El puerto de santa maria

Today we took a 10 minute train ride to El Puerto de Santa Maria, just down the river from Jerez and on the coast. Its where Christopher Colombus was supposed to sail to America from, but the port wasn't owned by the king who wanted to take credit for the trip so he made them sail from Sanlucar, a bit further along the coast. The Duke of el puerto funded one ship, the Santa Maria, and filled it full of produce from the area, including barrels of sherry!

There is a small castle in el Puerto which was a moorish castle and mosque and is now a private castle. In all the years we've been we have never seen it open for visits - but today it was so we managed to get a look around. It's only small, but it's been done up really well, so worth the wait. Then lunch in a favourite tapas place just along the river, owned and run by the daughter of the family that owns one of our favourite sherry bedegas Gutierrez Colosia.

In the meantime, Natalie, Andy, Finlay and Emily had a guided visit around the alhambra in Grenada. They come to us tomorrow afternoon.Read more