia, Air Berlin, Spanair, Air Europa and Air Plus. If driving from the airport to the city, follow the signposts on the AP4 Cadiz toll motorway.
Things To See/Do in Jerez:
The city of Jerez is located in the Andalusia region of Spain. The pretty city offers a range of cultural activities and attractions making it the ideal destination for a city break.
Jerez is famous throughout Andalusia and Spain for being the home of flamenco-style dancing, particularly the exciting bulería, which originated in the Santiago and San Miguel neighbourhoods. Well worth a visit is the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, which houses a museum, gallery and cinema dedicated to flamenco culture.
Must-do guided tours in Jerez include the González Byass/ Tío Pepe bodega tour. Alternatively you could catch a show by Jerez's famous cartujano horses at Real Escuela Andaluz del Arte Ecuestre.
Looking for adventure? Why not hire a hire car and explore the surrounding countryside of Andalusia? The town of Arcos de la Frontera is worth a car journey. It is famous for its traditional pueblos blancos (white towns), charming whitewashed towns and villages, which are just waiting to be discovered. El Puerto de Santa María is another worthy drive. The town offers top-notch seafood and there's also the option of catching the ferry to Cádiz.
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Eating Out/Nightlife/Accommodation in Jerez.
Thrifty travellers in search of cheap eats will be glad to learn that budget bites are widely available in the form of Tapas. Local specialities in Jerez include pork shops marinated in oloroso sherry and braised artichoke hearts. Top Tapas bars to look out for include: El Gallo Azul at C/Larga, Bar Juanito at Pescadería Vieja and Cafeteria Arenal at Plaza Arenal.
Jerez has a lively nightlife, comprising authentic Flamenco Tablaos theatres, Tapas bars and nightclubs.
Jerez offers a range of accommodation options, catering to all budgets and requirements. If money is no object, check into the five-star Hotel Villa Jerez, located just outside of Jerez in a converted Andalucian mansion. Room rates here start at a steep €139 per night. Cheap hostels are widely available too for thrifty backpackers. Nuevo Hotel at Cabelleros 23 is one such establishment, with room rates starting at a very reasonable €38 per night. The two-star Hotel Ancla at Plaza del Mamelón is an alternative budget bargain.
Jerez makes a nice, relaxing base location for tourists who want to travel further around Andalusia.
Day trips can often be budget-savers rather than budget-breakers. Depending on where you want to go and how much you want to spend (or not spend), it is possible to make a day trip on a really tight budget - and you may well spend less than if you were lying around by the pool for a day! The following are just three possible day trips that are recommended for people staying in and around Jerez.
Arcos de la Frontera
Possibly one of Spain's most dramatically located and beautiful pueblos blancos (white villages), Arcos de la Frontera is built along the edge of a sheer cliff face overlooking the Guadalete River below. Just a 30km drive from Jerez, Arcos de la Frontera is well worth visiting - bigger than Andalucia's other pueblos blancos, but with the same fairytale charm and tranquil, old-world atmosphere. The winding labyrinthine streets of the old town provide an enchanting contrast to the livelier new town. The town centre is traffic-free (be prepared to park your rental car and walk for about ½ a mile), the houses are sparkling white, the streets are clean, and the views from the cliff top are truly outstanding.
The town itself is the attraction, rather than any particular building or monument - explore the twisting alleys, visit the Moorish Castle, and have a coffee at the Plaza del Cabildo (the town's main square) before a trip to the town's viewpoint to observe the wonderful views towards Morocco. You don't need to spend much on this day trip, with the only real expense being food/drink, which can be bought cheap in some of the town's restaurants and cafés. A delightful and budget-friendly day trip.
Seville
Driving from Jerez to Seville will take between one and two hours, depending on traffic. Seville is a wonderful city. Colourful, vibrant, and filled with every typical Spanish stereotype you can imagine, Seville is a heady mix of fiestas and flamenco, of tapas and toros, of sangria and siestas...
Drive to Seville for a day to explore its many ancient sites, parks, museums, art galleries, activities and attractions. Don't miss the Cathedral de Sevilla/Giralda Tower, the Triana Bridge, or the Alcazar. There is a theme park here called Isla Magica, which provides some high-octane thrills for the daredevils among you.
For food, if you are dining on a budget or looking for cheap eats (or even if you're not, in fact), go for the tapas. Seville is credited as being the city that invented the low cost Spanish snack, and there is phenomenal choice and great value in the many cheap tapas bars throughout Seville.
Tarifa
Over 6 miles of immaculate sandy beach greet you in Tarifa. Lush, unspoilt countryside abounds here. Windsurfing, Kite surfing, regular old surfing. Bird watching, horse riding, rock-climbing and hang-gliding. Oh, and pretty much perpetual good weather. Tarifa is a lovely fishing town on the Costa de la Luz, and is full of attractions, amenities and sights that will keep a tourist interested and entertained for at least one day, if not a whole week...
Windsurfing and Kite surfing are two particularly popular pastimes in Tarifa, as the 'Wind Capital' provides perfect conditions for such sports. If you prefer a more leisurely day trip, don't worry, because Tarifa won't disappoint. Tapered cobblestone streets, elaborate wrought iron rejas and bounties of colourful flowers make the town a gorgeous place to wander around.
Visit the Miramar Gardens for a superb view across to the shores of Morocco, and if you feel particularly adventurous you can take the ferry to Tangier from Tarifa. It is quite cheap, and you will pay less for slower boats, however we recommend splashing out and getting the fast ferry, which is still cheap enough to suit even those on a budget.