Tuesday (02/17/2015)

We left Seville by car around 10am (read about our trip there here) towards Jerez de la Frontera, the main city in the region where wine Jerez is produced. We tried the dry type in Madrid, but I confess that I didn't like it very much. Celo, on the other hand, found it delicious (it's always like that!).

Jerez de la Frontera

This region is known for having many interesting wineries, so we were very excited about the idea of doing tastings at one or more of them. Looking on TripAdvisor and some blogs as well, we saw that one of the best wineries in the region is Luis Perez Winery, with maximum rating on TripAdvisor.

Everyone who reviewed it spoke highly of the owners' service and some even mentioned the issue of booking a visit. Since we didn't do this from home, we used the credits on the SIM card we bought on our cell phones and called them with our fingers crossed to see if we could stop by in a few hours (oh my… irresponsible… lol). Verônica, who helped me, was extremely attentive and friendly, and explained that it was very windy there, but that she would be at our disposal. Since we had only booked that afternoon for the wineries, we went anyway.

The visit to Luis Perez Winery

The winery’s two houses are beautiful, one modern and one more traditional. We started the tour in the modern house, which is where all their facilities are located, and then ended in the traditional house, which is so cozy inside that sometimes I forgot I was in a winery.

We loved the attention that Verônica gave us during the two hours she spent with us. She explained so many details about the winery, but what I thought was coolest was that the owner had worked for over 20 years at another winery and wanted to start a life project that would really make a difference in the region.

He broke away from tradition and took the risk of planting different types of grapes in the region (Syrah, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo), creating delicious wines that are not like Jerez. They focus on quality rather than quantity, so it is not possible to find their products in supermarkets or in other countries, as they only sell to specialist stores in Spain.

We were impressed with the tasting, both by the wines and olive oil produced there, as well as by the food made just for the three of us. What a treat, my God! CONGRATULATIONS! Oh, and all this for only 15 euros per person. Don't miss out, okay!!! Especially the store, because it's worth taking home some souvenirs.

We stopped in the city of Jerez to buy some snacks for the road and for dinner at our little house in Vejer de la Frontera. Yes, we booked a house instead of hotel rooms and I'll tell you more details later.

After visiting the largest European supermarket I have ever seen, we went to see the Jerez Cathedral and the Alcazar of Jerez. We explored for a maximum of an hour and then continued our journey to our city, Vejer from the Border.

Vejer from the Border

We arrived close to sunset, so we could clearly see the beauty of the city, with its completely white houses. The GPS found the right path and in a short time, we reached the top of the mountain, where our house was.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom house in the condominium El Molino Houses, which has a spectacular view and cost 85 euros for the 3 of us. It can easily accommodate 4 people, maybe more, so this is a good idea if you are traveling with your family. The house was lovely and from what I understand, it is inside a condominium with 4 other houses in the same style. We had dinner right there, in the comfort of our little house.

Wednesday (02/18/2015)

We woke up early, had breakfast and went out for a walk. We picked up a map at the tourist center and visited the main points of the city in less than two hours. What was really worth it was walking through the narrow streets with little white houses and seeing the views from the viewpoints. I loved the view and the strong Arabic influence.

After completing the walk suggested on the map, we hit the road towards Round, passing through Tariff (the southernmost point of Europe, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic), Marbella and Gibraltar. I told you more about these destinations in their respective posts.

***********************************************************************

Want to know all the details of our trip? Andalusia, in Spain? See the links below:

• Summary of 8 days in Andalusia
• Córdoba Itinerary (1 day)
• Seville Itinerary (2 days)
• Jerez de la Frontera and Vejer de la Frontera itinerary (1 day)
• Tarifa, Gibraltar and Marbella itinerary (1 day)
• Round Route (1 day)
• Granada Itinerary (2 days)
• Toledo Itinerary  (1 afternoon)
• Madrid Itinerary (1 day)