Jerez De La Frontera HOTELS

 JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA , inland towards Sevilla, is the home and heartland of sherry (itself an English corruption of the town's Moorish name - Xerez ) and also, less known but equally important, of Spanish brandy. An elegant and prosperous town, it's a tempting place to stop, arrayed as it is round the scores of wine bodegas with plenty of sights to visit in between. Life is lived at a fairly sedate pace for most of the year here, although things liven up considerably when Jerez launches into one or other of its two big festivals - the May Horse Fair (perhaps the most snooty of the Andalucian ferias ), or the celebration of the vintage towards the end of September. Jerez is also famous throughout Spain for a long and distinguished flamenco tradition and if you're interested in finding out more about AndalucA­a's great folk art then a visit to the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco , Plaza de San Juan (Mon 9am-2pm, Tues-Fri 9am-2pm & 5-7pm; free), in the atmospheric gitano quarter, the Barrio de Santiago, is a must; here you can see videos of past greats and get information on flamenco venues in the town.

The tours of the sherry and brandy processes can be interesting - almost as much as the sampling that follows - and, provided you don't arrive in August when much of the industry closes down, there are a great many firms and bodegas to choose from. The visits are conducted either in English (very much the second language of the sherry world) or a combination of English and Spanish and last for about an hour. Jerez's "big two" are GonzElez Byass , c/Manuel GonzElez s/n (tours: March-Sept Mon-Sat 9.30am-1pm & 5-7pm, Sun 9.30am-1pm; rest of year ring the bodega for hours; book in advance on 956 357 016, English spoken, or www.gonzalezbyass.es/ ; e¬6) makers of the famous Tio Pepe brand and the more central, and Pedro Domecq , c/San Ildefonso 3 (tours: Mon-Fri 9am-1.30pm & 5-7pm; advance booking on 956 151 500 or www.domecq.es/ ; e¬3 morning visits, e¬4.50 afternoon) producers of La Ina ; besides manufacturing sherry both bodegas are major brandy producers, too. Many of these firms were founded by British Catholic refugees, barred from careers at home by the sixteenth-century Supremacy Act, and even now they form a kind of Anglo-Andalucian tweed-wearing and polo-playing aristocracy (on display, most conspicuously, at the Horse Fair). The GonzElez cellars - the soleras - are perhaps the oldest in Jerez and, though it's no longer used, preserve an old circular chamber designed by Eiffel (of the tower fame). If you feel you need comparisons, you can pick up a list of locations and opening times of the other bodegas from the turismo or from any travel agent in the centre when this is closed.

The most attractive of the town's buildings - including the imposing Gothic-Renaissance Catedral de San Salvador (daily 5.30-8pm and morning service, or ring 956 348 482) and the impressive eleventh-century Moorish AlcEzar (daily: May-Sept 10am-8pm; Oct-April 10am-6pm; e¬1.50) next to the GonzElez bodega - are within a couple of minutes' walk of the central Plaza del Arenal. An excellent Archeological Museum (June-Aug 10am-2.30pm, closed Mon; Sept-May Tues-Fri 10am-2pm & 4-7pm, Sat & Sun 10am-2.30pm; e¬1.50) lies five minutes north of the centre in the Plaza del Mercado on the edge of the Barrio de Santiago; star exhibits include a seventh-century BC Greek military helmet, a Visigothic sarcophagus and a fine Caliphal bottle vase. Evidence of Jerez's great enthusiasm for horses can be seen at the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art , Avda. Duque de Abrantes s/n, which offers the chance to watch them performing to music (Thurs noon; March-Oct also Tues noon; tel 956 319 635; e¬12-18). Training, rehearsals (without music) and visits to the stables take place on other weekdays between 11am and 1pm, when admission is a more affordable e¬6.