Caractéristiques
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Appartement
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3 chambres
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6 couchages
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1 salle de bain
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90 m² de superficie
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3 m² de terrasse
Divers
THE APARTMENT AND FACILITIES
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Modern, 3 bedroomed (sleeps 6) apartment in elegant Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, in the south of Spain. The apartment is in a select neighborhood, new block, with access to swimming pool (limited season: June to September) and secure parking. The apartment has all modern conveniences and is located just 10 minutes by bus from the centre of the city and within easy reach of beaches (15 mins by car) .
Everything in Jerez is within walking distance, the world famous Equestrian school and centuries of culture and architecture, all the local sights and experiences. The apartment provides the ideal combination of city and beach holiday, with all the advantages of both as well as being an excellent strategic base for visits to an array of towns and villages each with their distinct personalities on the white towns route or for the major cities of Seville and Cadiz, which are just 60 and 35 minutes drive respectively.
HISTORIC JEREZ
World famous for its wine industry, this ancient walled city has had the benefit of centuries of local aristocracy, the “Sherry Barons”. It has splendid churches and magnificent palaces, making it an interesting centre for architecture and art. The mild climate and rich lands have attracted many civilisations including Tratessues, Phoenician and Roman. The city walls, the narrow, winding cobbled streets and small squares were built before the 13th century.
The city became an important enclave between Castilla and Granada and from the 14th century onwards the city began to spread outside its walls. The wine is still produced in the traditional way in the famous dark barrels and the sherry companies have tours that explain the history and the processes. At Gonzales Byass there is a family of mice who thrive on the sherry, climbing a specially made ladder to reach the top of a glass for a tipple.
FLAMENCO
Jerez is known as the ‘cradle of flamenco’ because most of the famous flamenco singers were born here. The quarters, Santiago and San Miguel, are the origin of the greatest figures in this art and the places where the purest flamenco can be found. Jerez offers more than a dozen Penas Flamencas (flamenco clubs) for live music and the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco (Andalusian Flamenco Centre) is a living museum of the art.
In Feb/March every year there is a Festival of Flamenco where top artists and performers from around the world come and perform in some beautiful venues. Also in September the purists form of Flamenco Bulerias comes to town with further shows to delight the audience.
COMIDAS Y TAPAS
The people of Jerez have twin passions of food and flamenco and the range and standard of tapas and comidas, of local produce are unsurpassable. Situated just 15 minutes from the sea and surrounded by farmland, fish, seafood and meat are plentiful and fresh.
Small bars are everywhere, each proud of their speciality and it is traditional to move from bar to bar having a nibble at each. (Tapas originated as a small plate which bartenders would place on the top of a glass of sherry to stop the flies diving in. On the plate was placed a free sample of the food that could be purchased, maybe a chunk of Spanish omelette, or a strip of ham to ‘help the wine go down’.)
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
The Jerez festive calendar starts at Easter, in early spring when the city stops to enjoy the passing of icons of the Nazerines and hear sacred songs sung passionately in the flamenco style. Jerez is home to the Formula 1 motorcycle grand prix held in May in which the whole city is overrun by good humoured motorcycle enthusiasts and many outstanding vehicles.
The Feria de Jerez (Feria de Caballo) is held in early May, celebrating the inseparable relationships of this city of wine, music and horses. During the day there are spectacular dressage trials with Andalucian trimmings but these are (to my mind) easily outdone by the partying in the evenings, by thousands of local people dressed in traditional garb, known throughout the world as ‘flamenco costumes’; dancing and singing throughout the night in the special town constructed in the city park (a fun fair also rolls in for the week). It is said that the workers do not sleep for the whole week, staying awake only because of the magical powers of sherry and music.
Summer sees various festivals in Jerez itself and surrounding towns and villages - you should consult local information as many are moveable - and in September there is the Vendimia ( Wine Harvest Festival), in which wine has the leading role. At the same time is the Fiesta de Buleria, a festival of Jerez de la Frontera music and dance. Christmas celebrations take place on January 6th when traditional parades of the Reyes (Three Kings) go through the city distributing toys and sweets to crowds of children and families exchange gifts.
The Andalucian relationship with the horse is as old as time itself and for centuries, gypsies would earn a living by travelling to fairs with their performing horses. In Jerez, this was perfected to become an art form and at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art there are daily shows of the dancing horses, an extraordinary spectacle of the relationship between man and beast.
OUTSIDE OF JEREZ
For those wishing to explore this most entrancing region of Andalucia further, the ancient port of Cadiz (40 mins), ancient city of Seville (1 hr) and the beach community of El Puerto de Santa Maria (15 mins) are accessible by train or car.
In addition in each direction from the outskirts of Jerez there are small villages and towns, typical of the traditional image of Spain including the famed white towns and villages (pueblos blancos), sheltering from the hot sun amid a landscape of rugged mountains. Some of the best include Arcos, Ronda, Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra.
Amongst the beaches in easy reach are El Puerto de Santa Maria, Chipiona, Conil, Zahara de los Atunes and many more smaller ones.
Other activities can include
• Golf: Valderrama – headquarters of the Ryder Cup and Montecastillo (next to F1 track).
• Horse riding: Mountain or shoreside rides.
• Grand Prix: Formula 1 motorcycling at the Jerez speedway
• Skin-diving, sailing at the world-famous bay of Cadiz
• Windsurfing at Tarifa, one of the best spots in the world
FURTHER AFIELD
For those wishing to explore this most entrancing region further, the ancient port of Cadiz (35 mins), ancient city of Seville (60 mins) and the beach community of Puerto Santa Maria (15 mins) are accessible by train or car; and if you are driving, in each direction from the outskirts of Jerez there are small villages and towns, typical of the traditional image of Spain including the famed white towns and villages (pueblos blancos), sheltering from the hot sun amid a landscape of rugged mountains.
Amongst the beaches in easy reach are Puerto Santa Maria, Chipiona, Conil, Zahara and many more smaller ones.