- 30 September 2023
One of the places we visited during our 2-week Andalusia road trip was Jerez de la Frontera. Jerez is known for the sherry and that was also our main aim of the visit: tasting some sherry! We already quickly decided on the place we wanted to go to, as one of the sherry bodegas is home to one of the prettiest streets in the world. What is there to do and see during your visit? Let’s start this full Jerez de la Frontera Travel Guide exploring the sherry area of Spain.
As in any city, the city centre is, of course, worth exploring. Most of these images were shot around Plaza del Progreso. The tapas bar Tabanco Plateros on this square was packed with locals in the evening. On the square, there are several nice tapas restaurants/bars with a terrace.
One of the main sights in the city is the cathedral. A stunning and impressive building. As you can see from the pictures, I was mainly a huge fan of the orange trees that you can find all around Jerez and the cathedral. At the foot of the cathedral there is a little cafe, so definitely have a drink there to enjoy the view. (Not 100% sure, but I think the place was called El Molino.)
This Jerez de la Frontera to do isn’t very surprising, but one of the best things to do in Jerez is just wandering around through the little streets and alleys and make sure you capture all the little details and see-throughs in the city.
Next up, the Alcazar. Like most cities in Andalusia, such as Seville and Granada, Jerez also has an Alcazar. We didn’t visit the inside of the Alcazar, but just wandering around the area and admiring the stunning buildings is already well worth it. Next to that, Jerez de la Frontera isn’t the biggest city – so I guess you will run into it anyhow.
From morning till early afternoon, there is a little market set up under de Alcazar. They were selling all different kinds of stuff – worth a stroll.
The main highlight! Visiting a sherry bodega, learning all about the bodega and of course closing the tour with a sherry tasting. We chose to visit Tio Pepe / Gonzalez Byass, one of the largest sherry producers in the area. Next to that, we wanted to have a peek at one of the most beautiful streets of Europe for which you have to enter the property. It was great to learn more about the sherry and try the different kinds. We didn’t stay for too long in Jerez (2 nights, but we also visited Cadiz as a day trip during one of the days), however, if I would have stayed longer I would have visited some smaller bodegas in the area as well.
Cadiz is one of the larger cities in the south-west of Spain / Andalusia. As we didn’t want to pack our bags even more often than we were already doing, we decided to head to Cadiz on a day trip from Jerez de la Frontera. Personally, for me, this was enough. I liked the city and it was nice to have a stroll (especially along the seaside including a drink at a sunny sea view terrace), however, I was completely fine with not staying the night there.
If you are into visiting markets, definitely head to the indoor market Mercado Central. You’ll find several stalls where the locals get their food. In my opinion, visiting markets abroad always gives you an insight into the actual lives of people in a certain city or area.
Same as Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz is also home to several cathedrals and a lovely city centre. Worth exploring as you can see from the pictures below.
Lastly, have a stroll along the water (the Malecon). Fun fact, it compares quite well to the Malecon in Havana, Cuba. Along the water, there are some nice little bars and terraces that allow you to have a drink or a bite with this lovely sea view. Looking back at these pictures, it makes me happy straight away. Look at that sun! In December!
We were really happy with our hotel during our stay in Jerez de la Frontera and I would highly recommend it. I’m always looking for a good price/quality ratio which worked with this hotel. It was amazing to come back home after a full day of exploring and be able to head to the spa.
We only paid around €60 per night for two persons and it was a lovely cosy hotel room at the Soho Boutique Hotel Jerez & Spa.
Vejer de la Frontera is a small town that is famous for the white houses all around. it actually made me feel like I was visiting Greece. There are many rewarding view and photo spots and it can easily be combined with Jerez.
