Town · Costa Noroeste · Cádiz province

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

The home of manzanilla sherry, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir facing Doñana National Park, famous for its seafood.

Why visit Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Sanlúcar sits where the Guadalquivir meets the Atlantic, looking across the river to the dunes and forests of Doñana National Park. Its sea breezes and humidity give manzanilla, the lightest and most delicate of sherries, its character, and the town is filled with bodegas. Magellan's expedition left from here in 1519 to sail around the world. Sanlúcar suits food and wine lovers, nature lovers and anyone wanting a characterful Andalusian town that still feels local.

What to see and do in Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Visit a manzanilla bodega: Barbadillo, whose Manzanilla Museum explains the wine's history, Hidalgo La Gitana and Delgado Zuleta all offer tours. In the upper town, the Palacio de Orleans y Borbón, the castle of Santiago and the church of Nuestra Señora de la O are worth the climb. From the riverside quarter of Bajo de Guía, boats cross into Doñana for guided trips through dunes, marshes and pine forest. Each August, horse races run along the beach at low tide, a tradition dating from 1845. Golfers have the La Luna de Doñana course. Chipiona, with its lighthouse, and Jerez are short drives away.

A day in Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Tour a manzanilla bodega in the morning and walk the upper town's palaces and churches. Lunch on langoustines in Bajo de Guía, then take an afternoon boat trip into Doñana. Return for tortillitas de camarones in the main square.

Food and local life

Seafood is outstanding. Eat langoustines and fish facing the river in Bajo de Guía, where Casa Bigote is a classic, and try tortillitas de camarones at Casa Balbino in the main square. Pair everything with a glass of manzanilla, and visit the Mercado de Abastos in the morning.

Around Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Sanlúcar is the main town of the Costa Noroeste comarca. Chipiona and Rota have more beaches, Doñana National Park lies across the river, and Jerez is 30 minutes inland. Sanlúcar is also the starting point for many tours of Doñana and of the marshes of the Guadalquivir. In late spring, the town's manzanilla fair fills the riverside with music, horses and wine.

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Getting there and around

Sanlúcar is in the Costa Noroeste comarca, about 30 minutes by car from Jerez and its airport and 1 hour 30 minutes from Seville. Buses run to Jerez, El Puerto and Seville. Book Doñana boat trips in advance. The beach races take place in August; spring and autumn are pleasant for walking the town.