Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art (Jerez)

The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art (Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre) is a riding school and horse show in Jerez de la Frontera, in the grounds of the 19th-century Recreo de las Cadenas palace on the Avenida Duque de Abrantes, about 1.4 km north-east of the Alcázar. Its best-known event is the show “Cómo Bailan los Caballos Andaluces” (How the Andalusian Horses Dance), which the Andalusian tourist board lists at 12:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in 2026, with tickets from €14. On other visits you can watch training in the arena and see the stables, the tack room, the palace and two museums. It suits anyone interested in horses, classical dressage or Andalusian traditions, and families with older children. Skip it if you dislike sitting through a seated show indoors, or if your only free day in Jerez is not a show day.

Quick facts

• Names: Fundación Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre (REAAE) in Spanish; in English the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, often just “the Real Escuela” or the Jerez horse show.
• Where: Avenida Duque de Abrantes, Palacio Recreo de las Cadenas, 11407 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), as given by the Andalusian tourist board.
• Coordinates: 36.6927, -6.1380 (the school grounds on OpenStreetMap).
• Main show: “Cómo Bailan los Caballos Andaluces”, an equestrian ballet of 6 to 8 choreographies, with Spanish music and 18th-century dress.
• Show days in 2026: Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00, according to the Andalusian tourist board (checked November 2026).
• Price: “from €14” for the show, according to the same listing (checked November 2026).
• Also on site: the Museo del Enganche (carriages and harness), the Museo del Arte Ecuestre and the Recreo de las Cadenas palace, designed by Charles Garnier.
• Phone: +34 956 319 635 (tourist board listing).

Access and parking

From the centre: the school is about 1.4 km in a straight line north-east of the Alcázar of Jerez and 1.2 km from the cathedral, so most people walk or take a taxi from the old town. The entrance is on the Avenida Duque de Abrantes.

By bus: OpenStreetMap shows two stops called “Sevilla”, run by the city bus company COMUJESA, about 300 m south of the school, and the “Parque J. C. Durán – Juzgados” stops about 300 m north. Check the line and times locally; we could not confirm them.

By car: OpenStreetMap marks a surface car park about 400 m north-east, next to the Parque Juan Carlos Durán, and an underground car park entrance about 300 m south that is tagged private. We found no official parking for show visitors, so plan to park on the street or in a public car park nearer the centre.

From the coast: Jerez is inland, about 23 km in a straight line from Cádiz and 21 km from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and is a station on the Seville–Cádiz railway (see our Costa de la Luz guide).

What to expect

The Andalusian tourist board describes the show as a true equestrian ballet. The routines come from the exercises of classical dressage (doma clásica) and the working Andalusian style (doma vaquera), plus other traditional riding work, set to Spanish music, with riders in 18th-century dress. Each performance has 6 to 8 choreographies (Andalucía tourist board).

The school says the show is only the most visible part of its work. It also trains riders in high-school riding, selects and promotes Spanish horses, keeps classical and vaquera dressage alive, and tours abroad each year with the show. It also hosts competitions such as the Copa del Rey de Doma Vaquera.

Outside show days, the visit covers the horses training in the arena (picadero), the stables and the tack room (guadarnés), the Recreo de las Cadenas palace and the two museums in the grounds. The Museo del Enganche holds a collection of carriages and harness. The Museo del Arte Ecuestre deals with the relationship between people and horses through history. The palace is a 19th-century building designed by Charles Garnier, with gardens around it.

Tickets, prices and opening

• Show: the Andalusian tourist board lists “Cómo Bailan los Caballos Andaluces” on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 for 2026, with prices “from €14” (event listing, checked November 2026). Prices depend on the seat; we could not confirm the full price list.
• Booking: the listing links to the school’s own ticket shop. We could not open the school’s website to check how far ahead shows sell out, so book online before you travel, especially in spring and summer.
• Training visits and museums: the school says the arena, stables, palace and museums can be visited, but we could not confirm the days, hours or prices of these visits.

Accessibility and safety

We could not confirm step-free access to the arena seating, the palace or the museums, or whether wheelchair spaces are reserved at the show. Ask the school when you book. Remember these are working horses: follow staff instructions near the stables and the arena, and do not feed or touch the horses unless invited to.

Best time to visit

Go on a Tuesday or Thursday if you want the show; on other days, the training session is the way to see the horses at work. Jerez is much hotter than the coast in summer: at Jerez airport the August mean maximum is 33.5 °C, against 27.9 °C in Cádiz (AEMET, as given in our Costa de la Luz guide). A midday show is easier from autumn to spring.

Nearby alternatives

• Museo Arqueológico de Jerez – the city’s archaeology museum, about 1.0 km away.
• Jerez Cathedral – about 1.2 km away, at the edge of the old town.
• Alcázar of Jerez – the Almohad fortress with a mosque, baths and a camera obscura, about 1.4 km away.
• Doña Blanca – the Phoenician settlement site near El Puerto de Santa María, about 7.6 km away.
• Castle of San Marcos – the castle-church of El Puerto de Santa María, about 13 km away.
• Our Jerez de la Frontera town guide covers the bodegas, flamenco and the rest of the city.

FAQ

When is the horse show in Jerez?

The Andalusian tourist board lists the show “Cómo Bailan los Caballos Andaluces” at 12:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in 2026 (checked November 2026). Check the school’s ticket shop for the exact dates, as extra or cancelled shows are possible.

How much are tickets for the Real Escuela in Jerez?

The tourist board gives a starting price of €14 for the show, checked November 2026. The price depends on the seat, and we could not confirm the full list.

Do you need to book the Jerez horse show?

Booking ahead online is the safest option. The tourist board’s listing links to the school’s own ticket shop.

What can you see at the Real Escuela besides the show?

The horses training in the arena, the stables and tack room, the 19th-century Recreo de las Cadenas palace by Charles Garnier, the Museo del Enganche of carriages and the Museo del Arte Ecuestre.

How do I get to the Real Escuela from the centre of Jerez?

It is about 1.4 km in a straight line north-east of the Alcázar: walk, take a taxi, or use the city buses that stop about 300 m away on OpenStreetMap.

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