SEVILLA & CÁDIZ FOOD & WINE TOUR

Sevilla → Jerez → Cádiz

☾ 5 Nights

Pure Andalusia: Sherry, tapas bars, tabernas, jamón ibérico and more. Start in Sevilla, Andalusia’s atmospheric capital, where tapas and flamenco flow around the monuments of Spain’s imperial glory. Visit old-world Jerez, the Sherry capital, before heading to Cádiz. Cádiz resembles little else in southern Spain. Surrounded by water on three sides with a gorgeous intact historic center, the city marks its own rhythm. You’ll be able to relax into the city, exploring its narrow streets and trying the best cocina marinera and tapas available.

TRIP OVERVIEW

Head right into the heart of Andalusia, where the Spanish South’s food and wine are on full display. Start off with an exploration of Sevilla, Andalusia’s capital and spiritual center, visiting historic monuments, tasting local olive oil and Iberian ham in the countryside and dining at the city’s best spots from tapas to fine dining. Then, discover Sherry in its native city of Jerez de la Frontera with atmospheric winery visits and a Michelin star lunch. Finish your trip with a transporting stay in Atlantic Cádiz, where you’ll stay right in the center of things and explore the history and vibrant traditional food scene.

SEVILLA & CÁDIZ FOOD & WINE TOUR

DAY 1 - THE CHARM OF SEVILLA

Start your trip in vibrant Sevilla, Andalusia’s capital, a city of grand monuments, hidden corners and alive culture. Your guided introduction to the city will take you into the narrow streets of the Santa Cruz district and the towering Sevilla Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece. Dinner will be at Señor Cangrejo, one of Sevilla’s new wave casual fine dining restaurants where you can enjoy creative takes on local fish and seafood.

DAY 2 - OLIVE OIL & SEAFOOD

Spend the morning just outside Sevilla visiting an artisan olive oil mill. See how the oil is made and taste extra virgin olive oils made on the property. For lunch back in the city center, a local food expert will take you to hidden tapas bars. These bars are the beating hard of Sevilla cuisine, where neighborhood culture and deep-seated culinary traditions combine. In the afternoon, Sevilla’s Alcázar awaits. This Mudéjar palace was rebuilt in a Moorish style by the Spanish Crown after their reconquest of Sevilla. Its vaulted hallways and tranquil patios transport visitors to another time. Dinner will be a seafood feast at the bar of Cañabota, Michelin-starred temple to the catch of the ports of the nearby Atlantic.

DAY 3 - ARACENA IBERIAN HAM

Today is all about the Iberian pig and its many gifts to the Spanish table. You’ll be heading to the Sierra de Aracena, the mountainous region near Sevilla where Iberian pigs roam free through Mediterranean oak forest. Start with a visit to a world-class Iberian ham producer. Learn about the artisan charcuterie production before a tasting of rich products including several types of Iberian ham, chorizo and other Iberian delicacies. Then it’s on to an arch-traditional local restaurant for a lunch menu that will showcase fresh Iberian pork. For generations, this exceptional meat was only available locally and in season, but today cuts like presa, secreto and abanico from the free-range Iberian pigs are prized around the world. Back in Sevilla, dine at Leartá, where uniquely Andalusian recipes and ingredients come to life in creative tasting menus. Don’t miss the wine list, packed with small-producer Spanish and foreign wines.

DAY 4 - SHERRY WINE IN JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA

Leave Sevilla behind for the lovely Sherry city of Jerez de la Frontera. Visit two of the city’s premier Sherry wineries with your wine-expert guide. Start at benchmark producer Lustau for a wide-ranging introduction to the styles of Sherry before heading to old-wine specialists Fernando de Castilla. Your tasting-menu lunch will be at Lú Cocina y Alma, the two Michelin star destination restaurant of local star chef Juanlu Fernandez. At Lú, he uses refined, subtle cooking to coax the best out of local products and recipes while paying homage to Jerez’s food heritage. After lunch, check into your hotel in the old town of the Atlantic city of Cádiz and roam the picture-perfect streets and plazas.

Leave Sevilla behind for the lovely sherry city of Jerez de la Frontera where you will taste the range of sherries. Then head to your boutique hotel in historic Cádiz’s old town. Stroll through atmospheric streets to dinner at El Faro de Cádiz, a local seafood institution.

DAY 5 - CÁDIZ: THE ANCIENT ATLANTIC CITY

Dive into Cádiz’s history and culture on a walking tour of the city’s old town and the central market, where produce stalls overflow and fishmongers sell all kinds of catch from the surrounding fishing ports. Head to Cádiz institution Taberna La Manzanilla, where third-generation proprietor Pepe ages his own exceptional Sherries from Sanlúcar de Barrameda and serves them to loyal customers. Appetite awoken, stroll down to La Cepa Gallega, an old-world ultramarinos bar. These bars serve cold gourmet tapas like cheese, charcuterie and cured fish paired with wine, vermouth or Sherry. La Cepa Gallega’s bottle-lined bar is among the city’s best, with owner Bernardo recommending rare products and fine wines to discerning food lovers. Time to relax in Cádiz, perhaps enjoying a waterfront sunset, before dinner at El Faro de Cádiz. El Faro specializes in local fish and seafood dishes, serving everything from lobster to bluefin tuna in an elegant tapas bar and adjoining restaurant. Look out for the fine local wines on the list here, with some rarities served by the glass.

Explore the old town of Cádiz. Start with a walking tour and a visit to the central market. Stop in at old-school wine tavern La Manzanilla to taste unfiltered Manzanilla wine before lunch at creative tapas restaurant La Candela. Finish your stay with dinner at a Cádiz seafood institution: El Faro. In the authentic La Viña district, El Faro’s excellent local catch, talented chef and great wine list have made it legendary.

DAY 6 - DEPARTURE

  • Private transfer to the Jerez or Sevilla airport or train station for departure.

WHERE YOU’LL STAY

Corral del Rey

Tucked away in the narrow streets of Sevilla’s Barrio de Santa Cruz, Corral del Rey occupies three beautifully restored palaces dating back to the 17th century and offers a perfect bolthole from which to explore the old town of Sevilla. Inside the property you’ll find common areas and rooms tastefully arranged with luxurious furniture and fine art and antiquities from the owners’ private collections and world travels. The rooms feature the best of everything, from the linens and upholstery to the stunning bathrooms. The service here goes above and beyond, with expert staff there to help with anything you might need. Corral del Rey features a small restaurant for tapas in the evening if you’re so enchanted you want to stay in, but you’ll likely want to take advantage of the perfect location just a few minutes from the Cathedral, the Alcázar, and the tapas bars and restaurants of the center.

Casa Cánovas

A historic palatial house in the heart of Cadiz’s old town has been converted into a beautiful boutique hotel. The design and materials of the building merge seamlessly with the elegant redesign. The public spaces and rooms are enchanting and comfortable. Don’t miss the Italian restaurant and tapas bar on the ground floor, perfect for a drink or a dinner in after a day of touring. The passionate and creative Italian chef prepares a menu that will surprise and delight.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • 5 nights hotel, double occupancy, breakfast daily in the hotels, expert private guides, private premium tours and tastings at wineries, restaurant concierge service and all reservations, in-country trip assistance and on-the-ground support, Epicurean Ways expertise

NOT INCLUDED

  • flights to/from Spain and flights within Spain, tips to guides and drivers (optional but appreciated), travel insurance (recommended) Note that TravelSafe travel insurance can be arranged through Epicurean Ways, extra charges in hotels (minibar, room service, etc)

EPICUREAN WAYS ADVANTAGE

We pride ourselves on our discerning taste in hotels, a concierge approach to restaurants for you, and our long experience in the world of wine enabling us to select wineries worth visiting and arrange premium tastings at each winery.

You will be accompanied by a driver-guide during your wine touring. Your visits and tastings will be private and with the winemaker, a family member or an expert who knows the winery and the wines well. We work with the wineries to make sure that you taste the best and most representative wines during each visit. It is sometimes possible to arrange extended tastings that include old vintages or rare wines. We have an extensive group of wineries whose owners we know and with whom we work regularly, so we can guarantee high-level visits even if a winery has to be substituted. If you have an interest in visiting a particular producer please let us know.

We include restaurant concierge service as part of your trip. Note that our restaurant suggestions are just that–suggestions. Places we love, places to go back to time after time. We recommend these places after years of experience eating in Spain and Portugal together with frequent research and input from our local partners. We aspire to guide your choices with information on the styles of cuisine and restaurants; the choice on where to eat is yours based on your preferences and desires.

We have extensive experience with hotels ranging from 5-star luxury properties to private boutique hotels. Let us know your preferences and we will tailor the hotel choices for you.

All tours, experiences and hotels are subject to availability and will be confirmed upon booking the trip.

TRIP PRICES

Note that we can customize this trip for you. Add days in your arrival or departure city or in other locations or make changes to the experiences, winery visits, restaurants, or hotels included in the trip. Whatever it is, we’re here to work with you. Once you’re happy with the trip plan and have some idea of your dates we will send you the price.

WHERE YOU’LL GO

ANDALUCÍA

Covering most of the southern part of Spain, Andalusia holds a charm that no other Spanish region can claim. It is, after all, the ancestral home of so many Spanish images–flamenco, Andalusian horses, bullfighting, sherry and tapas like pescaíto frito, the fresh quick-fried fish so ubiquitous in the south. Even by Spaniards, Andalusia tends to be painted as a single culture and destination, but in truth it’s perhaps the most varied part of the country. The wild coast of Huelva and Cádiz, with windswept beach bars and fresh seafood. The classic inland Andalusian cities of Sevilla, Jerez, and Córdoba, which are sisters but differ so much in their culture, food, history, and atmosphere. The mountain hideaway of Granada, the coastal metropolis of Málaga, the white villages of the mountains. To those with some experience in other parts of Spain, coming into contact with deep Andalusia is a revelation, like discovering a new world that begins south of Madrid.

SEVILLA

Andalusia’s capital breathes vitality and energy: groups of people spilling out of bars and restaurants onto the streets, loud and passionate conversations and strains of flamenco floating out of windows, narrow streets and beautiful plazas stoked with orange trees ablaze in the southern sun. It’s a city of grand monuments, the riches of the Americas converted into churches and palaces and statues, but also of tiny atmospheric holes in the wall hidden away from time. To arrive in Sevilla from another Spanish city is to be transported immediately and powerfully into Andalusia. The feeling that accompanies that immersion is so strong that many find they never want to leave.

Sevilla has three World Heritage Sites: the Cathedral (the largest Gothic temple in the world), the Real Alcázar (Moorish palace which features a stunning combination of Mudéjar and Baroque architectural styles) and the Santa Cruz district (the former Jewish Quarter) with narrow streets, hidden patios and countless quaint corners.

CÁDIZ

The city of Cádiz lies on the end of an island extending into the Atlantic Bay of Cádiz, leaving the beautiful historic center with water on three sides. Here you will find colonial-style buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, many built after the city was damaged by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and during its days as the center of trade with the overseas Spanish Empire. The small beach of La Caleta in the city center has stood in for Havana in films. Despite its historic architecture, Cádiz is a dense, living city with lively bars and restaurants extending through its old quarter and down along its long, sandy beaches. It’s the perfect place to get away from the heat of summer and the cold of winter, a world of its own that looks out onto the Atlantic rather than towards Madrid.

The towns of San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa María, and Rota line the Bay of Cádiz, each with its own seaside character. Heading south towards Gibraltar lies the Costa de la Luz, with spectacular unmarred beaches and some of the sunniest weather in Spain. Excellent fresh-caught fish and shellfish are abundant, as well as the atún de almadraba from Barbate. Slightly inland you will find the pueblos blancos, with Vejer de la Frontera the first shining example. Towering over the surrounding countryside in pure white, Vejer feels like a step back in time. The narrow streets have many secrets to discover.

CUISINE IN CÁDIZ

Cádiz may be said to be pristine, and nowhere is this more apparent than the cuisine, the bars, and the restaurants of the province. Restaurants, bars, markets and specialty shops offer a dizzying array of local, seasonal products, along with extensive advice about the arcane aspects of preparing dishes such as cazón en adobo, atún encebollado, or the plato estrella, berza gaditana. 

Ultramarinos and food stores that double as bars offer local charcuterie and cheese, ranging from exquisite mojama (dried bluefin tuna) to Payoyo cheese from the Cádiz mountains and chicharrones especiales (cured pork belly), accompanied by sherry, local still wines, or the ever-present cañas of ice-cold Cruzcampo beer. 

The tapas bars and unassuming restaurants are as varied as they are numerous: freidurias that sell pescadito frito (fried fish) in paper cones; fisherman’s bars serving whatever they received that morning from the day’s catch; roadside ventas offering country menus featuring Retinto beef, snails and wild boar; institutions with classic photos on the walls, uniformed waiters, and classics on the menu; restaurants with paper tablecloths clothes-pinned to metal tables that serve better seafood than can be found in whole cities; innovative spots where young chefs or wise veterans transcend the traditions to breathe new life into the splendid ingredients; three Michelin star Aponiente Restaurant’s chef Ángel León redefining the entire meaning of seafood without losing sight of the terroir. Even just scratching the surface, Cádiz is a must-taste for anyone who loves good eating.