Plaza del Cabildo

Arcos de la Frontera

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Lined with fine ancient buildings, Plaza del Cabildo is the heart of Arcos' old town, its vertiginous mirador affording exquisite panoramas over the Río Guadalete. The Moorish-origin Castillo de los Duques, rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries, is closed to the public, but its outer walls frame classic Arcos views. On the square's eastern side, the Parador de Arcos de la Frontera is a reconstruction of a grand 16th-century magistrate's house; pop in for a drink.

Bordering the plaza's northern edge is the Gothic-baroque Basílica Menor de Santa María de la Asunción.

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Nearby Arcos de la Frontera attractions

1. Mirador

0.01 MILES

Arcos' standout lookout point, on Plaza del Cabildo in the heart of the old town, has spectacular views over the Río Guadalete, which is flanked by olive…

2. Castillo de los Duques

0.02 MILES

Originally an 11th-century Moorish alcázar (fortress), Arcos' castle was extensively rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries. It's closed to the public,…

4. Convento de las Mercedarias

0.06 MILES

If it's open, step into the vestibule of this working 1642 convent, push a bell, and a concealed cloistered nun on the other side of a wooden partition…

5. Iglesia de San Pedro

0.14 MILES

Containing a 16th-century main altarpiece said to be the oldest in Cádiz province, this Gothic-baroque confection contains one of Andalucía's most…

6. Mirador de Abadés

0.22 MILES

For more sprawling panoramas of Arcos, the Río Guadalete and the surrounding country, seek out this small viewpoint at the southeastern end of the old…

7. Circuito de Jerez

12.84 MILES

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8. Bodegas Lustau

18.5 MILES

Book ahead for the excellent-value, English- or Spanish-language tours of the handsome, vine-shaded Lustau bodega, founded in 1896. 'Standard' visits (€18…

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