# Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Manzanilla bodegas with Sunday tours, a 15th-century castle, the Medina Sidonia palace and prawns at Bajo de Guía, facing Doñana.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sanlucar-de-barrameda · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Sanlúcar sits where the Guadalquivir opens out into the Atlantic. Doñana begins on the opposite bank, and on this side the town is split over two levels: the Barrio Alto, with the castle, the dukes' palace and the high bodegas where manzanilla is aged, and the Barrio Bajo, which runs down to the beach and the fish restaurants of Bajo de Guía. It is a town for taking slowly, having a glass in a warehouse among the barrels and eating prawns while you look out over the river.

## How to get there from Seville, Cádiz or Jerez

From Jerez it is about 25 minutes by road. From Cádiz, about 50 minutes via El Puerto de Santa María. From Seville, around an hour and twenty minutes on the motorway towards Jerez or via Las Cabezas de San Juan and Lebrija. From Huelva or Córdoba it is over two hours. These are our own estimates without traffic.

Without a car, Sanlúcar has no train: you get to Jerez station, on the Seville – Cádiz line, and continue on the Monbus bus. Damas links it with Chipiona and El Puerto. The nearest airport is Jerez, 25 km away.

## Where to park

The centre has a pedestrian zone, with calle Ancha and plaza del Cabildo, and the Barrio Alto is reached by narrow slopes. The La Calzada car park, next to the tourist office, on the promenade that leads down to Bajo de Guía, is the one the town council recommends. From there everything is within walking distance: ten minutes to the centre and about the same to the beach.

## What to do in a day

Start in the Barrio Alto. The 15th-century Castillo de Santiago opens at 10:00 and has a tower with views over the river mouth. Next door, Bodegas Barbadillo has the Museo de la Manzanilla, with free entry, and a guided tour with a tasting of three wines, which leaves at 12:00 on Sundays. If it is a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday, the palacio de los Duques de Medina Sidonia is shown with a guide at 11:00 and 12:00. Delgado Zuleta, a bodega since 1744, offers a tour with four wines every day at 12:00.

Head down to eat at Bajo de Guía: the row of fish restaurants facing the beach, including Casa Bigote, open Monday to Saturday, and Poma. In the afternoon, the boat to Doñana leaves from the Bajo de Guía landing stage and crosses to the national park; it is the shortest way in from the Cádiz bank. Or stay and watch the sunset over the river.

## How long do you need?

One day is enough for a bodega, the castle and a meal at Bajo de Guía. With a night you can fit in two bodegas, the palace and the boat to Doñana without rushing. If you are coming from Seville, combine it with Doñana and El Rocío, on the other bank, although by road they are more than two hours apart.

## When to go

Spring and autumn are the best seasons: pleasant walking temperatures and the Doñana marshes full of birds. In summer there is more life, and horse races are run on the beach, the oldest in Spain, declared of International Tourist Interest; check the dates on the website of the Sociedad de Carreras de Caballos de Sanlúcar. In winter some eateries close for a few weeks.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Doñana and El Rocío (a 41.2 km), Vejer de la Frontera and the Costa de la Luz (a 67.8 km), Sierra de Grazalema (a 87.6 km), Carmona (a 99.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Guided Visit to Bodegas Barbadillo with Manzanilla Tasting** (1 h 30 · Adults; children free · Desde 22 € per person): Manzanilla is aged only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Barbadillo opens its Barrio Alto cellars to visitors every day. The family settled in the city in 1821 and bottled its first manzanilla in 1827. The guided visit lasts an hour and a half, passes through its century-old cellars, next to Santiago Castle, and ends with a tasting of three of its most representative wines.
Among the casks, from La Catedral to San Guillermo
The tour enters the house's ageing cellars, such as the La Catedral or Arboledilla cellar and the San Guillermo one, among century-old casks. The guide tells the history of the Barbadillo family, which has been in the city for two centuries, and that of manzanilla. At the end you taste three of the house's wines, which the winery chooses from among the most emblematic.
The week's sessions and the price
There are visits every day. On Monday, at 12:00 and 13:00; Tuesday to Saturday, at 11:00 in English and at 12:00 and 13:00 in Spanish; on Friday there is also an evening session at 19:00. On Sunday, a single session at 12:00. It costs €22 per adult; under-13s enter free and the website sets the ticket for children over 13 at €5. Book on the Manzanilla Museum website, on 956 385 521 or at visitas@barbadillo.com.
For groups of ten or more there are private visits: the basic one at €30 per person, another with an Iberian aperitif at €40 and a two-hour introductory tasting course at €45.
The museum, free and with no set time
The Manzanilla Museum, from the same house, is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 19:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 15:00, with free admission. You can walk round on your own and finish at its wine bar. If you go early for the visit, go into the museum first.
The rest of the day in Sanlúcar
The winery is in the Barrio Alto, a few steps from Santiago Castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia. After tasting, walk down to Plaza del Cabildo or on to Bajo de Guía, where Casa Bigote serves prawns facing Doñana. That order (castle, Barbadillo and prawns) is that of this site's Saturday in Sanlúcar.
- **Santiago Castle** (1 h · All ages · €9.50 · €6 for ages 4 to 13 and over 65s · Mondays 16:00 to 17:00 free partial visit): The 15th-century fortress built by the House of Medina Sidonia at the top of the Barrio Alto, among the wine cellars. You tour it with an audio guide: courtyards, the Costume Museum, the Weapons Museum and the keep, from which you can see the mouth of the Guadalquivir and Doñana.
Opening hours and tickets
From 27 October to 30 November it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and Sundays and Mondays from 10:00 to 15:00; on Mondays from 16:00 to 17:00 there is a free partial visit. The ticket office closes an hour earlier. Admission with an audio guide costs €9.50, and €6 for children aged 4 to 13, over-65s and people with disabilities. There is a visit with virtual-reality glasses for €19.50 and, in July and August, a dramatised one. You buy online on its website.
Getting there
It is at Plaza del Castillo, 1, next to Bodegas Barbadillo. Walk up from Plaza del Cabildo by the slopes of the Barrio Alto.
With children and what to combine
The audio guide and the climb up the tower make it work for families; the virtual-reality glasses and, in summer, the dramatised visit, even more so. For questions, the castle answers on 956 92 35 00, on 637 83 48 46 and at info@castillodesantiago.com. Next door you have the Manzanilla Museum, with free admission, and a few minutes away the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia.
Its history
According to the castle itself, it was built between 1468 and 1492 by Enrique Pérez de Guzmán y Fonseca, 2nd Duke of Medina Sidonia, known as the Magnificent, more because of the struggles with other nobles, such as Rodrigo Ponce de León, than to watch over the river. It was called the Alcázar Nuevo because there was another alcázar further east. It was a ducal fortress until 1645; in 1853 it served as barracks for the escort of the Duke of Montpensier and was then abandoned. Once owned by the Town Council, it was used as a hospital and a canteen, and gradually deteriorated until in 2003 a competition awarded its restoration with private funds; the works finished in 2015. On the Puerta de la Sirena and in the vault of the Aula Maior you will see the segur (axe) carved in stone, a heraldic symbol of the house.
Other rates
For Sanlúcar residents, admission with an audio guide costs €6, the same as the reduced rate. The visit with virtual-reality glasses is for over-8s: €19.50, or €16 reduced. The dramatised July and August visit costs €17, €14 for children aged 4 to 13. Groups of 20 or more pay €7 with an audio guide, or €12 with a Spanish-language guide and €14 in English, and book by form, email or telephone. The castle closes on 25 December and 1 and 6 January.
- **Manzanilla Museum** (30 min · All ages · Free admission): The Bodegas Barbadillo museum tells, in a few rooms, what manzanilla is, how it is aged under a veil of flor, why it comes only from Sanlúcar and what the house's history is. The Barbadillo family settled in Sanlúcar in 1821 and bottled its first manzanilla in 1827. It is the simplest way to understand the city's wine before ordering it at a bar.
Opening hours and admission
Admission is free and with no fixed time slot:

Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 19:00.
Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 to 15:00.

You can walk round on your own in half an hour and finish, if you like, with a glass at the winery's wine bar. At the end is the shop; sales of loose wine are open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:30. Groups can ask for a guided visit of the museum with a glass of manzanilla, lasting 30 minutes, for €5 per person and free for children, with prior booking.
If you want to see the cellars
The museum does not go into the cellars. For that there is the guided winery visit with a tasting of three wines, lasting an hour and a half, for €22 per adult; according to Barbadillo's rates, minors pay €5 from age 13 and nothing below that. The sessions are:

Monday, at 12:00 and 13:00, in Spanish.
Tuesday to Saturday, at 11:00 in English and at 12:00 and 13:00 in Spanish.
Friday, an evening session at 19:00, in Spanish.
Sunday, at 12:00, in Spanish.

The cellars the house shows are La Catedral, in La Arboledilla, and San Guillermo. For groups of at least ten there are private visits with a tasting for €30, or €40 with an Iberian aperitif, and an introductory tasting course for €45. Bookings on 956 385 521 or at visitas@barbadillo.com. Our listing for the visit to Bodegas Barbadillo tells it in more detail.
How to fit it in
The museum is in the Barrio Alto, next to Santiago Castle, so the natural thing is to combine them: castle with audio guide, museum and, if you have booked, the tasting. It is a good plan with children precisely because it is free and short. A few minutes away is the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, with guided visits three days a week, and for the afternoon, the walk along Bajo de Guía.
- **Copa en Mano at Bodegas Delgado Zuleta** (1 h 30 · Adults · Desde 15 € per person): The other winery visit that also runs on Sunday. Delgado Zuleta, a winery since 1744, shows its cellars in an hour and a half and ends with four wines: two manzanillas, an amontillado and a cream, to compare styles.
Hours and booking
It runs every day at 12:00 in Spanish and at 11:00 in German, English or Italian, for €15 per person with a minimum of four. From Monday to Saturday there is an afternoon session, at 19:00 from October to June and at 20:00 in summer, for €20. You must always book, by email or on 956 360 133, and pay by bank transfer 48 hours beforehand.
What you see
The winery presents itself as the oldest in the Jerez Marco. In 2012 it opened its Wine Interpretation Centre in the Tío Paco cellar, renovated to celebrate the house's 280 years. The visit passes through its cellars with century-old casks and a small vineyard, and ends with the tasting. It is accessible for people with disabilities.
Other visits
On special dates there are special visits with a minimum number of people: Señorita Paloma, guided by an 18th-century character, with four wines, two hours and €20; Tapa Rincón Bodeguero, with tapas in corners of the winery, from €25; and a visit with an equestrian show, price on request. Before any of them you can book a guided walk round Sanlúcar.
Getting there
It is at Avenida Rocío Jurado, s/n, with free, ample parking for cars and coaches. Note that the deposit is not refunded once booked. To book, as well as 956 360 133, they answer on 609 887 300 and at visitas@delgadozuleta.com. If you are left wanting more manzanilla, Barbadillo's Manzanilla Museum is free.
For groups and tailor-made
The winery charges separately for groups of more than 40 people and for variants such as a five-wine tasting, aperitifs, tapas pairings or lunch. Visits can be given in Spanish, English, German and Italian, always by reservation. As an alternative to the guided walk round Sanlúcar beforehand, the winery mentions the city's tourist train.
- **Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia** (Adults and teenagers · €11 · free for under-14s and guesthouse guests): What it is
The palace of the Guzmán family, Dukes of Medina Sidonia, at Plaza Condes de Niebla, 1, in the Barrio Alto. It is a three-storey building that preserves a 12th-century Hispano-Muslim core, with arcades, a great hall and two doors, and that grew with houses added from the 15th century, the so-called Palacio Nuevo. The 5th Duke moved his main residence to Sanlúcar in 1517. It has been a Site of Cultural Interest since 1978 and, since 1990, the palace and its contents have belonged to the Fundación Casa Medina Sidonia, created by the 21st Duchess, Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo.
What you see
The foundation's volunteers show the house's artistic heritage and furniture. Among the pieces the foundation mentions are the Hall of Columns, formerly the Hall of Marbles, whose 1524 coffered ceiling began the embellishment works; the Ambassadors' Hall, finished in 1639–1640 on the commission of the 9th Duke; a collection of bargueño cabinets, a series of tapestries from the house of Montalto and paintings by Luis de Morales, the Cavaliere d'Arpino, Juan de Roelas and Vicente López.
The whole covers 14,850 m² with the gardens. In the 16th century a garden-wood of acanthus was planted over the old ravine of Sanlúcar; the upper garden has palm trees, orange trees and medlars, and a cistern from 1565. On the third floor is kept the foundation's General Archive, with 6,318 bundles and more than six million documents, installed there since 1960.
Days, hours and admission
Guided visits on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 11:00 and 12:00. Admission, €11, is bought at the foundation's office or through its online sales; under-14s and those staying at its guesthouse do not pay. Groups of up to 15 people need to book ahead on 956 360 161, from 9:00 to 14:00, or at visitas@fcmedinasidonia.com. In the afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday, the Guzmán El Bueno café is open, from 15:00 to 21:00.
To combine
It is in the Barrio Alto, a few minutes from Santiago Castle and the Manzanilla Museum. On a Sunday you can do the palace at 11:00, the castle afterwards and finish at the museum before 15:00. If you want to sleep inside, the foundation has its guesthouse: the Hospedería Palacio de los Guzmanes.
- **Walk along Bajo de Guía, facing Doñana** (1 h · All ages · Free): What it is
Bajo de Guía is Sanlúcar's old seafaring quarter, on the banks of the Guadalquivir, with Doñana National Park on the other bank. A walk of a couple of kilometres from the centre leads to the row of fish restaurants facing the beach, to the landing stage of the boats that cross to Doñana and to the sand from which you watch the sun go down over the river. It is free, flat and works well with children and pushchairs.
What you will find
The quarter's history can be read in its restaurants. Casa Bigote, for example, began in 1951 as a tavern where Fernando Hermoso served manzanilla to sailors; his sons added tapas and stews in 1969 and the first dining room in 1979, and the original tavern is still open. It is a good place to understand that here the fish from the river mouth and Sanlúcar prawns are the local thing.
Next to the landing stage is the Fábrica de Hielo (Ice Factory), the Doñana visitor centre on Avenida Bajo de Guía. According to the Andalusia Tourism listing, it explains the park's nature, flora, fauna and ecosystems, and the history of Doñana and the Lower Guadalquivir. It is also the meeting point for the boats: you gather there half an hour before departure.
Crossing to Doñana
The boat trip on the Guadalquivir leaves from here: two and a half hours with a stop at the Poblado de la Plancha, from €30. From November to February there is only a morning sailing, at 10:00, so you can take the boat and eat afterwards at Bajo de Guía.
The August races
Each August, the beach between Bajo de Guía and Las Piletas becomes a racecourse. The Sanlúcar horse races, of international tourist interest since 1997, are held in two three-day rounds whose dates depend on the tide: they need a good low tide so that the horses can run along the shore. According to Cádiz Tourism they start at about half past six in the evening, end around half past nine and watching them from the beach is free. If you coincide, arrive early.
When to go
At sunset, when the sun goes down over Doñana; in summer, the promenade fills up at that hour. Dogs may go along the promenade on a lead.

## Dónde comer
- **Casa Bigote** (Restaurant, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, €€€). Qué pedir: the Sanlúcar prawns and the fish from the river mouth, with a manzanilla in the tavern beforehand
- **Poma Restaurant** (Restaurant, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, €€). Qué pedir: the garlic puntillitas and the prawns with tomato
- **El Espejo** (Restaurant, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, €€€). Qué pedir: the grilled Sanlúcar prawn, the sea bass tiradito with navazo vegetables and a fideuà to share

## By car: By car from Jerez, and on foot between wine cellars
Sanlúcar is about 25 minutes from Jerez and a good hour from Seville and Cádiz. Once there, the car is surplus: the centre, the Barrio Alto with the wine cellars and Bajo de Guía are all covered on foot. If you are going to taste wine, leave it parked.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Barrameda** (Hotel): Hotel Barrameda is at Calle Ancha, 10, in the pedestrian area of central Sanlúcar, facing Plaza del Cabildo: the square of terraces and shrimp tortillitas. It is a hotel of forty rooms with an inner patio, a bar and a rooftop sun terrace with views of the city. From the door you walk up to the Barrio Alto and its wine cellars, and the beach and Bajo de Guía are a kilometre away, according to the hotel.
Forty rooms, almost all facing the square
Most of the rooms face Plaza del Cabildo or streets in the centre, and all have air conditioning, soundproofing, a full bathroom, television, telephone and free wifi. There are 24 standard rooms: doubles of 18 m², with a double bed or two beds, and triples of 20 m², which take one or two more beds. The 12 superior rooms are around 21 m², with a 50-inch television, a safe and, in some, a balcony or private terrace. The four superior rooms with hydromassage come in two versions: the exterior, with a balcony onto Plaza del Cabildo, a two-metre bed and a jacuzzi in the bathroom, and the interior, which looks onto the patio, with a 1.50 m bed, a sofa and the jacuzzi in the room itself.
There are rooms adapted for people with disabilities. Extra beds can be requested for adults or children, and cots and high chairs for babies up to two years are free. The website does not publish fixed prices or check-in and check-out times: they are checked when you book.
House breakfast and parking by reservation
Breakfast features local produce: fruit, breads, pastries, extra virgin olive oil, juices, organic infusions and honey from the family's hives. Reception is open 24 hours and arranges bike and car hire, airport or station transfers, laundry and ironing.
The hotel has parking, but only with prior booking: ask for it when you book the room, because Calle Ancha is pedestrianised and parking in the centre is difficult. The website does not say whether pets are admitted.
Sanlúcar on foot from the square
With the hotel on Plaza del Cabildo, everything is done on foot. Walk up to the Barrio Alto for Santiago Castle and a visit to Bodegas Barbadillo, and then go down towards the river for the walk along Bajo de Guía and a meal at Casa Bigote.
- **Hotel Posada de Palacio** (Small hotel): Posada de Palacio is a small hotel in an 18th-century palace at Calle Caballeros, 9, in Sanlúcar's Barrio Alto, the part of the city where Santiago Castle, the palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia and the great wine cellars are. You enter through an Andalusian patio, which is the heart of the house, and upstairs there is a terrace with a sun deck. The beach is about fourteen minutes' walk away, according to the hotel.
Doubles, family rooms and a suite
There are four types of room: double, family with a double bed, family with two beds and suite. All have a private bathroom, and some add their own lounge or a dressing room. There is air conditioning and heating, free wifi in the common areas and reception 24 hours. The family rooms are the option for travelling with children without asking for two rooms.
Prices are checked in its booking engine: the hotel advertises a 5% discount and exclusive offers when booking on its official website. For questions, 956 36 48 40 or reservas@posadadepalacio.com.
What it does not have
It is an old house and it shows: it has no lift and no parking. If you come by car, ask when you book where to leave it, because the streets of the Barrio Alto are narrow, and if you carry large suitcases, expect stairs. Pets are admitted on request, with a supplement of €8 a day.
El Espejo, next door
At number 11 of the same street is El Espejo, a market-cooking restaurant with produce from the fish market and Sanlúcar's navazos and a €56 tasting menu; the hotel's website gives it its own page. Check its hours, which change with the season: in autumn it serves dinners only from Thursday to Saturday.
On foot through the Barrio Alto
The location is the reason to sleep here. A few minutes' walk away you have the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, Santiago Castle and the Barbadillo cellars with their Manzanilla Museum. Going down the hill you reach Plaza del Cabildo and, continuing, Bajo de Guía and the river.
- **Hospedería Palacio de los Guzmanes** (Small hotel, desde 110 € / night): The Hospedería Palacio de los Guzmanes is nine rooms inside the palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, on Plaza Conde de Niebla, in Sanlúcar's Barrio Alto, next to the main church of Nuestra Señora de la O. It is run by the Fundación Casa de Medina Sidonia, which maintains the palace, its archive and its gardens. Sleeping here is sleeping inside a monument: the building began to take shape in 1424, when Enrique de Guzmán, 2nd Count of Niebla, bought some houses at the old Postigo de la Mar.
Nine rooms named after lordships
Each room is named after a title or lordship that ended up in the House of Medina Sidonia: Medina Sidonia, Villafranca, Vélez, Montalto, Bivona, Sclafana, Colisano, Calatanixeta, Caltavuturu. On each page the foundation tells the story of that lineage. There are doubles, a junior suite and suites. The Vélez double, for example, starts from €110 a night including VAT and breakfast; the suites cost more. They have air conditioning, and parking is free, something unusual in the Barrio Alto.
Breakfast is included and is served in the dining room or, if you ask, in the room at no extra cost. One extra bed per room can be added, at €50 a day. Check-out is before 12:00. Bookings are made by telephone, on 956 360 161, by email at hospederia@fcmedinasidonia.com or with the form on its website; the foundation replies with availability.
The palace, the gardens and the café
Guests get into the guided visit to the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia free, which is given by foundation volunteers and takes in rooms with the house's artistic heritage and furniture. The palace gardens can be seen from the terraces; to walk round them you need to arrange an appointment. Inside the palace is the Guzmán el Bueno café. In the same building is the foundation's General Archive, with more than 6,300 bundles from the houses that governed these lordships.
The Barrio Alto on foot
From the door you can walk to Santiago Castle, the Barbadillo cellars and El Espejo, on Calle Caballeros. For a prawn dinner, Bajo de Guía is down towards the river.
With a dog, check first: the foundation does not publish its pet policy.

## Car-free: Car-free, by train to Jerez and bus
Sanlúcar is easy to visit without a car: the train takes you to Jerez from Seville or Cádiz and the Monbus bus gets you to Sanlúcar. There, everything is on foot, including the boats to Doñana from Bajo de Guía. Check the last Sunday bus before staying for dinner.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Barrameda** (Hotel): Hotel Barrameda is at Calle Ancha, 10, in the pedestrian area of central Sanlúcar, facing Plaza del Cabildo: the square of terraces and shrimp tortillitas. It is a hotel of forty rooms with an inner patio, a bar and a rooftop sun terrace with views of the city. From the door you walk up to the Barrio Alto and its wine cellars, and the beach and Bajo de Guía are a kilometre away, according to the hotel.
Forty rooms, almost all facing the square
Most of the rooms face Plaza del Cabildo or streets in the centre, and all have air conditioning, soundproofing, a full bathroom, television, telephone and free wifi. There are 24 standard rooms: doubles of 18 m², with a double bed or two beds, and triples of 20 m², which take one or two more beds. The 12 superior rooms are around 21 m², with a 50-inch television, a safe and, in some, a balcony or private terrace. The four superior rooms with hydromassage come in two versions: the exterior, with a balcony onto Plaza del Cabildo, a two-metre bed and a jacuzzi in the bathroom, and the interior, which looks onto the patio, with a 1.50 m bed, a sofa and the jacuzzi in the room itself.
There are rooms adapted for people with disabilities. Extra beds can be requested for adults or children, and cots and high chairs for babies up to two years are free. The website does not publish fixed prices or check-in and check-out times: they are checked when you book.
House breakfast and parking by reservation
Breakfast features local produce: fruit, breads, pastries, extra virgin olive oil, juices, organic infusions and honey from the family's hives. Reception is open 24 hours and arranges bike and car hire, airport or station transfers, laundry and ironing.
The hotel has parking, but only with prior booking: ask for it when you book the room, because Calle Ancha is pedestrianised and parking in the centre is difficult. The website does not say whether pets are admitted.
Sanlúcar on foot from the square
With the hotel on Plaza del Cabildo, everything is done on foot. Walk up to the Barrio Alto for Santiago Castle and a visit to Bodegas Barbadillo, and then go down towards the river for the walk along Bajo de Guía and a meal at Casa Bigote.
- **Hotel Posada de Palacio** (Small hotel): Posada de Palacio is a small hotel in an 18th-century palace at Calle Caballeros, 9, in Sanlúcar's Barrio Alto, the part of the city where Santiago Castle, the palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia and the great wine cellars are. You enter through an Andalusian patio, which is the heart of the house, and upstairs there is a terrace with a sun deck. The beach is about fourteen minutes' walk away, according to the hotel.
Doubles, family rooms and a suite
There are four types of room: double, family with a double bed, family with two beds and suite. All have a private bathroom, and some add their own lounge or a dressing room. There is air conditioning and heating, free wifi in the common areas and reception 24 hours. The family rooms are the option for travelling with children without asking for two rooms.
Prices are checked in its booking engine: the hotel advertises a 5% discount and exclusive offers when booking on its official website. For questions, 956 36 48 40 or reservas@posadadepalacio.com.
What it does not have
It is an old house and it shows: it has no lift and no parking. If you come by car, ask when you book where to leave it, because the streets of the Barrio Alto are narrow, and if you carry large suitcases, expect stairs. Pets are admitted on request, with a supplement of €8 a day.
El Espejo, next door
At number 11 of the same street is El Espejo, a market-cooking restaurant with produce from the fish market and Sanlúcar's navazos and a €56 tasting menu; the hotel's website gives it its own page. Check its hours, which change with the season: in autumn it serves dinners only from Thursday to Saturday.
On foot through the Barrio Alto
The location is the reason to sleep here. A few minutes' walk away you have the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, Santiago Castle and the Barbadillo cellars with their Manzanilla Museum. Going down the hill you reach Plaza del Cabildo and, continuing, Bajo de Guía and the river.
- **Hospedería Palacio de los Guzmanes** (Small hotel, desde 110 € / night): The Hospedería Palacio de los Guzmanes is nine rooms inside the palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, on Plaza Conde de Niebla, in Sanlúcar's Barrio Alto, next to the main church of Nuestra Señora de la O. It is run by the Fundación Casa de Medina Sidonia, which maintains the palace, its archive and its gardens. Sleeping here is sleeping inside a monument: the building began to take shape in 1424, when Enrique de Guzmán, 2nd Count of Niebla, bought some houses at the old Postigo de la Mar.
Nine rooms named after lordships
Each room is named after a title or lordship that ended up in the House of Medina Sidonia: Medina Sidonia, Villafranca, Vélez, Montalto, Bivona, Sclafana, Colisano, Calatanixeta, Caltavuturu. On each page the foundation tells the story of that lineage. There are doubles, a junior suite and suites. The Vélez double, for example, starts from €110 a night including VAT and breakfast; the suites cost more. They have air conditioning, and parking is free, something unusual in the Barrio Alto.
Breakfast is included and is served in the dining room or, if you ask, in the room at no extra cost. One extra bed per room can be added, at €50 a day. Check-out is before 12:00. Bookings are made by telephone, on 956 360 161, by email at hospederia@fcmedinasidonia.com or with the form on its website; the foundation replies with availability.
The palace, the gardens and the café
Guests get into the guided visit to the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia free, which is given by foundation volunteers and takes in rooms with the house's artistic heritage and furniture. The palace gardens can be seen from the terraces; to walk round them you need to arrange an appointment. Inside the palace is the Guzmán el Bueno café. In the same building is the foundation's General Archive, with more than 6,300 bundles from the houses that governed these lordships.
The Barrio Alto on foot
From the door you can walk to Santiago Castle, the Barbadillo cellars and El Espejo, on Calle Caballeros. For a prawn dinner, Bajo de Guía is down towards the river.
With a dog, check first: the foundation does not publish its pet policy.
### Servicios
- **Jerez – Sanlúcar Bus**: Monbus line of the Bay of Cádiz Transport Consortium · With Jerez train station you connect from Seville and Cádiz

## As a family: Castle, river and boats across to Doñana

Sanlúcar is not only wine: with children, the castle works, as do the walk along Bajo de Guía with Doñana opposite and the boat that crosses the river. The wine cellars admit children free, but the visit is long for them.

### What works best
Santiago Castle, with an audio guide and tower, at €6 for ages 4 to 13

The walk along Bajo de Guía at sunset

The boat on the Guadalquivir to Doñana, €20 for ages 5 to 12

The Manzanilla Museum, short and free

### Where to sleep
Hotel Barrameda, in the pedestrian centre

Posada de Palacio, with family rooms

### Where to eat
The fish restaurants of Bajo de Guía, with the beach in front

### Worth knowing
At Barbadillo under-13s do not pay, but the visit lasts an hour and a half

On Sunday the castle closes at 15:00

### Qué hacer as a family
- Santiago Castle
- Manzanilla Museum
- Walk along Bajo de Guía, facing Doñana

## Consejos

### On Sundays, do everything in the morning
The castle closes at 15:00 and Barbadillo runs its only tour at 12:00.

### Casa Bigote, Monday to Saturday
It is closed on Sundays: pick another restaurant or go on Saturday.

### Don't drive after the tasting
Park at La Calzada and do the rest on foot.

### Book the boat to Doñana
Places sell out at weekends.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Which bodegas can you visit in Sanlúcar on a Sunday?
Barbadillo, with a guided tour at 12:00 for €22, and Delgado Zuleta, with its Copa en Mano at 12:00 for €15 and a minimum of four people.

### How do you get from Sanlúcar to Doñana?
By boat from Bajo de Guía, with a stop at the Poblado de la Plancha, from €30. By road to El Rocío it is more than two hours.

### Can you get to Sanlúcar without a car?
Yes: train to Jerez and the Monbus bus to Sanlúcar.

### What do you eat at Bajo de Guía?
Sanlúcar prawns, fried fish and seafarers' stews. Casa Bigote has been open since 1951.

### How much does the Castillo de Santiago cost?
€9.50 with an audio guide and €6 for ages 4 to 13.