Postcard Spain conjures up images of tree-lined boulevards that wind their way to sandy beaches, restaurants full of paella, live guitar performances and a soundtrack of corks popping and glasses clinking. That’s the Spain we all know and love but like we said, that’s postcard Spain. Deep in the south in Andalusia, this is all turned up to 10 and beyond and in the whitewashed city of Jerez de la Frontera, you encounter a Spain longed for by many. So, if you’re new to MotoGP, first of all: welcome. If you’re not, then you already know how special Jerez is but this is more for those who will find themselves there for the first time or are thinking of coming – think no more, get it booked.
First things first, fast facts about Jerez. Not one of Andalusia’s bigger cities but by no means tiny, it houses over 200,000 people but welcomes over 100,000 international tourists every year, not to mention nearly double that in domestic visitors. There’s little wonder why either; Jerez is one of the most underrated cities in Spain and its historic centre, brimmed with restaurants and bars, is a white-walled colonial masterpiece of a city. A walk around Jerez is like juice for the eyes: something to look at in every street and never tiring year on year.
It sits in the historic Cadiz Province, home to the city of the same name which used to be an island. Then there’s the other jewels in the Cadiz Province crown and just a stone’s throw from Jerez itself, including Vejer de la Frontera, Arcos de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Alcala de los Gazules, El Puerto de Santa Maria and for nature loves, Guadalcacin. We could go on all day about what makes this part of Spain special but if you find yourselves at the Spanish GP and having enjoyed Jerez with days to spare, venture into what is a Spain that time forgot.
Back to Jerez and no visit to the city is complete without trying the drink that shares the same name but in English, is what we call sherry. Produced primarily from Palomino grapes before being fortified with spirits after fermentation and aged using a solera system of mixing younger wines with older vintages to ensure quality and flavour, it must be produced in the “sherry triange” to be called sherry. The sherry triangle consists of Jerez, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria, places we mentioned above for you check out. As for sherry tasting, the iconic place has to be Tio Pepe, the icon of Jerez the world over.
If you’re not too clattered by the sherry tasting – or if drinking isn’t your thing – then Jerez’s other legacy traditions aren’t far away: horses and flamenco. The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art has preserved one of Andalusia’s traditions of horsemanship since its founding in 1973 and helps prepare both horse and rider for major international dressage competitions. It’s standing is so high that it’s one of the “big four” riding academies and of the most prestigious in the world. Often regarded as the highlight of Jerez, be sure to get yourself visiting one of the iconic institutions of the equestrian world. As for Flamenco, we’re not going to enter the debate of whether Jerez is or isn’t the birthplace of this UNESCO protected dance, we’ll let the locals sort that but what we can say is when in Jerez, get yourself to a show. There’s an abundance of options in the city centre so take your seat, get the drinks, devour the jamon and cheese and enjoy the spectacle.
However, Jerez is also a sporting city. Yes, it has a two football clubs and likewise two national football icons in Kiko Narvaez (1990s Spain national team and Atletico Madrid centre forward and who has a sports centre named after him) and Dani Guiza (2008 Euros winner as well as Mallorca and Getafe stalwart) but the sport in this part of Spain is motorcycle racing. MotoGP has been coming to Jerez every year since 1987 and has seen numerous home heroes on top of the world since. The streets come alive when we touch down, so expect noise, party and anything with an engine to be revving away long into the night. Those of you coming to the track on Sunday, be in the stands for 6am to avoid queues but also to join the lights show and soak up the atmosphere that culminates in lights out at 14:00, it’s remarkable.
Jerez really is the best way to start our European stint and on Sunday morning, whatever the hour, we’ll all wish you were here.