Jerez de la Frontera: Sherry, Horses, Flamenco, Tapas … and Lots and Lots of Shoes!

Jerez de la Frontera is situated in the heart of Andalucía, about an hour and a half from the magnificent monuments of Seville, and half an hour from the Atlantic-lapped shores of the Costa de la Luz.

Jerez is well known throughout the world as the crux of the sherry producing triangle of Andalucía. It is home to dozens of bodegas, including the famous Gonzalez Byass, well-known for its Tio Pepe brand. We visited Bodegas Gonzalez Byass and were very impressed by the tour which included, amongst other things, an interesting film, and a trip around the vineyards and gardens on a rickety little 'train' (Beware! There are no safety rails on the train, so after a sherry tasting session or two, you will need to hold on tight round those bends!)

As we were visiting Jerez at Easter, we were lucky enough to be offered the Special Visit, which, as well as the usual tour, included a display of the spectacular Andalucían horsemanship, for which Jerez is also renowned.

Our group were seated in a small sawdust-floored arena and indulged with a plate of divine wafer-thinly shaved Jamón Serrano and delicious cheese, and a wonderfully chilled bottle of bone dry, cheek-sucking Tio Pepe, whilst our horseman and his Flamenco-dressed lady strutted their stuff for our entertainment. The haunting gypsy music flowed as our Flamenco dancer gracefully swirled her tasselled shawl and offered a slender hand to her horseman, who brought his steed to a standstill just in front of her. She gracefully coiled herself onto a chair and a hush fell over the audience as, without touching it, she willed this magnificent horse to slowly raise its head and match her gaze. What power she held over this animal! The show continued with an extravagant display of gallops, canters and kicks that brought the audience to its feet in applause and admiration.

One of my favourite sights in Jerez was the Alcázar, a 12th Century Islamic Fortress. We spent a blissful afternoon in the gloriously sunny surroundings of the gardens, punctuated with cooling water features and filled with the scent of spring and summer flowers in a cascading kaleidoscope of blooming colour. Eluding the sun for some shady relief was easy: the Arab Baths, the Mezquita and the Oil Mill were cool - and very interesting.

Any visit to the Alcázar must - without fail - take in the Camara Oscura, an innovative feature that really is worth the few Euros it costs to see. We were taken to the highest point of the Palacio Villavicencio, another highlight of the Alcázar complex, and ushered into a private room with about ten other people where we gathered round what looked like a large white satellite dish. The lights were turned off, and our guide introduced us to this innovative 'camera' which uses refracting lenses to give a panoramic, real-time view of Jerez. It was amazing! We could see exactly what was going on at the time across the city: people walking, sitting chatting - even waiting for a bus! As our guide placed a folded card onto the screen, we giggled as she appeared to 'scoop up' wandering tourists and then put them back down again totally unaware of what had just happened. She warned, 'be careful what you do in Jerez, someone may be watching you!'

Another highlight of Jerez is the Fundación Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre (The Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art - http://www.realescuela.org/), known worldwide for its unique show "How the Andalucian Horses Dance". The show takes place every Tuesday and Thursday, and Fridays in August only, at 12pm. Unfortunately, during my short stay, the school was closed.

Walking through the pretty cobbled streets of Jerez where there was an orange tree-lined square at almost every turn, we would never go hungry. Tapas were the name of the game here; in fact, it is so much considered the staple diet, that we hardly saw any proper restaurants at all. The best tapas we sampled were at the famous Gallo Azul. It was standing room only on the night of Easter Thursday, but we tucked our elbows in and literally rubbed shoulders with the Spanish, joining them for dishes of duck in plum sauce, smoked salmon and cream cheese terrine, octopus on paprikered potatoes and something that involved tuna and puff pastry - we didn't catch the name - but it certainly tasted good washed down with a cold cerveza.

Mention must also be made of the city's Flamenco heritage. The Flamenco Centre, with its studios and museum, must be on the itinerary of anyone who harbors a passion for this art. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to visit, but as we tapas-hopped our way around Jerez in the evening, ducking down some of the quieter back streets, we stumbled upon some alluring bars adorned with Flamenco-inspired artefacts. This is where we witnessed impromptu Flamenco shows: the real, raw type that pounded passion into the wooden floors and lead us into a state of duende. How far removed these shows were from the glossy tourist exhibitions on the costas.

One last thing to mention about Jerez - shoe shops - in abundance! In every block, I saw a shoe shop. There were even separate stores dedicated to certain types of shoe - men's, ladies', children's; shoes for walking, shoes for sports and shoes for just standing and looking pretty! Flat shoes, high-heeled shoes, pointy toes and peep-toes. There was even one shop devoted to pink shoes!

Jerez de la Frontera is the perfect place to visit if you are looking for a few days of Spanish culture. It has its own airport only fifteen minutes from the centre of the city, and is easily accessible by train and bus from the nearby major cities.

Jerez - taste the sherry; sample the tapas; experience the equestrian art; feed your soul with fine Flamenco - and make an addition or two to your shoe collection!

You can find out more about the city by visiting http://www.turismojerez.com/

Sarah McInerney (Sarah Mac) is an experienced copywriter with a passion for well written, compelling work. Sarah is happy to take on any writing project: she has already written for a range of markets: travel; legal; engineering; hair care; beauty & natural remedies.

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