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Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez - Things to do

A bodega visit is a must, providing an insight into the way this wonderful drink is made and its importance to the economic life of the city - and many have post-tour tastings thrown in. Tours have to be booked in advance at many bodegas, though Gonzalez Byass and Sandeman operate a 'turn-up-and-tour' policy. Details from the city council's excellent website, www.turismojerez.com.

Horses are almost as important to jerezanos as sherry, and a visit to one of the regular shows at the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre (Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art) won't disappoint. The school trains riders and mounts in dressage and you can watch them going through their training programmes or visit the weekly (in summer, twice weekly) shows at the school. You'll believe a horse can fly - and can turn on a €1 coin! www.realescuela.org.

The Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair) in early May is the city's biggest annual event, when everyone dons riding gear or flamenco dresses and parades up and down on equine beauties or sits behind a team of horses astride a stunningly decorated carriage. Those that don't ride refuse to be left out, so that everywhere you look there are sombreros and waistcoats, frilly flamenco dresses and headpieces. The whole city and the many visitors spend the week crowding the many casitas (bars) that spring up in the park which hosts the festivities.

Flamenco in Jerez is less commercialised than in some of the region's largest cities. There are no big organised shows and the best place to find flamenco is in the gypsy quarter, the Barrio de Santiago. A number of peñas (semi-private clubs) allow visitors but you'll also find impromptu performances in bars - usually late at night. A Ciudad de Flamenco (Flamenco City) is under construction in the barrio and is sure to heighten the profile of this most Andalusian art form. One of the flamenco world's biggest festivals takes place in the early months of every year, and the autumn festival is also a big flamenco event. The tourist office (on Alameda Cristina) has information and details of trails, tours, lessons and peñas.

The Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix takes place every spring (normally March) at the Montecastillo race track just east of the city. More than 150,000 bike fans crowd the area for the three days of spectacular practice and racing, socialising and generally having a good time. It's a wonderful, colourful event but finding somewhere to stay is almost impossible at this time unless you've booked well in advance.

Apart from one spring weekend when the motor sport world's focus is on Jerez, the race track stages Formula One trials throughout the off-season. There are at least three major sessions involving all the leading teams each winter, and thousands of spectators come along to enjoy the winter sunshine and watch the new generation of racing cars put through their paces by the sport's leading exponents - and all for a coupel of euros a day.

The Alcázar, or fortress is well worth a visit - an ocean of calm in the bustling city. The restored Moorish gardens, baths and mosque are beautiful and, in the later tower, there's a camera obscura, enabling visitors to watch the life of Jerez in the round.

The city's zoo, on Calle Taxdirt, is small but pleasant. Animals seem well cared for and there's a renowned research and breeding programme based here. The biggest attraction is a white tiger, but there are other big cats, an elephant, a fine collection of eagles and owls and plenty of cute exhibits for the little ones to enjoy. There's also a good cafeteria, a snack bar and well-planned playground.

A day at the seaside is around 15 minutes away - either at El Puerto de Santa María (from where you can also catch a ferry across the bay to to Cádiz), or from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Here, too, you can cross the Guadalquivir river to visit the fringes of the Coto Doñana national park - a haven for tens of thousands of waders, birds of prey and the endangered Iberian lynx.