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Sanlúcar is also noted for its horse racing which dates back to 1845
Jo Quintero reports...
Situated at the northern tip of the sherry triangle,
8 km from Cphipiona, the delightful small town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda
is flanked by the Guadalquivir estuary. The speciality tipple here
is the distinctive manzanilla wine, which acquires its dry, slightly
salty tang from the seaside environment and the moist poniente wind.
The town is equally famed for its excellent seafood, for which manzanilla
is (coincidentally!) the ideal accompaniment.
 The town dates back to Roman times. Later the Moors
built a defensive fort here which evolved into a major port under
the Catholics. Columbus set sail from Sanlúcar in 1498 and,
a few decades later, the Portuguese, Ferdinand Magellan set off
to circumnavigate the globe from here, in search of a westerly route
to the spice islands of Indonesia. Unfortunately, he was killed
by local Indians in the Philippines. Today, the town is divided
into the older quarter, the Barrio Alto where most of the interesting
sights can be seen and the newer Barrio Bajo, closer to the river.
The Sanlúcar beaches are also magnificent and stretch several
kilometres to the south-west, while the former port and fishing
quarter, the Bajo de Guía is unsurprisingly where some of
the best seafood restaurants can be found.
Ferry from Playa Bajo de Guia over the river to the Parque Nacional de Doņana.
You can also catch the ferry from Playa Bajo de
Guia over the river to the Parque
Nacional de Doñana. This is a spectacle in the days leading
up to Rocio when the pilgrims
cross the river with their horses here at the end of the tree-lined
Calzada del Ejército.
The heart of the old town is Plaza del Cabildo,
a delightful, palm-fringed square lined with bars and restaurants.
Just north is the Plaza de San Roque where the daily market is held.
Nearby is the 15th century Iglesia de la Trinidad with its magnificent
Mudéjar ceiling. Carry on uphill and you reach the neo-Mudejár
Palacio de Orleáns y Borbón, now the ayuntamiento
with its flamboyant neo-Mudéjar architecture and public library
in the gardens. In the same area is the exquisite Iglesia de Nuestra
Señora de la O, in the small Plaza de la Paz. This church
dates back to the 13th century but the doorway is pure 16th century
Mudejár depicting lions bearing coats of arms. This church
also has an unusual three-tier belfry from where there are magnificent
views of the town. Adjoining the church is the gracious Palacio
de los Duques de Medina Sidonia, the former home of the aristocratic
family who once owned the majority of Spain! The Duchess of Medina
Sidonia, a descendant of the notorious Guzman El Bueno of Tarifa,
still lives here, better known as the 'Red Duchess' as a result
of her forthright political views. At the time of writing, the palace
is an exclusive guesthouse and not open to the general public.
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| Sanlucar the home of Manzanilla. |
Another interesting church in Sanlúcar is the Iglesia
San Francisco which was built by Henry V111 of England as a hospital
for British sailors while he was married to Catherine of Aragon.
A short distance away is the quirky Museo del Mar Las Caracolas
with an exhibition comprising objects retrieved from the sea and
beach. The town's ruined castle is currently closed for restoration
works and stands amidst the buildings of the Barbadillo sherry company.
This is the town's largest sherry firm and there are weekly tours
every Thursday, taking place at noon. The bodega produces four varieties
of sherry - a fino, olorosa, pasada and solear muy vieja, plus an
excellent table wine.
Sanlúcar is also noted for its horse racing
which dates back to 1845 and takes place along a 2,000 stretch of
beach at the mouth of the Río Guadalquivir during the month
of August, daily from 6.00 pm, on the 2nd and 4th weekends of the
month (Thursday to Saturday). This is a thrilling spectacle where
real racehorses thunder across the sand watched by a large noisy
crowd of spectators. There is nothing amateur about this event and
you can expect to see spectator stands, bookmakers, paddocks and,
of course, the winners´enclosure. Now an international event
with horses from other European countries taking part and many famous
names amongst the spectators. This is a serious competition, the
total prize money amounts to millions of Euros. Most of the prize
money is awarded during the last weekend.
Another important festival for the town is the Feria
de la Manzanilla in early June which leads up to the Noches
de Bajo de Guía flamenco season, classical and jazz festivals
and the occasional top rate concert.
Restaurants
Recommended seafood restaurants include Casa Bigote,
located on the waterfront at Bajo de Guía and well known
for its succulent prawns and delicious paella. Other excellent seafood
restaurants include Arante Claro and Casa Juan. There are lots of
café and bar choices around Plaza del Cabildo, including
Casa Balbino for seafood tapas. Places to stay include the Hotel
Los Helechos (tel 956 361 349), a stylish and relaxing hideaway
in the centre of town with two pretty courtyards and Hotel Tartaneros
(956 362 044), a former mansion with gracious comfortable rooms.
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