El Puerto de Santa María
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Overview
When you're surrounded by such cultural luminaries as Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera and Seville, it's easy to overlook the small print; such is the fate of El Puerto de Santa María, despite its collection of well-known icons. Osborne sherry, with its famous bull logo (a highly recognisable symbol of Spain), was founded and retains its headquarters here, as do half a dozen other sherry bodegas. With its abundance of sandy blond beaches, tempting cuisine, sherry wineries and smattering of architectural heirlooms, El Puerto can seem like southern Andalucía in microcosm. It's an easy day trip from Cádiz or Jerez.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
El Puerto de Santa María
Creator of the legendary black-bull logo still exhibited on life-size billboards all over Spain (now without the name), Osborne is El Puerto's best-known…
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El Puerto de Santa María
Four blocks southwest of Plaza de España is El Puerto’s grand Plaza de Toros, built in 1880 with room for 15,000 spectators and still one of Andalucía’s…
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El Puerto de Santa María
An intimate, family-run, 1838-founded sherry bodega, right beside the catamaran dock. Tours (1½ hours) end with a six-wine tasting, which can include…
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El Puerto de Santa María
Heavily restored in the 20th century and now owned by Bodegas Caballero, El Puerto's castle was constructed over an Islamic mosque by Alfonso X El Sabio…
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El Puerto de Santa María
Two blocks inland from Plaza Alfonso X El Sabio, this foundation has interesting, thoughtfully displayed exhibits on Rafael Alberti (1902–99), one of…
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El Puerto de Santa María
Popular Playa de Valdelagrana, on the eastern side of the Río Guadalete, is backed by high-rise hotels and apartments and a strip of bars and restaurants…
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El Puerto de Santa María
A 1.5km walk southwest of central El Puerto, pine-fringed Playa de la Puntilla is the town's most immediately accessible beach. Buses 1 and 2 (€1.20) run…
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El Puerto de Santa María
About 6km northwest of town, beyond the northwestern end of Playa de Santa Catalina, lies busy, gold-tinged Playa Fuentebravía, served by bus 6 from the…
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