El Puerto de Santa Maria is a small city full of charm located approximately 20 minutes away from Cádiz. It doesn’t matter if you only have a day to get to know its best spots or if you have decided to spend your entire holidays here. At TUDESTINO we have an ideal plan that will help you make use of everything El Puerto has to offer. Today, we are bringing you 10 must-see spots in this beautiful city.
-
- Castillo de San Marcos (The Castle of Saint Mark)
- Bodegas Osborne
- Iglesia Mayor Prioral
- Palacio de Aranibar
- Mercado de Abastos
- Puerto Sherry
- Beach of la Muralla
- Parque Natural Los Toruños (Natural Park Los Toruños)
- A boat trip to Cadiz
- Wines and tapas in El Puerto
The most iconic spots in El Puerto
In the very heart of the city, you will find the Castle of Saint Mark (Castillo de San Marcos), an emblematic monument of El Puerto. The viewpoints in the towers of this impressive fortress offer unique views of the city. The interior of the Castle conserves remains of an Arab mosque and marvelous gardens from the same period. The castle built by Alfonso X the Wise today forms part of the Wine Cellars Caballero, where the visitors can taste some of the best wines from this part of Spain.
Continuing on the wine route, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Osborne Wine Cellars. These cellars rich in tradition allow the tourists to get to know their history and the winemaking process up close. This tour is followed by a winetasting of excellent Sherry.
Another iconic monument, raising in the heights of El Puerto de Santa María, is the Mayor Prioral Church. The church stands out for its mix of gothic, baroque and renaissance styles. We advise you to book a guided tour of this imposing temple and see the medieval image of the patron saint of the city, Our Lady of Miracles.
If you want to learn more about Spain’s colonial past, visit the mansions of the shippers to the Indies. El Puerto de Santa María was one of the important ports between Spain and its colonies. This is why the city conserves various mansions, homes of the rich merchants built during this period. If you don’t have enough time to see all of them, go for the Palace of Aranibar with its elegant garden decorated with columns made from Italian marble.
To experience the life in El Puerto de Santa María firsthand, take to the Abastos Market. This market has a lot of food stalls with excellent fresh products from the region that you can take home as a souvenir. Here, you can also breathe in the local atmosphere while you make a break in one of the many bars in the area.
The sports enthusiasts can easily spend an entire day in the sports complex of Port Sherry. This sports port provides sailing classes, and it’s also a good place for a relaxing walk. Its restaurants provide a great gastronomic offer.
Not far from the Port Sherry is one of the best beaches in El Puerto, Beach of la Muralla. On this small picturesque beach, the remains of the Castle of Santa Catalina will shade you from the sun. The beach of la Muralla is a peaceful spot, perfect for spending a day with your family.
If you enjoy active holidays, you shouldn’t miss the Natural Park Los Toruños. You can ride a bicycle along over 30 kilometres of the Park or do some hiking without going far from the beach. The visitors who haven’t had an opportunity to see the dunes will be taking home some spectacular photos from Los Toruños.
Remember that you can always take a day trip to Cádiz from El Puerto de Santa María. In just half an hour a boat will take you from El Puerto to the oldest city in Europe, full of history, music and tradition.
Returning to El Puerto de Santa María, try some traditional tapas in one of the city’s many bars and restaurants. In the famous streets Rivera del Rio and Ribera del Marisco you will find dishes for all the tastes. Once here, have a glass of one of the local wines that will make you fall for this beautiful coastal city all over again.
