Medina Sidonia

Medina Sidonia

Medina Sidonia is located to 300 metres altitude and it is to 46 kilometres from the capital of the province . It has an area of 546,54 km2 and approximately 14.651 inhabitants. This beautiful town borders on Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto Real, Chiclana de la Frontera, Vejer de la Frontera, Tarifa, Los Barrios, Alcalá de los Gazules and Paterna de la Rivera.

The town is located in the slope of a mountain with 339 metres high, this is the reason its streets are very incline. Through the town crosses the Rivers Barbate (Barbate Dam), Álamo, Celemín (Celemín Dam), Iro and Salado and several streams. To the south we can find the area of La JANDA.

Its open country is characterized by the cultivation of the cereals and in its pastures there is a plentiful supply of cattle, to a large extent of bullfighting, sow, sheep and goats. One of its main industries is the confectionery, emphasizing the Alfajores (small sponge cakes filled with creamy toffee).

Medina Sidonia has a Vocational Training College. The country houses and farmhouses of Los Alburejos, Los Baladejos, Benalup de Sidonia, Canaleja, Charco Dulce, Los Hardales, Huelvacar y Malcocinado are districts from Medina Sidonia.

Medina Sidonia is one of the oldest towns from the Baética and its origins can come from the Phoenicians arriving from Sidón. Poley says that it was distinguished with the names of Assido, Sidonia, Cidonia, Ciduenna or Cidueña, Asidonia and others, making sure later that the name it has nowadays means “ciudad de nuestro señor”, giving the name of Medina with what the Arabs distinguished the towns.

In the town we can find the Tajo de las Figuras. Estrabón quoted it in Tartessus territory, and in the plot of the present cinema Thebussem there were found remains from a temple dedicated to Hércules-Melkart. The name of Azzindum, together with a star of seven points and a bull, are in Lybian-Phoenician coins. Different robed statues like Doña Blanca, located nowadays in one of the entrances of the town, defiant Hercules, galleries that fill the town like the Water Pioes and Roman Sewers from the I century, the Calzada, artistic altar stones decorated with garlands, from the Imperium age, coins and remains of ceramics, are announced the existence of the Asido Caesariana (Iberian settlement which may have been founded by the Phoenicians), just as the find of the “Venus de la Fecundidad”, found in 1972 in the Olivar de las Monjas.

Natural Park of Los Alcornocales

Medina Sidonia Monuments

Town Hall
Pastora Arch
Arch of Belén
Puerta del Sol
Duke´s Stables
Victoria Church
Torre Estrella Castle
Roman Paved Road
San Cristobal Convent
Santiago el Mayor Church
Fountain of El Comendador
Ruins of El Castillo and Alcázar
Hermitage of Los Santos Mártires
Cerro del Castillo Archaeological Complex
Church of Santa María la Mayor Coronada

Interesting Routes

Route to the Fuente
Route to the Ermita Visigoda
Factory of typical Confectionery
Workshop Leader Marcelino Piz
Museum of Las Cúpulas de Benalup
Route through the Old Part of the Town

Medina Sidonia Gastronomy

We can emphasize some dishes such as the stews of rabbit, venison, pork, kid and other dishes like the tagarninas, asparagus, snails and cabrillas.

The confectionery in Medina is much appreciated. We have to emphasize its amarguillos (made with almonds, sugar and eggs), polvorones (very crumbly shortbread biscuits), tortas pardas, yemas (sweets made with egg yolks and sugar), cookies, piñonates (paste made of the kernels of pine-nuts and sugar), mantecados (very crumbly shortbread biscuits), pestiños (honey-dipped fritters) and the “alfajor” (small sponge cake filled with creamy toffee).

How to get there

You have to exit Cádiz and continue in: N-443, then the: AP-4. Take the exit and turn right: CA-3113. Cross-street of Azahares. In the roundabout, take the exit 2 and continue in theMotorway A-408. Cross-street of Torre Alta.In the roundabout, take the exit 1 and continue in: A-381.Take the exit towards: Salida 24 – A-389 – Medina (Oeste) – Paterna. In the roundabout, take the exit 3 and continue in: CA-204 towards: A-393 – Medina – Paterna. You have to follow the signs until you get Medina Sidonia.

Distances from Medina Sidonia

Cádiz 45 km
Benalup 21 km
Algeciras 74 km
Jerez de la Frontera 34 km