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 after he took the town in 1260. The original mosque inside, now converted into a church, is the highlight. Visits, in English or Spanish, last 1½ hours and end with a five-sherry tasting; book ahead.
Castillo de San Marcos
El Puerto de Santa María
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.6 MILES
An intriguing, evocative bodega, not only for its extra-aged sherries (at least 20, mostly 30 years old) but also because it houses the Colección Joaquín…
6 MILES
Cádiz' beautiful yellow-domed cathedral is an impressively proportioned baroque-neoclassical construction, best appreciated from seafront Campo del Sur in…
5.74 MILES
Admittedly a little dusty, the Museo de Cádiz is the province's top museum. Stars of the ground-floor archaeology section are two Phoenician marble…
0.19 MILES
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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26.68 MILES
About 7km northwest of Los Caños, lovely, long El Palmar beach has Andalucía's best board-surfing waves from about October to May. In summer it's busy…
7.58 MILES
Echoes of Seville colour Jerez' dramatic cathedral, a surprisingly harmonious mix of baroque, neoclassical and Gothic styles. Standout features are its…
6.34 MILES
Hugging the western side of the Barrio de la Viña, this small, popular golden city beach catches the eye with its mock-Moorish balneario (bathhouse). It's…
7.42 MILES
An enjoyable walk/jog along the promenade from the Barrio de Santa María, this fine, wide strip of Atlantic sand, with summer beach bars, starts 1km south…
Nearby El Puerto de Santa María attractions
0.14 MILES
Two blocks inland from Plaza Alfonso X El Sabio, this foundation has interesting, thoughtfully displayed exhibits on Rafael Alberti (1902–99), one of…
2. Fuente de las Galeras Reales
0.16 MILES
Built in 1735, the four-spouted Fountain of the Royal Galleys, by the riverfront, is where America-bound ships drew their water.
0.19 MILES
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…
0.25 MILES
El Puerto’s most splendid church, the 15th- to 18th-century Iglesia Mayor Prioral dominates Plaza de España with its intricately carved facade.
0.3 MILES
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…
0.37 MILES
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…
1.04 MILES
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…
1.33 MILES
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…