48 Hours in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain – Bodegas, Buleria and Bridles of Andalucia

Andalucia!  The beautiful region in Spain along its southern coast famous for beaches, surfing, bullfighting, and flamenco. The most well-known cities are Seville, Granada, Malaga and Cordoba offering beautiful architecture, delicious foods and wines and much to see.

My first stop in Andalucia was to Jerez de la Frontera, or simply, “Jerez”.  Pronounced “Herez”, “Hereth”, “Heress” – among others! – this beautiful gem of a town is worth seeing.  I loved that it was not touristy and I met zero Americans in this tiny town.  Because it’s not much of a tourist destination, not much English is spoken – but everyone is friendly and helpful.  If you only have a few days, here’s what I’d recommend:

Bridles.  As in, horses.  You must visit the Real Escuela de Arte Equestre – The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts.  Perhaps you’ve seen these magnificent horses perform in the Olympics.  Or on TV.  Their distinctive and amazing high-stepping dance-like moves are spectacular to see.  The School offers a performance a few times a week – make sure to check their calendar to time your visit with the ability to see a show if possible.  During my time in Jerez, I was unable to see the show, but still could do a tour to visit the stables, see the students and the horses practicing in the arena, and view the museum, gardens and palace. So sorry I wasn’t able to see the actual show!

Bodegas.  A bodega is a cellar, specifically a sherry cellar in this region.  Sherry is synonymous with Jerez, and Jerez is part of the “Sherry Triangle” in this area of Andalucia.  The intense Spanish heat and the warmth of the sun are captured in this fortified sweet wine, and there are three different types of sherry – dry, naturally sweet, and sweet. As port is to Porto, so sherry is to Jerez.  There are many sherry cellars in Jerez, the most famous being Tio Pepe.  I visited Sandeman’s Bodega, where you can choose a tour, a tasting of three different varieties of sherry, or a tasting with tapas (appetizers/snacks).  Y’all know I love wine.  And I love tasting new kinds of wine…this is certainly a wonderful way to spend a few hours learning about how sherry is made, how the wines are mixed in the barrels as they age, and to enjoy a type of wine, definitely overlooked in the USA , but seriously delicious, complex and delightful.

Bulería – flamenco songs.  Jerez is known as the birthplace of flamenco song. Not only the iconic “woman-in-a-polkadot-dress-stomping-her-feet” type of flamenco dance, but the songs themselves.  Ask around – at your hotel, your hostel or ask a local – and they’ll tell you to head over to Tabanco El Pasaje for authentic, real flamenco and tapas. Tabanco means “tavern” or “bar” and El Pasaje means “crossing” or “ticket” or “passageway”.  El Pasaje, in business since 1925, certainly is a passageway to the heart of Jerez, where sherry is served, tapas are delicious and the music is intense and heartfelt.  The place is tiny – maybe 12 tables? and it fills up right before the performance (which is free – many flamenco places charge for the show, but this place does not.)  I love that the bartender kept track of my purchases with chalk on the corner of the bar. The guitarist, dancer and the impassioned singer fill the room with the melancholy strains of this traditional music which has roots as far back as the 1400s telling of sorrows, joys, suffering and life in the lives of the Andalusians. With Moorish, Gypsy and Spanish roots, the music will fill your soul with the emotions and power, whether you understand the lyrics or not.

All in all, Jerez de la Frontera is a charming and welcoming town to spend time in – wander around the cobblestone streets, look up to find mosaics of the Virgin Mary and Jesus on many corners, pop into a church to see the beauty within, duck down a side street and see what you can find – and enjoy the very reasonably priced delicious foods and drinks everywhere you go.

Don’t be satisfied with the stories that come before you; unfold your own myth. ~ rumi