Jerez Flamenco Festival
Flamenco, history, nature — small international group — west Andalusia

One of the most important flamenco festivals takes place in Jerez de la Frontera, a city renowned for its wine, its horses, and also its successive generations of cantaores, guitarists and bailaores. Cante jondo will be well in evidence, but Jerez is above all the 'cradle' of flamenco dance. Dancers and ballets invade the stages of Jerez to bring us traditional flamenco dance mixed with a good selection of experimental works.
The immediate surroundings of these two cities are no less outstanding: the tierras albarizas where the sherry grapes are grown, the Guadalquivir estuary, the Bay of Cadiz and the Costa de la Luz. The beaches, cliffs, dunes and salt-marshes not only shelter much nature and bird-life but also form a background to some real architectural and archaeological jewels.

IMPORTANT: we must receive bookings for this programme by 31 October 2011.

ONE WEEK Activities: 6 evenings of Flamenco; daytime visits/excursions (cities of the Bay of Cadiz, two important archaeological sites, Sherry bodega, boat crossing of the bay, Real Escuela de Arte Ecuestre) and four walks of 1-2 hours in flat terrain in the Natural Parks of Doñana, Bahía de Cádiz and El Estrecho. Group 10 maximum.

HALF BOARD [2 breakfasts, all midday meals and 2 tapas dinners included] in hotel (twin rooms with bathrooms) in the old centre of Jerez. Delicious local gastronomy and imaginative tapas, with the accent on Atlantic sea-food and the pata negra pigs of the forests of western Andalusia. 5 breakfasts and 5 evening meals not included.

DATES (Sunday-Sunday)
2012 4-11 March.

PRICE 995 euros per person; single room supplement 155 euros.

RENDEZVOUS & DISPERSAL Seville (city centre, Santa Justa station or airport): choose a flight arriving before 16.00; for the return, a departure after 14.00. Jerez airport: choose a flight arriving before 17.00 and a return after 12.30.

Location of this programme:

DAY-TO-DAY
SUNDAY: Afternoon transfer to Jerez. Welcome tapas.

MONDAY: A bodega at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where we discover the secrets of Manzanilla production. Walk of the Guadalquivir estuary: numerous flamingoes and waders.

TUESDAY: The unique church-fortress (built on a former mosque) of San Marcos in El Puerto de Santa María. Boat crossing of the bay; we arrive at Cadiz and explore the city's rich history and original architecture. Return to Jerez by train.

WEDNESDAY: Ruta de la Almadraba: we retrace this ancient fishing technique to its origins... from a present day cannery in Barbate... to the Palacio Chanca of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, where from the 15th to the 19th century, up to 60,000 tuna were salted each year... to the fish-curing vats of the Roman port of Baelo Claudia. A walk in the sand dunes and bay of Bolonia, with views of Morocco when clear.

THURSDAY: 'Cómo bailan los caballos andaluces': the marvellous dancing horses of the Royal School of Equestrian Art at Jerez. Alcázar and Cathedral of Jerez; some free time.

FRIDAY: Doña Blanca, a Phoenician port-city now well inland, and Chipiona, known for another singular fishing technique at low tide, the Corrales. The Cerro del Aguila walk, with spring flowers and enormous umbrella pines.

SATURDAY: The San Fernando salinas [salt-pans]: habitat of hundreds of cangregos violonistas, curious crabs with one pincer much bigger than the other! Tapas evening.

SUNDAY: Transfer to Seville.

Bienal Flamenco Seville / Cordoba Guitar Festival / Veranos Corral Granada / Almagro Theatre
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