Exploring Spain's enchanting Sherry Triangle

Jerez de la Frontera - The town's Bodegas González Byass is one of Spain's most famous wineries. Celebrity visitors have included Jean Cocteau, Orson Welles (who advertised sherry in his later years), and Steven Spielberg. You can see their autographs on a wine cask display set near the reception area. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Jerez de la Frontera - Step inside the Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera, a former Moorish palace. Be whisked back to the 12th century, and be sure to visit the Arabic bathhouse (pictured) and the mosque. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Jerez de la Frontera - Besides Bodegas González Byass, another winery worth investigating is Bodegas Tradición, known for its aged and beautifully smooth sherries and an extraordinary art collection, the Colección Joaquín Rivero.

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Jerez de la Frontera - Andalusia is flamenco country, and, if this dazzling and energetic dance is your thing, pop into the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco. Here you'll find out which tabancos host flamenco evenings, plus information on workshops in flamenco dance and singing. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Jerez de la Frontera - Every May, Jerez hosts a spectacular week-long horse fair. Expect plenty of horse-related activities, including international show jumping competitions, dressage displays, and horse rallies. And the purebreds? They just love to show off their equine finery.

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Jerez de la Frontera - During the day, González de Hontoria park fills with hundreds of costumed riders and carriages that drive through the showground. It's a charming spectacle, and the horses clearly love the attention.

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Jerez de la Frontera - A spot where sherry aficionados tend to pause is the monument to Manuel María González, founder of the González Byass winery. The firm produces the fino sherry Tío Pepe.

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Jerez de la Frontera - Another Jerez extravaganza is the annual wine harvest festival, which takes place in September. Celebrations honor wine, horses, and flamenco.

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Jerez de la Frontera - A festival must-see is the moment when workers tread the grapes in a squishy, collective stomp. Later, visitors can sample wines poured expertly by steady-handed venenciadores.

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Jerez de la Frontera - There are dozens of tapas bars in Jerez, all tempting the palate with some truly tasty and imaginative bites. Try Albores, a local favorite, or, for a more contemporary atmosphere, Albalá.

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Jerez de la Frontera - Spend time admiring the elaborately carved facade of the Iglesia de San Miguel before entering and feasting your eyes on the blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - In contrast to the cosmopolitan vibe that is Jerez, serene Sanlúcar de Barrameda exudes a far more laid-back atmosphere. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Set at the mouth of the River Guadalquivir, Sanlúcar is a popular summer hangout for Spaniards and those from further afield. Like Jerez, the destination is famous for its wines. Aptly, this is your second stop on the route. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Sanlúcar has put manzanilla on the map. This variety of fino sherry is renowned for its salty tang and distinctive floral notes, reminiscent of camomile.

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Set as it is on the coast, the town is also celebrated for its seafood. The most rewarding way to savor this ocean harvest is to nip into a traditional tapas bar (Casa Balbino is recommended) and order a selection of mouth-watering seafood bites.

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Sanlúcar's sightseeing options are fairly limited, but one attraction certainly worth investigating is the 15th-century Castle of Santiago. Besides housing a museum, the fortification offers sweeping views across the region from its sturdy walls.

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - For an ecclesiastical eye-opener, check out the ornate interior of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la O. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - If you visit Sanlúcar in August, you can catch one of the oldest horse races in Spain, and certainly the most unusual! It's run across the beach just before sunset.

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Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Sanlúcar was the point of departure for the 1519 expedition headed by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, which resulted in the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Earlier, in 1498, Christopher Columbus set off from here on his third voyage to the New World. (Photo: Wikimedia/Public Domain)

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Doñana National Park - Sanlúcar is located opposite Doñana National Park, which is good news for wildlife enthusiasts. If you're very lucky, you might catch sight of the elusive Iberian lynx. This beautiful, but endangered, cat is the most emblematic species of the park. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 3.0 ES)

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Doñana National Park -

Another animal closely associated with Doñana is the marismeño, or marsh horse, a rare breed of horse indigenous to the marshes of the Guadalquivir River.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

Wikimedia/Creative Commons

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El Puerto de Santa María - Your final stop along the Sherry Triangle is the quaint town of El Puerto de Santa María. Compact, but bursting with museums and monuments, its most imposing building is its bullring. Built in 1880, this is one of the largest structures of its kind in Spain. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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El Puerto de Santa María - Recognized for its distinctly British name, Bodegas Osborne is El Puerto's most well-known winery. Tasting tours are offered daily by the company, which created the iconic black bull logo still exhibited on billboards throughout the country. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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El Puerto de Santa María - El Puerto de Santa María owes it name to Alfonso X of Castile, who conquered the town from the Moors in 1260. A bust of the king greets visitors to Castillo de San Marcos. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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El Puerto de Santa María - The landmark Castillo de San Marcos stands on the site of an Islamic mosque, and was built shortly after El Puerto's capture from the Moors.

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El Puerto de Santa María - Ironically perhaps, the old mosque inside the castle, today a church, is the site's highlight. The fact that sherry tastings organized by Bodegas Caballero (who own the castle) take place here probably has something to do with the attraction's popularity.

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El Puerto de Santa María - Christopher Columbus' second expedition to the Americas departed near El Puerto in 1493. His pilot, cartographer, and sailor, Juan de la Cosa, drew his world map (pictured) in El Puerto in 1500—the earliest undisputed representation of the Americas. It's exhibited in Madrid's Naval Museum. (Photo: Wikimedia/Public Domain)

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El Puerto de Santa María -

If requested in advance, tapas and flamenco can accompany the six sherry tastings offered at Bodegas Gutiérrez Colosía. Otherwise, visitors can enjoy wines in the peace and quiet of this intimate, family-run bodega—a wholly conducive way to end your sojourn in the Sherry Triangle.

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Exploring Spain's enchanting Sherry Triangle

Wine, horses, flamenco, and a whole lot more!

10/02/20 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Sherry triangle

The three corners of Andalusia's Sherry Triangle are held together by a trio of sun-drenched destinations: Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. This feisty and fertile wedge of Spain offers visitors a unique blend of history and culture found nowhere else in the country.

Browse this gallery and soak in the color and flavor of this enchanting part of the world.