Cadiz to Jerez and El Puerto de Santa Maria: Day trip

Starting as a Phoenician colony called Xera about 3,000 years ago, the city was Ceret under Roman rule, and Sheres or Xeres when it became an Arabic fortress. Under Catholic rule, it prospered greatly by trading its famous wines with England. The Muslims left a deep mark on the town, as the medieval Alcázar and the Mosque attest. Within the walled enclosure of the Mosque, visitors can also find the Arab Baths and the Olive Garden, with its cisterns and fountains. The Baroque palace of Villavicencio, built upon the ruins of an Islamic palace, has the city's tallest tower, which allows visitors to view landmarks through a camera obscura. The 15th century Church of Santiago houses works attributed to La Roldana. Visitors can get a closer look at the local culture at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, or lunch with tapas and sherry.