Castillo de San Marcos

El Puerto de Santa María


Heavily restored in the 20th century and now owned by Bodegas Caballero, El Puerto's castle was constructed over an Islamic mosque by Alfonso X El Sabio after he took the town in 1260. The original mosque inside, now converted into a church, is the highlight. Visits, in English or Spanish, last 1½ hours and end with a five-sherry tasting; book ahead.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby El Puerto de Santa María attractions

1. Fundación Rafael Alberti

0.14 MILES

Two blocks inland from Plaza Alfonso X El Sabio, this foundation has interesting, thoughtfully displayed exhibits on Rafael Alberti (1902–99), one of…

2. Fuente de las Galeras Reales

0.16 MILES

Built in 1735, the four-spouted Fountain of the Royal Galleys, by the riverfront, is where America-bound ships drew their water.

3. Bodegas Osborne

0.19 MILES

Creator of the legendary black-bull logo still exhibited on life-size billboards all over Spain (now without the name), Osborne is El Puerto's best-known…

4. Iglesia Mayor Prioral

0.25 MILES

El Puerto’s most splendid church, the 15th- to 18th-century Iglesia Mayor Prioral dominates Plaza de España with its intricately carved facade.

5. Bodegas Gutiérrez Colosía

0.3 MILES

An intimate, family-run, 1838-founded sherry bodega, right beside the catamaran dock. Tours (1½ hours) end with a six-wine tasting, which can include…

6. Plaza Real de Toros

0.37 MILES

Four blocks southwest of Plaza de España is El Puerto’s grand Plaza de Toros, built in 1880 with room for 15,000 spectators and still one of Andalucía’s…

7. Playa de la Puntilla

1.04 MILES

A 1.5km walk southwest of central El Puerto, pine-fringed Playa de la Puntilla is the town's most immediately accessible beach. Buses 1 and 2 (€1.20) run…

8. Playa de Valdelagrana

1.33 MILES

Popular Playa de Valdelagrana, on the eastern side of the Río Guadalete, is backed by high-rise hotels and apartments and a strip of bars and restaurants…