There is a moment, about ten minutes into the training session at the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, when the room goes quiet.

Not because anyone asks it to. Because what is happening in the arena in front of you — a horse performing a passage in perfect rhythm, collected and light, entirely in conversation with its rider — stops being something you watch and becomes something you feel. Most visitors describe it as one of the most quietly extraordinary things they have ever seen.

This is the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez de la Frontera. It sits in the heart of the city, a short walk from the fairground where the Feria del Caballo takes place every May. Coming here during Horse Fair week means seeing the Pure Bred Spanish Cartujano horse in two completely different worlds. It makes both experiences richer.

This guide covers everything you need to plan your visit.

What It Is The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art  

Founded in 1973 by Álvaro Domecq Romero — a member of one of Jerez's great sherry dynasties — the school occupies a 19th-century estate called the Recreo de las Cadenas, designed by the architect Charles Garnier, the same man responsible for the Paris Opera House.

The complex contains a grand indoor arena, formal palace gardens with a central fountain and exotic plants, a Museum of Equestrian Art with 11 themed exhibition rooms, the only Carriage Museum in the world to display carriages, harnesses, horses and equestrian costumes together, and stables housing the school's most emblematic horses.

The horses trained here are the direct descendants of the Carthusian strain of the Pure Bred Spanish horse — the same breed that forms the heart of the Feria del Caballo happening outside the school's gates. Their training follows the classical dressage tradition rooted in the principles of the 16th-century Neapolitan school, refined over centuries and kept alive here in a way that exists nowhere else in the world.

What You Will Experience

The Audiovisual Presentation

The visit begins with an audiovisual introduction to the history of Andalusian equestrian art — available until 11:00am. It provides essential context for everything you are about to see and is worth arriving early to catch.

The Training Session

This is the centrepiece. In the Picadero — the grand indoor arena — you watch the school's riders and horses in their actual daily training. Not a rehearsed show for tourists. The working day of one of the most prestigious equestrian schools in the world. Movements on display include the piaffe, the passage, the levade and the school jumps — each one the result of years of patient, precise work between horse and rider. Training sessions take place Monday to Friday. Saturday visits do not include the training session.

The Palace, Gardens and Museums

After the arena, the visit moves through the 19th-century palace halls, the formal gardens, and the Museum of Equestrian Art — 11 rooms tracing the origins and evolution of horsemanship from antiquity to the present day through art, artefacts and equipment. The Carriage Museum, housed in an early 19th-century winery, is the only museum of its kind in the world.

The Stables and Saddlery

The final stop is the octagonal stable complex where the school's finest horses are housed. At the centre of the stables is the saddlery — described by the school itself as its best-kept treasure. Harness-making is demonstrated here on weekdays.

The VIP Option

For those who want to go deeper, the VIP upgrade offers an exclusive two-hour guided tour of additional behind-the-scenes spaces — the palace halls, tack room, saddlery and stables — with closer access to the training arena than the standard visit.

What Visitors Say

"An excellent, affordable tour of a beautiful place. The horses were beautifully cared for and the premises pristine. During and after our tour we were able to watch the horses training. Excellent guides and a wonderful environment to spend time in." — Ailsa, September 2025, GetYourGuide

"The level of skill and dedication on display is nothing short of sensational. The training session alone was worth the visit — watching those horses move in the arena is something I will never forget." — TripAdvisor reviewer, 2025

"We visited during the Feria and coming here the morning before the fairground opened gave the whole trip a completely different dimension. Highly recommend combining both." — GetYourGuide reviewer, May 2025

Rated 4.6 out of 5 across more than 6,190 reviews on GetYourGuide.

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How the Andalusian Horses Dance

On selected performance days throughout the year, the school stages its signature show — How the Andalusian Horses Dance — in the grand arena. Horses and riders perform classical dressage choreography set to live music in a full theatrical production. Costumes, lighting, music and horsemanship combine into something that sits between sport and art.

During Horse Fair week in May, this show sells out weeks in advance. If your visit coincides with the Feria, book as early as possible. Tickets are available separately from the full visit at realescuela.org.

Practical Information 

How to Get There

The school is in central Jerez, walkable from most hotels in the city. If you are staying near the González Hontoria fairground for the Feria, it is a short taxi ride or a 15-minute walk through the northern part of the city.

• By foot: 15–20 minutes from the historic centre
• By taxi: 5 minutes from anywhere in central Jerez
• By car: Parking is available on surrounding streets. The address for navigation is Avenida Duque de Abrantes S/N, Jerez de la Frontera

How to Book

Tickets can be booked directly at realescuela.org or through third-party platforms including GetYourGuide, Klook and Tickadoo. Booking in advance is strongly recommended at all times of year, and essential during Horse Fair week in May when both the full visit and the show sell out quickly.

Plan Your Visit Around the Feria

The Feria del Caballo runs 9–16 May 2026. The Royal Andalusian School is open Monday to Saturday throughout the fair week. The most natural combination is a morning visit to the school followed by an afternoon at the fairground — the carriage parade runs from 1pm, which gives you time to absorb the training session first.

If the How the Andalusian Horses Dance show is scheduled during your stay, book it for the evening. Watching the horses perform by night, then returning to the casetas for sherry and flamenco, is one of the more complete ways to spend a day in Jerez.

Explore Jerez horse riding experiences on Cavago →

FAQ — The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art

• Do I need to book in advance? Yes, particularly during Horse Fair week in May. The full visit sells out quickly and the How the Andalusian Horses Dance show sells out weeks in advance. Book directly at realescuela.org or via GetYourGuide and Klook.

• What is the difference between the full visit and the VIP upgrade? The standard full visit includes the audiovisual presentation, live training session, palace and gardens, Museum of Equestrian Art, Carriage Museum and a guided stables tour. The VIP upgrade adds an exclusive two-hour guided tour of behind-the-scenes spaces including the palace halls, tack room and saddlery, with closer access to the training arena.

• Can I watch the horses train on any day? Training sessions are available Monday to Friday. Saturday visits do not include the training session. The school is closed on Sundays. If watching the horses train is a priority — and it should be — visit on a weekday and arrive before 11:00am to also catch the audiovisual presentation.

• How long does the full visit take? Approximately two hours for the standard visit. The VIP upgrade extends this to around four hours in total.

• Is it suitable for children? Yes. The school is family-friendly and the live training session is engaging for all ages. The Carriage Museum in particular tends to capture younger visitors well.

• Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes. Live guides are available in English and Spanish.

• How does it connect to the Feria del Caballo? The school trains the same Pure Bred Spanish Cartujano horse that forms the heart of the Feria. Visiting the school in the morning and the fairground in the afternoon gives you the most complete picture of what Jerez and its horses represent. The two experiences are entirely complementary.

• Can I visit without seeing the show? Yes. The full visit stands completely on its own. The training session in the arena is the centrepiece and many visitors consider it more impressive than the formal show for its authenticity and proximity.