Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 2026-2027: beach horse races, the Real Fernando boat to Doñana, manzanilla bodegas, Santiago Castle, the Medina Sidonia palace, the Manzanilla Fair and buses

Updated: 10 November 2026

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir and facing Doñana, is the home of manzanilla and of horse racing on the beach. This guide brings together what we could check on 10 November 2026. We found no official town hall page with current opening hours and prices for the monuments, so some information comes from the Cádiz Provincial Council, the Andalusian government, the press and private websites, and we always give the year. Check prices and hours before you go.

Horse racing on the beach

What the Cádiz Provincial Council and the press have published, with the year:

The races have been held since 1845 on the beach between Bajo de Guía and Las Piletas (finish line at Las Piletas). They have been a Festival of International Tourist Interest since 1997.
Status: in 2020 the Andalusian government awarded the Medalla de Andalucía (for promoting Andalusia) to the Real Sociedad de Carreras de Caballos (Decree 38/2020). In 2024 the society submitted a bid for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status, with no decision published. Listing as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC): not confirmed.
2026 (El Español, 7 August 2026): first cycle on 8, 9 and 10 August, with 12 races; second cycle on 21, 22 and 23 August, with 14 races including the Andalucía and Ciudad de Sanlúcar grand prizes. On the first day the first race was at 18:00. It was the 181st edition.
2025, for comparison: 5-7 and 19-21 August. 2027 dates: not confirmed; they depend on the tides, because the races need a good low tide, and are usually in August.
How to watch: according to the Provincial Council, watching from the beach is free and there are also stands (palcos); racing usually starts around 18:30 and ends around 21:30, depending on the tide. Stand prices: not confirmed.

The Real Fernando boat to Doñana from Bajo de Guía

The boat with the concession to enter the National Park by river:

It leaves Bajo de Guía, next to the Fábrica de Hielo (Doñana visitor centre), and sails up the Guadalquivir as far as La Plancha, according to the Cádiz Provincial Council.
Price and times: a private website (andalucia.com, page revised in April 2026, with no year given for the fares) gives €30 for adults and €20 for children for the river trip, about 3.5 hours return, with departures at 10:00 and 17:00 in spring and summer, 10:00 and 16:00 in autumn and 10:00 in winter. 2026-2027 fares: not confirmed.
Bookings: phone +34 956 363 813; tickets also at the Fábrica de Hielo or on board.
Annual breaks, the barge across the river and other ways to visit the Park in our guide /visit-donana-national-park-2026-access-visitor-centres-tours.

Manzanilla bodegas

What it is and where to see it:

Manzanilla has its own designation of origin, "Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda", protected by the Consejo Regulador of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Vinagre de Jerez (founded in 1935, the first in Spain).
Barbadillo (its own website, no year given for prices): manzanilla museum and shop, free entry (Monday to Friday 10:00-19:00, weekends 10:00-15:00); guided tour with a three-wine tasting on Monday at 12:00, Tuesday to Saturday at 11:00 (in English), 12:00 and 13:00, and Sunday at 12:00; night visit on Fridays at 20:00 for €20. Phone +34 956 385 521.
Hidalgo La Gitana: €14 per person according to the Provincial Council's 2020 tourist listing; current price not confirmed.
Full list of visitable bodegas from the Consejo Regulador: we could not consult it. Almost all require booking.

Santiago Castle

In the upper town (Barrio Alto):

Built by Enrique Pérez de Guzmán in 1477-1478; according to the Andalusian government (andalucia.org), Queen Isabella I saw the sea for the first time from its keep.
Price: in 2020 the Cádiz Provincial Council listed tickets at €8 for adults, €6 for Sanlúcar residents and €5 for children aged 4 to 13 and pensioners, with an audio guide; open Monday to Saturday mornings and afternoons and Sunday mornings. 2026-2027 price and hours: not confirmed.
Barbadillo sells a combined "Eno-cultural" visit of the bodega and the castle for €20 (no year given).

The Medina Sidonia palace (Palacio de los Guzmanes)

According to the Andalusian government's page (andalucia.org, undated):

Guided visits Tuesday to Friday at 12:00 and Sunday at 11:30 and 12:00. Price: €5 per person, children under 12 €1; tickets from the café; groups of 15 or more by appointment.
It houses the General Archive of the Fundación Casa Medina Sidonia, with more than six million documents, as well as paintings, sculpture and baroque furniture.
In 2020 visits were temporarily cancelled: check that these hours and prices still apply in 2026-2027.

The Manzanilla Fair

Dates:

2026: 2 to 7 June (plus Monday 8 June), on the Calzada de la Duquesa Isabel by the Guadalquivir, according to festivalesdeespana.com (private website, updated September 2026).
2027: dates not confirmed. It is held in spring, after the Seville Fair.
During the fair and in August, with the races, demand rises: book early.

Getting there by bus

Bahía de Cádiz Transport Consortium lines (timetables valid from September 2026):

From Jerez: M-970 Sanlúcar-Jerez (Monday to Friday, two each way) and M-971 Sanlúcar-Jerez via the hospital (two each way). The M-561 Costa Ballena-Chipiona-Sanlúcar-Jerez leaves Jerez bus station at 06:30, 15:00 and 20:00.
From Cádiz and the Bay: the M-962 Chipiona-Sanlúcar-San Fernando, via Puerto Real, runs one trip each way Monday to Friday (leaving San Fernando at 15:00). A direct Cádiz-Sanlúcar line with current times: not confirmed; check with the Consortium.
From Seville: there is a bus to Sanlúcar, but it is not a Cádiz Consortium line; 2026-2027 operator and times not confirmed.
Consortium customer service (24 hours): +34 955 038 665. By car: A-480 from Jerez.

If you run a property in Sanlúcar de Barrameda

What travellers typically ask AI assistants:

How many minutes' walk it is to Bajo de Guía, the racing beach and the upper town.
Whether there is availability, and at what price, during the August races and the Manzanilla Fair.
How to get there from the bus station or from Jerez, and where to park in August.
Keeping this clear and up to date on your website and listings (and checking the race dates every year) avoids wrong answers.

How iQuota helps

iQuota makes independent properties available to AI assistants with direct booking, payment at the property and 0% commission, with the price and terms each property sets. Properties in Sanlúcar can be listed on iQuota; we cannot guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend them.

Run a property in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and want AI to give your real prices, terms and dates for the races and the fair, with direct booking and no commission? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

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Frequently asked questions

When are the Sanlúcar beach horse races?

In 2026 they were held on 8-10 and 21-23 August. The 2027 dates are not confirmed: they depend on the low tide and are usually in August.

Are the Sanlúcar races a Bien de Interés Cultural?

We could not confirm it. They have been a Festival of International Tourist Interest since 1997, the organising society received the Medalla de Andalucía in 2020 and a UNESCO bid was submitted in 2024.

How much is the Real Fernando boat to Doñana?

A private website gives €30 for adults and €20 for children for the river trip, about 3.5 hours, with no year given for the fares. Check on +34 956 363 813 or at the Fábrica de Hielo.

How much does Santiago Castle cost?

In 2020 the Provincial Council listed €8 for adults, €6 for residents and €5 for children and pensioners. The 2026-2027 price is not confirmed.

How do I get to Sanlúcar by bus from Jerez?

On the Consortium lines M-970, M-971 and M-561 (timetables from September 2026); the M-561 leaves Jerez bus station at 06:30, 15:00 and 20:00.

Sources

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