Rainy Day Ideas

We are nearing the end of the rainy season, (thank goodness!) but March and April can both be fickle months, with a week of warm sunshine followed by a week of wind and rain. When you want to shake off that winter cabin fever, but the rain spoils your outdoor plans, here are some ideas!

Without kids:

Bodega Tour: There are lots of local bodegas where the world-famous sherry wine is produced. Whether you visit a large one like Tio Peppe in Jerez (pictured here) or Osbourne in Puerto, or a small one like Bodega Tradicion in Jerez, (which has the largest private art collection in this area), a tour will take you through the area where the sherry is processed and stored, explain the process, and give you tastings afterwards. You can learn more about the sherry-making process on my blog post HERE. And it's all indoors! :-)

Museums: You have to drive a little to get to a good museum, but the history museum in Cadiz is wonderful. It walks you through the city's 3,000 years of history, from the time of the Phoenecians to the Romans to the Moors. And it includes a floor of medieval art  and giant paintings upstairs! Sevilla has many good museums, from history, to art, to fashion. The history museums has all the statues and artifacts from the Roman ruins of Italica and Baelo Claudia. More about them HERE.

Drive inland for shopping: Escape the rain and get some wonderful souvenirs! It's a win/win! The town of Ubrique (about 1.5 hours away) is famous for its leather-working, so you can find everything from leather clothes to purses to belt and accessories. 

If you are seeking Spanish pottery, a great place to go is the town of Las Ramblas, about 2 hours away in the direction of Cordoba. This is the center of Spanish pottery creation and design, so you will be overwhelmed by the many beautiful options, and want to buy them all! You can visit multiple shops in a small area, see demonstration, watch artists hand-paint the designs, and purchase a souvenir. 

Watch Horses Dance: The Royal Academy of Equestrians in Jerez has a show called "How the
Andalusian Horses Dance."It showcases the amazing abilities of these highly-trained horses. The local white Andalusian horses are world-renowned for their graceful look, high step, and their skills at hopping, walking backwards, and performing in perfect synchronization. The arena is completely indoors, but parking is off-site, so be prepared to walk a few blocks with an umbrella. Tickets and info are on their website,
HERE.

Visit a Cathedral: The main church in Puerto has recently been dubbed a Cathedral. It is nice, and worth a visit, but a tour will not take you very long. It's better to visit on a clear day when you can walk to the bullring, or buy a croissant from the new French bakery just outside the church and stroll through the streets. A better rainy-day destination is the Cathedral in Sevilla. It is the largest in Spain, and I think the 3rd largest in the world! Inside is the tomb of Columbus, numerous chapels, and some wonderful artwork. You can climb the ramps inside the Giralda (bell tower) for some wonderful views. Read about our visit HERE. Plus, the streets around the Sevilla cathedral are filled with restaurants and tapas bars, so there are many warm, dry places to get out of the rain and enjoy some great food for an hour or more.

Take a cooking class: These may not always be available on a rainy day, but it's worthwhile to check! There is a new cooking class program offered at El Tragaluz restaurant in Rota. The owner, Chef Paco, puts together a new 4-course menu every time. Participants spend the day learning about the ingredients, preparing the dishes, sampling plenty of wine, and of course enjoying a meal and discussion together! These classes are for Americans, and taught in English, and you get to take home the recipes. Cost is 80 Euro per person for a class that lasts from 9:30 AM until about 4 PM.The classes are offered twice a month, and info is available on their Facebook page.

Go to a sports bar: It seems there is always a good futbal or rugby match on TV, and it's fun to watch the matches surrounded by passionate Spaniards. One bar we enjoy is the Shamrock Bar & Eatery. The owner, Stevie, is a former rugby player from Manchester, England. He is always happy to explain rules to us, or answer our questions about Spanish teams. He speaks English and Spanish fluently. And the food is delicious Irish comfort food, with great burgers and curry, too! Special events are listed on his Facebook page HERE.

With kids:

Divertilandia in Rota: This is an indoor play area for little ones, ages 1-6 I would estimate. There is a large climbing area, ball pit,and baby play area. The adults can sit at nearby tables and enjoy some snacks. This is also a popular birthday party location for winter birthdays in that age group. IT is located in Rota, in the industrial park, on Calle Madrigal de las Altas Torres. They don't open until 4 PM on weekdays, but are open most of the day on weekends. They have a Facebook page, Divertilandia Rota, without any contact info. Here is their phone number: 653 845 023 or  605 893 997.

Next Level: This is a very cool indoor play area, with bowling, bounce houses, and mini golf, located in BahiaMar mall in Puerto. It's great for school-aged kids, and has a variety of activities for everyone! They are open in the afternoons and evenings (opening at 3 PM on weekends, 5 PM on weekdays). Snack food like pizza and tortilla is sold on site. More info on their Facebook page HERE. 



Ikea: Did you know that Ikea offers 1 hour of free childcare for customers? You don't even have to shop in the store, you can always just go to the cafe! Children ages 5 and under can play for 1 hour in the supervised child play area. You can enjoy lunch with them before you check them in, if you want to shop in peace. Or just sit and enjoy a quiet coffee while they play. Think about it-- Food, Shopping, Childcare, all in one place! Just remember you have to carry out and fit in your car anything you purchase!The closest Ikea is in Jerez, in the Luz Shopping Center.
 

Lunch at Muerde la Pasta in Jerez: This is a huge buffet restaurant in the Luz shopping center (near Ikea) with a giant indoor play area for kids. There are big slides, a ball pit, and a climbing area. Prices are fixed per person: 11 Euro per adult on weekdays, 13 Euro per adult on weekends. Kids shorter than a 3-year-old are free, most other kids are 8 Euro. The price includes the play area, and unlimited buffet of pasta, pizza, salads, fish, and meats. There are also desserts. Also-- beer, wine, and sangria on tap on the buffet line! Yep, you can spend the whole afternoon there! They open for lunch at 1, and get busy quickly. More info is HERE.

Laser tag or Go Karting in Jerez: This is also in the Luz shopping area. They are two separate attractions, but listed together because they are both for older kids. The Go-Karting is indoors, in an area called Karting, which is prominent in the Luz shopping center (next to Bricor, I believe). They are open daily from 11-11, later on weekends. Prices are from 12-19 Euros, depending on your track and Kart. Their website is Here. Laser Tag is in the same shopping center, but in a different, smaller store called LaserSpace. Prices vary, depending on number of people and type of game. More info is available HERE.

Bowling alley or Movie theater on base: Let's be honest, sometimes we're super lazy, but we still just need to get out of the house. The base bowling alley and movie theater can be fun on those days. The bowling alley is open daily at 11 AM, and offers Family specials on Sunday afternoon form 2-7 PM. $30 for 1 lane, up to 5 people, including shoe rental, for 2 hours. There are other weekly specials, too. The bowling alley serves Pizza Villa's menu and some sandwiches and snacks on site. Their website is HERE. The FLIX movie theater is the only indoor theater on base, and the only English cinema in the area. On weekdays there is only 1 showing, and weekends there are 3. During spring break and summer vacation they have children movie matinees at 1 PM. Tickets are $3 for adults, $2 for youth, and kids under 5 are free. Slightly more for 3-D movies. The schedule is listed HERE. Click on the calendar option in the upper right hand of the page.

So there you have it! Now there is no excuse for those rainy day blues! No worries, just keep these handy and impress everyone with your creative ideas. I won't mind. :-)