A Postcard from Spain
- Helen Bateman
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Last weekend we went to Jerez de la Frontera in sunny Spain, for the Sherry Marathon. Jerez is under 90mins from Seville by train. Think cobbled streets, whitewashed & yellow buildings, deep purple jacaranda and hot pink bougainvillea in full bloom. Jerez is the home of sherry, the famous Andalusian white horses and lively flamenco. There is also a sense that life should be lived at a slower pace.
A couple of assumptions
I made a couple of assumptions that didn’t quite work out for this trip, but as I'm a Travel Designer, please let’s keep this between us. In my defence, I was trying to be spontaneous and not over-plan.
The first assumption was that we could just turn up and hop on any of the frequent trains between Seville and Jerez. In reality, seat reservations were mandatory, so we had to wait a few hours for the next available service. Not a major issue, we explored the Palacio de las Dueñas. A magical 15th-century palace built in Renaissance style, full of courtyards, gardens, pictures and stories.
I’d also underestimated the need to book ahead. With so many sherry bodegas, flamenco shows & the Equestrian Centre, I’d assumed we could visit as and when we felt like it. However, this was not the case and we had to wait a day for the next available sherry tour. Anyway, even with these hiccups we still had an amazing time.
Home of sherry
With a bit of reshuffling we booked a sherry tasting which ran in both Spanish and English explaining the history and processing. We walked around the huge American oak barrels of sherry, brandy and vinegar, each cellar with a very distinct aroma. With the translations, the tour took quite a long time. A German couple asked what we thought, they had visited a few of the larger, older bodegas and said they'd been to better, but like us, they hadn’t planned ahead and missed the reservations for the larger bodegas of Tio Pepe and Tradicion. We still enjoyed ourselves and worked through the different sherries on offer. We all agreed that the cream sherry was the best. The German couple were travelling Spain for a couple of months in a campervan, which felt like the right idea. They were sold on Spain's affordable wine and tapas, and the easy going days. They made us quite envious that we only had a couple of days.
Later that evening a waiter told us we should have come the following week for the horse fair. He said it would be a real spectacle. He didn’t seem impressed when Nick said we were there for the marathon, and less so when he explained that he couldn't run due to an injury.
Jerez is ideal for lazy days wandering the city, there’s impressive architecture and fading grandeur around every corner of the old city, evidence of restoration works in various stages, colourful cathedrals and the old Alcázar dominates one section. Alcázar de Jerez de la Frontera is certainly worth a visit. You can climb the walls and watchtowers, wander through the old baths with stars cut into the stone roof for ventilation, and explore the gardens and halls. Striking in its build quality, compacted mud and sandstone, it's fabulous.
Bikers & Runners - The JJP Sherry Marathon
Jerez feels like a town making a conscious effort to build its tourism, promoted as Spain's Gastronomical Centre, the home of the dancing white horses of Andalusia, flamenco and tapas. Certainly the back-to-back events, renovations and the regularly cleaned streets, all point to a destination keen to offer a warm welcome.
Even though we visited on a public holiday, the weekend had a quiet feel. We were there for the Sherry Marathon, which also included 68km & 48km bike rides. This is a chance to ride and run through the famous vineyards. Lots of Lycra-clad cycling groups and runners could be seen sporting their medals and celebrating in the park around the Alcázar and later sitting in the pavement cafes.
Food - Tapas & wine
It makes a refreshing change to order a beer or wine for just a few euros, often accompanied by tapas. This region has excellent cold cuts, seafood and fish on the menu. Vegetarians should definitely plan ahead for evening meals, I have eaten a LOT of cheese and patatas bravas!
Nick sampled two of Jerez’s signature dishes, one was a chickpea stew with chorizo & black sausage, and the other was Riñones al Jerez, which was a stewed kidney in sherry dish. He was so impressed he ordered the same meal twice.
Cádiz - Andalusia’s historic port
Just under an hour away is the bright seaside town of Cadiz, a once important trading port and home to the staggering Cádiz Cathedral and beautiful merchant houses. Climb the steps to the top of Torre Tavira for a 360 degree view of the city, with all its splendid roof tops, towers and views of the Atlantic.
Cádiz is very walkable, and being on a peninsula is easy to navigate, though the streets of the old town are winding. Lots of pavement cafes, dogs in brightly coloured harnesses (I think the Spanish share the UKs love for pets), buskers and a faint smell of sweet churros in the air. We had a couple of hours to explore, so a wander around the old town, the tower and a al fresco lunch fitted in nicely.
Seville
Our five days were over in a flash and we could’ve easily spent more exploring Seville. On our final afternoon we wandered through the Santa Cruz area and around the beautiful cathedral and Alcázar. There was a noticeably busier and more vibrant atmosphere in Seville, lots of people and more going on. It was a nice contrast from our relaxing time in the south.
I’ve learned that a bit of extra planning goes a long way in Spain: trains, sherry tours and shows should be booked in advance. But It's ok for things not to go right all the time and we’ve seen a laid back, local side of Spain, with a proud heritage, and people keen to share and celebrate their traditions. I think both Nick and I are now keen to explore more of Spain's off-the-beaten track destinations.
Key Takeaways:
Trains are a great way to explore, check if your train needs advance seat reservations.
If there are any activities you’d like to do; sherry tasting, dancing horses, flamenco - book ahead!
It’s well worth exploring some of the lesser known parts of Spain.
Have you travelled through southern Spain by train, or is it somewhere you’d like to explore? I’d love to hear your favourite spots and recommendations.
Firecrest Travel
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