EASTER IN CADIZ, SEMANA SANTA IN CADIZ,21st April to 24th April 2011

What is Semana Santa?
Semana Santa (or Holy Week) is the Spanish name for Easter. It dates back to the 16th century when the Church decided to present the story of the Passion of Christ in a way that the layperson could understand. It was decided that the best way to do this would be a series of processions through the streets, depicting scenes from the story of the fall and rise again of Jesus Christ.
When do the majority of activities take place?
Most processions take place in the evening - the earliest being at about 6pm (especially in Leon) but most at about 9pm. (the exception is Domingo de Ramos, the Sunday before Easter Sunday, which has its activities at about midday.)

The biggest procession of the day is usually at about 11pm. In Toledo the main procession of the day will often be be named after the day it is held on - so, for example, the main procession of Miércoles Santo (Holy Wednesday) will be the 'procesión de Miércoles Santo'.

Friday is the big day. The events from Thursday evening never really stop, with processions from Thursday night (the early hours of Friday morning) until Friday evening. Unless you have an excellent capacity to drink large quantities of coffee, you'll have to miss some of it to get a little beauty sleep. The events of Thursday night/Friday morning are the most important, so plan your sleep around this fact.

The mass of Easter Sunday, the last day of Semana Santa, is also important. The hoods that have been worn throughout the week to signify mourning at the death of Jesus Christ, are taken off to celebrate the resurrection. (It should be noted that the hoods have nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan, to which they are so often compared. It is said that early KKK members saw the Semana Santa celebrations and adopted the costume, so impressed were they by the effect the design had on onlookers.)


What if it rains?
Semana Santa is an outdoor event - rain is bad news. With many of the floats very old and easily damaged, processions are called off with even the slightest drop of rain. Those involved are bitterly disappointed - they've waited all year for this. If rain is forecast, stay away, there'll be nothing to see.
What is a saeta?
A saeta is an element of Semana Santa particular to Andalusia and specifically Seville. It is an outburst of flamenco song, sung from one of the balconies in the narrow streets of the city. In times gone by they were spontaneous, the singer so overcome with emotion that only a flourish of flamenco will be enough to convey their emotions. Today, they are invariably preplanned. The procession will stop and listen to the song until it is over.

Accomodation is available for Semana Santa in El Puerto de Santa Maria it is avisable to book in advance as this is a popular time to visit Andalusia.
See all available apartments:

http://www.emiliosbar.com/apartments.html

Windsurfing RS:X World Championships 2012 Cadiz

The Windsurfing RS:X Class Association announced last week that the RS:X World Championships will be staged in the Bay of Cadiz in Puerto Sherry in El Puerto de Santa Maria from March 20th to 29th in 2012 .
Nicolas Mariño Perez, the Technical Director of the Andalusian Sailing Federation in El Puerto de Santa Maria said

"We are delighted to be hosting the RS:X Worlds in 2012 . The Andalusian Sailing Federation has always been totally committed to supporting Olympic windsurfing "

This event is set to bring teams from all over Europe to Puerto Sherry to compete in the Atlantic waters of the Bay of Cadiz which has excellent wind conditions for this sport.

The RS:X Worlds will be staged in the Bay of Cadiz in 2012 a year when Cadiz celebrates its bicentenary celebrations. Almost 200 years ago in Cadiz Andalucia Spain the cortes (courts) passed the first Spanish Constitution, popularly known as "La Pepa".

Cadiz has numerous cultural bicentennial events related to the 2012 set to take place. The tall ships Grand Regatta on the 26th July in Bay of Cadiz as well as a cultural fair which, over a period of months, will bring Latin America to the city.

Teams coming to compete in this event are advised to book accomodation well in advance especially as 2012 is a busy year for Cadiz.

We have accomodation in apartments and houses for rent within the marina complex ideal for teams and families.

http://www.emiliosbar.com/apartments.html

Feria in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz, Costa de la Luz

El Puerto de Santa Maria in Cadiz lives for its fiestas and local holidays. The Andaluces love their fiestas and the whole area comes to life during these colour events which are celebrated through out the year. The festivities start with the Carnival of Cadiz in February followed by the Spring fairs such as the Feria of Sherry in El Puerto de Santa Maria and the Horse fair in Jerez in May, and the famous Rocio pilgramage in June.
Carnival de Cadiz is held during the month of February. it is a two week celebration where everyone dresses up and take to the streets to enjoy the fun of Carnival
Flamenco Festival : Festival de Jerez this is an annual event which takes place during the later part February and March, it is usually 2 weeks long and includes lots of flamenco, dance and live events
Feria del Caballo is the Horse Fair in Jerez de la Frontera normally held in early May includes the famous dancing horses of Jerez and of course lots of Sherry and general merry making.
This year the dates are the same as the GP in Jerez from 1th April to 3th Abri 2011. For details on Jerez :
http://www.emiliosbar.com/apartments.html

Feria del Vino Fino the sherry fair in El Puerto de Santa Maria’s local week of fiesta, dancing sherry drinking and sevillana dancing this is usually in the middle of May.
This years dates are from 11th to 16th May 2011.

The Grand Prix World Championship Motorcycling in Jerez is held during the may bank holiday is one of the biggest sporting events in Spain attracting round 150,000 spectators. For further details click on the link:
http://www.emiliosbar.com/grand-prix-jerez-spain.html

Romeria del Rocio is a festive pilgrimage of up to one million people to the village of Rocio in Almonte, Huelva usually around the third week of May.
Hogueras de San Juan: Midsummer bonfires and fireworks on the beaches in most areas of Cádiz on the 23rd June.

The Windsurfing World Championships FE & FW Youth & Masters Windsufing Championships will be held in Valdelagrana in El Puerto de Santa Maria . A surfing event not to be missed. For further information:
http://www.emiliosbar.com/windsurfing-puerto-sherry.html

The day of Virgin del Carmen is the patron Saint of El Puerto de Santa Maria and all fishermen is the Virgen Del Carmen and on the 16th July her imagine is taken from the local Church and carried into the sea on board on a fishing boat and then paraded around the town. A general day of festivities.

During all the bove dates accomodation can be found but we recommend you book well in advance. Details of apartment rentals can be seen on: http://www.emiliosbar.com/apartments.html

El Puerto De Santa Maria, Cadiz, in Costa de la Luz

The Costa de la Luz stretches almost 200km from Tarifa to the Portuguese boarder.
The Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) has long fine sandy beaches backed by pine covered dunes, within this area you will find El Puerto de Santa Maria probably the most famous resort in the area, known by the Spanish nationals for it’s laidback approach but relatively unknown to foreign visitors.
The town of El Puerto de Santa Maria is 10km north east of Cadiz across the bay of Cadiz and is best known for its ferry El Vaporcito which has been in operation for over 100 years carrying passengers to and from Cadiz to El Puerto.
Columbus visited El Puerto in 1480 and received encouragement for his travel plans and he also met Juan de la Cosa who in 1500 issued the first world map. In the nineteenth century the city became the General Headquarters for the French Army during the war of Independence under the reign of Jose Bonaparte (1801-1812) The town is seeped in history, museums and monuments. It is also within easy accessible reach of richly historical cities of Seville and Cádiz.

El Puerto has a famous bull ring which dates back to 1880 with space for 15,000 spectators and bull fighting is still enjoyed during the Feria season, which are during the month of August and during the Feria de la Primavera which is in early May.
 This Feria is dedicated to Sherry and 180,0000 half bottles get drunk in 4 days!!!Rebujito being the most popular drink during the feria.
There are several Bodegas in the town centre all of which can be visited by the public.
The most famous being the Osborne and Terry Bodegas who export sherry and brandy worldwide . In the cellars in El Puerto sherry is produced using the traditional method called “solera”. This method produces the pale dry sherries to the sweet Muscatel sherry, Amontillados and the older Olorosos. El Puerto is an excellent place to sample local tapas and seafood, for which it is famous. Food is an important reason why El Puerto de Santa Maria attracts hundreds of tourists.
The Bay of Cadiz is famous for it’s fresh seafood fish and that teamed with the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables leads to excellent restaurant menus.
Eating seafood in El Puerto is something everyone has to experience, most tourists head for the Rivera del Marisco where you can by seafood in paper cones to take away or eat at the tables. There are a wide variety of eateries all located with walking distance in the town centre. Fortunately El Puerto has managed to escape the mass tourism of the Costa del Sol and remains unspoilt, natural and very picturesque.
During the summer months the town bursts with life, El Puerto is a very lively place with lots of bars and lots going on.Most of the town is on the north bank of the Rio Guadelete, where bars and restaurants line the palm-covered streets. Entertainment is lively in the summer in the town centre and in Vistahermosa everything starts very late and goes on well into the early hours, hence the famous Spanish siesta.

Apartments and accomodation are available on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Please click on the following link to see our selection:

http://www.apartamentspuertosherry.com

http://www.emiliosbar.com/

Cadiz New Year Windsurfing Regatta Puerto Sherry

Cadiz is to host the New Year Windsurf Regatta between 27th and 30th December 2011. The new Year's Race also known as the KIM LYTHGOE MEMORIAL RACE in which RS:X M/W & Youth 8.5 and Techno 293 O.D. for Under 15 and Under 17 will compete in the Bay of Cadiz. The competition will provide fantastic entertainment for competitors and onlookers alike in the bay of Cadiz in Puerto Sherry.
Puerto Sherry in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz will host this windsurfing event starting on the 27th.

The windsurfing event is hoped to attract over hundreds of participants from all over the world with a high standard guaranteed.

Accomodation is available for participants and their families or anyone wishing to see this great event in Puerto Sherry Marina Complex in El puerto de Santa Maria. We have apartments, villas, and studios available to rent. The prices and more information can be found on our web site:http://www.emiliosbar.com/

Click on this link for further information:http://www.emiliosbar.com/apartments.html

Vacaciones en El Puerto De Santa Maria Cadiz

Vacaciones en El Puerto de Santa Maria
El Puerto de Santa María en Cádiz en la Costa de la Luz es el secreto mejor guardado de Andalucia y tiene algunas de las mejores playas de la provincia de Cádiz. Disfrutar de esta localidad Gaditana este verano por sus vacaciones en las playas de Cadiz.
El Puerto de Santa Maria está situada en la Bahía de Cádiz en la desembocadura del Río Guadalete y tiene una población de 78.000. Tiene 22km de costas de playas bajas y arenosas. Los amantes del sol y playa pueden disfrutar la costa desde Conil, Tarifa, Chiclana, Cádiz, Rota, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, hasta el Algarve Portugués. Las ciudades con importancia histórica como Cádiz, Sevilla y Huelva están a un paso, y son tres de las ciudades más famosas de Andalucía. El Puerto de Santa María también tiene mucha historia, Cristóbal Colón recibió aquí ayuda de los Duques de Medinaceli para emprender el viaje que le llevaría al Descubrimiento de América.El Puerto de Santa María se encuentra en el centro del Parque Natural Bahía de Cádiz. Los amantes de la naturaleza pueden disfrutar del Coto de Donaña, él más grande de Europa, el parque Nacional de Grazalema y la Sierra de Cádiz.
El Puerto cuenta con importantes instalaciones para el ocio, el Parque Acuático, discotecas, tablaos flamencos y buenos restaurantes, y el Casino Bahía de Cádiz. Se ha convertido en una atracción más, su tradicional "Vaporcito del Puerto", uniendo esta ciudad con Cádiz y haciendo de la travesía un bonito viaje de recreo.
Es también imprescindible la visita a sus famosas Bodegas. En su oferta gastronómica destaca el marisco y el "pescaíto frito", en la popular zona de la Ribera del Marisco, lugar que es necesario visitar si se quiere conocer el pulso de la vida portuense. Con una media de 320 días de sol al año, sus otoños tibios, sus primaveras suaves y sus veranos calientes, El Puerto de Santa Maria es un lugar apetecible en cualquier época del año
Apartamentos Emilios Bar ofrece un sección de alojamientos en apartamentos, villas, chalets y estudios en las mejores zonas de El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz.Tenemos hermosos apartamentos, totalmente equipados y ubicados en los mejores lugares de las playas en la Costa de Cadiz.
Apartamentos pisos y chalets están disponibles para alquiler en una base diaria y semanal
http://www.emiliosbar.com/el-puerto-de-santa-maria/vacaciones-playa.html

Puerto Sherry, El Puerto de Santa Maria

Puerto Sherry is a lovely sailing holiday resort of colourful apartments overlooking the beach and the Bay of Cadiz, ideal for a relaxing holiday in the real Andalusia. Puerto Sherry Marina is an attractive modern Marina complex on the Bay of Cadiz, in El Puerto de Santa Maria a small fishing resort only 8 minutes from the town centre only 20 minutes from Jerez Airport, on the Costa de la Luz. It is a popular destination for the sailing lovers. Puerto Sherry is a sailing haven and has many classes and courses in sailing of all types, windsurfing, waterski-ing, jet ski, sailing regatas, sailing competitions, and diving.
Puerto Sherry is well worth a visit if you are visiting El Puerto de Santa Maria. It offers amazing views of the Bay of Cadiz and has a lovely beach called la Muralla which is a secluced beach which isn't affected by the strong winds that are typical on this coast.
Apartment rentals available in this beautiful Marina complex for information visit:
http://www.emiliosbar.com/puerto-sherry/index.html