The origin of the bull as the icon of Spain and as its best-known publicity image worldwide can be traced back to the Osborne wineries at El Puerto de Santa Maria, but bulls have been bred and raised in the province of Cadiz since time immemorial.

The La Janda region of Cadiz plans to make the most of this historical legacy by building a Livestock Heritage Visitors’ Centre, which will be opened in Vejer de la Frontera at the end of 2007, a town that boasts over 10,000 heads of cattle.

The Montemarismas Centre will be an unique tourist attraction that will enable the visitors to discover not only an age-old culture, but also a modern business that positions Cadiz as one of the leading provinces in the breeding of the lidia or fighting bull, where greater importance is being put on organic methods and the tasty free-range meat.

There are 600 cattle rearing farms in Vejer and Barbate alone, which gives an idea of the importance of this activity in the La Janda region of Cadiz.

According to the La Janda Rural Development Group (GDR), the technical project and a model of the installations will be unveiled at the National Livestock Fair (FEGASUR), which will be held in Jerez de la Frontera between 3rd and 5th November.

Work on the complex could begin in Spring 2007 and will include a visitors’ centre, a lookout point to observe the cattle in their natural environment, an ethnographic museum, a gift shop, a audiovisual room and multi-use workshops.

At Montemarismas, the visitor will be able to learn about the typical houses in La Janda, the customs and traditions of its inhabitants, how the cattle are reared and the different types and breeds of livestock to be found in the region.

The Centre will also be a point of reference to learn about the environment, particularly the La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park, one of the most attractive in Andalusia thanks to the variety of ecosystems, which include marine systems, cliffs, pine forests and salt marshes.

Montemarismas will not only be a tourist attraction, but the region’s cattle breeders will also be able to use its laboratory, library and meeting room, along with its other installations.

The aim is for the Centre to become a scientific, technical and experimental benchmark in order to improve the farming methods. Montemarismas plans to implement R&D&I activities, training seminars and foster the implementation of new technologies in the region.
 
The initiative started in 2003 when the La Janda GDR began to work on the project and has even received the backing of the European Union with a contribution of half a million euros. It was estimated that it would cost over 600,000 euros and Vejer Town Hall decided to construct it with the support of the Autonomous Government of Andalusia's Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The Montemarismas Livestock Centre’s installations will be in the estate of the same name that is on the boundary between the Vejer and Barbate municipal districts.