Things To Do in El Puerto de Santa Maria

This deep-water port has a long and storied history. Columbus’s flagship, the Santa María, sailed from here, and a plaque on the 13th-century Castillo de San Marcos (tel. 95-685-17-51; 10€ adults, 5€ children; daily 10am–4pm, 8pm in summer) honors local mariners who took part in the 1492 voyage. It was ordered constructed by Alfonso X against future Muslim invasions from North Africa. Later it was the address of the duke of Medinaceli, who welcomed Columbus here but refused to finance his journey, thinking it impractical. It was within these walls that Juan de la Cosa drew the first map ever to include the New World.

El Puerto grew wealthy as a merchant town trading with the New World, earning the nickname ciudad de los cien palacios (city of a hundred palaces), some of which still stand, embellished with family coats of arms. The tourist office, Plaza Alfonso El Sabio (tel. 95-648-37-15) occupies one such palace.

Today, Santa María is a low-key port filled with shrimpers and deep-water tuna boats, a tourist destination for Spanish families with lovely beaches nearby, and headquarters to some prestigious sherry houses. It also has Spain’s third most important bullring after Madrid and Sevilla, and it is said that the first bullfight posters were produced here: Plaza de Toros, Plaza de Elías Ahuja, (tel. 60-365-48-60. Mon and Wed–Fri 10am–2pm)

Osborne, Calle los Moros, 7 (tel. 95-686-91-00), has the best-known bodega in town. Famous for its black bull logo, it is also Spain’s largest producer of brandy. Guided tours of the winery take place in English every day at 10am, from 22€ with sherry tastings. Book online in advance. Dating from 1880, the ring was the gift of a local sherry producer, Thomas Osborne, who designed it to seat 12,816 people, the exact population of the town in those days.

Washington Irving spent the fall of 1828 here at Calle Palacios 57. These houses can be viewed only from the outside.Although Jerez is a far more appealing destination for bodega hopping, you can also visit Terry at Calle Tonelernos 1 (tel. 95-685-84-74; www.bodegasterry.com). Wine tastings are only conducted Monday to Thursday at 10am and 12:30pm. Admission is 8€ ($13). Another sherry bodega of interest is Osborne-Bodega de Mora, Calle Los Moros 7 (tel. 95-686-91-00; www.osborne.es/rrpp). It's open Monday to Friday 10:30am to 12:30pm and charges 7€ ($11) for entrance.

On the site of an old mosque, Castillo de San Marcos, Plaza de Alfonso s/n (tel. 95-685-17-51), was built in the 13th century. Charging 5€ ($8) for adults, 2€ ($3.20) for children 17 and under for admission, tours are October to June Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 11:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:30pm; July to September, Tuesday to Saturday 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:30pm.