Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre

The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art occupies the Recreo de las Cadenas, a nineteenth-century palace with formal gardens on the edge of the centre, and it is the reason Jerez is as famous for horses as for wine. Cartujano horses are schooled here, and the choreographed display — riders in eighteenth-century dress, carriages, long reins — runs on fixed days.

For a photographer the appeal is the setting rather than the show: a French-styled palace facade, avenues of clipped hedge, sand arenas, and the horses themselves being walked between stables and school in the morning. It is a distinctly Andalusian backdrop that has nothing to do with beaches or whitewash.

Morning is when the grounds are working and the light on the palace front is at its best. The gardens hold their green through winter, so this location keeps well when the rest of the province is dry.

Access is by ticket, with separate options for the show, the training sessions and the grounds and museums. Photography is restricted during the performance itself. Check current days, times and rules — the schedule changes seasonally, and a private session needs arranging with the school directly.