Centro de Interpretación del Vino y la Sal

About the museum

Wine and salt have been fundamental to the social, economic and urban development of Chiclana since its Phoenician origins and, above all, between the 16th century and the end of the 20th century. The tradition of vineyards and wineries led Alfonso XII to grant Chiclana the title of city in 1876. Around 1970 there were still some eighty wineries and more than 3,000 hectares of vineyard; today viticulture is limited to some 200 hectares, but it remains linked to local identity and to the D.O. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. The marshland, within the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park, had as many as 38 salt pans by the middle of the 19th century.

The centre occupies the so-called Nave Guerrero, belonging to the Nuestra Señora de Amparo winery of Primitivo Collantes, S.A., built between 1962 and 1964 and now municipally owned. It is a typical example of Chiclana’s winery architecture: three sections with tiled roofs, divided by two rows of eight semicircular arches on concrete pillars, with pine trusses and high windows. For decades it housed the solera of the Arroyuelo fino.

The visit covers three rooms devoted to salt and four to wine, as well as the introductory room El Sol, the large central room El Mar, used for temporary exhibitions, and a workshop room for tastings. Panels, tools, photographs and audiovisual resources explain the salt pans and vine cultivation, the history of the wineries and the ageing of fino, moscatel and other fortified wines. The centre also hosts the Colección Marín, devoted to the dolls made by the factory that José Marín Verdugo founded in Chiclana in 1928.

Highlights

• Three rooms on salt and four on wine
• Winery hall built in 1962–1964 by Primitivo Collantes
• Colección Marín of dolls from Chiclana
• Workshop room for tastings and food pairings
• Audio guide with the app “C.I. Vino y Sal”

Permanent exhibitions

• Salas de la sal y del vino – Three rooms on the salt pans of Chiclana and four on vine cultivation, wineries and the ageing of fortified wines.
• Colección Marín: las muñecas que fueron símbolo de España – Tribute to José Marín Verdugo (1903–1984), who founded the Marín doll factory in 1928, with pieces donated to the city in 1999 by his descendants.

Operated by

Ayuntamiento de Chiclana de la Frontera

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission. Tasting and pairing workshops are announced in the activities section of the website, with their dates, times and conditions.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The centre holds the “Turismo Accesible” Green Seal (2024), awarded by the Chair of Inclusive and Accessible Tourism of the University of Cádiz. The nearest parking space for people with reduced mobility is on calle Caraza. Guide dogs are admitted.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The centre is on Plaza de las Bodegas, in Chiclana de la Frontera.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop at reception with wines from Chiclana under the D.O. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and the I.G.P. Vinos de la Tierra de Cádiz, virgin sea salt and flor de sal from the Chiclana salt pans, and products from the centre. Food and drink may not be consumed inside, except during activities organised by the centre and in the workshop room.

Events & venue rental

The centre has a large meeting room on the mezzanine floor with views over the whole building.

Plan your visit