Haciendas & Palaces: Seville & Cádiz Countryside Trip

Explore the contrasts of Andalusia, Spain’s diverse and fascinating southern region. It’s a land of wide open spaces in the countryside and dense cities teeming with life. The wealth of the Americas built the ornate churches and palaces of Sevilla and Cádiz while the simplicity of rural life remained. A short drive can take you from windswept beaches to green hills to wide-open farmland and from hilltop villages and fishing towns to international cities. The thread that binds is a shared culture of cuisines, annual events and festivals such as Holy Week and spring ferias, and traditions observed by all. All of which means that a private guided trip where you sleep in luxury hotels and eat at some of the top restaurants in the region doesn’t mean you will be insulated from traditional food, local wines, fishermen’s bars or rustic tapas joints. That´s the joy of Andalusia.

Start in the coastal city of Cádiz, the pastel jewel overlooking its bay, immersing yourself in its pedestrian walking streets, pretty plazas and sidewalk cafés. Along the way, you’ll taste the delicious cuisine of the province of Cádiz, with its wealth of seafood. You’ll see traditional market cuisine alongside the most sophisticated preparations from talented local chefs. In contrast to Cádiz your stay at a secluded luxury hacienda where good taste and Andalucía’s finest host erase any ideas of must-sees and dos. It’s time to give in to relaxation and easy. Excursions to wineries or historic Ronda, horseback riding or hiking are available if you like. Afterwards, spend time in Andalusia’s busy capital Sevilla, where atmosphere and grandeur, pride and forgetting come together.

Trip At A Glance

8 Days / 7 Nights

Days 1 - 2 in Cádiz

Start your journey in coastal Cádiz, where you’ll tour the city and discover its hidden corners. A wine tasting with a talented local sommelier will introduce you to the world of Cádiz wines. Discover the styles of sherry and its glorious potential by visiting the key sherry town of Jerez de la Frontera and see the wine in action at the most interesting restaurants and tapas bars throughout your trip.

Days 3 - 5 at Hacienda San Rafael

It´s the best of both worlds at the Hacienda. You can spend your time poolside or in the elegantly appointed living room, or drinking wine at a table overlooking the countryside. Or you can venture out during the day to the dramatic town of Ronda, to the nearby sherry wineries in Jerez or Sanlúcar or avoid all things urban and ride on horseback through quiet countryside or perhaps hike in the nearby hills. We’ve included what we deem unforgettable experiences which will always be capped off by cozy home-cooked dinners back at the Hacienda.

Days 6 - 7 in Sevilla

Head to Sevilla, a city defined by the Guadalquivir River and the riches brought here with the discovery of America. Discover the lively tapas scene with a local by hopping from bar to bar trying local specialties and mingling with the numerous exuberant locals. You’ll see the city’s stunning monuments and stroll through the narrow streets of the old town before ending your trip with a feast at Sevilla’s best seafood restaurant, accompanied by fine wines, sherries, or whatever your heart desires.

Haciendas & Palaces: Seville & Cádiz Countryside Trip

Day 1 - Cádiz Tour & Wine Tasting

  • Walking tour & market visit

  • La Manzanilla sherry taberna visit

  • Cádiz wine tasting

  • Dinner at Casa Lazo restaurant

  • Overnight Hotel Casa Cánovas, Cádiz

Andalusia

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.

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.

 Cuisine in Cádiz

Cádiz is unspoiled Andalucía, and nowhere is this more apparent than the cuisine, the bars, and the restaurants of the province. 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 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 menus appealing every possible culinary desire you might have. Restaurants with paper tablecloths clothespinned 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 Leon 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.

Walking Tour and Market Visit

Enjoy a private walking tour of the old town of Cadiz, learning about the city’s growth as Spain’s port to the Americas in the 18th century and its unique architecture and geography. Then visit the market in Cádiz–in our opinion one of Spain’s best markets, and certainly unique in that the market is ringed with eating stalls and small shops stocked with local charcuterie, cheese and wine.

Taberna La Manzanilla

Taberna La Manzanilla is a unique bar where sherry ages in huge barrels behind the bar and the decor of old bottles and bullfighting posters will transport you back in time, is a perfect place to enjoy a manzanilla, amontillado, or even oloroso before eating at one of the fantastic restaurant nearby.

Taberna La Manzanilla was founded in the 1930s as the Cádiz outpost of a manzanilla bodega from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. At first glance, it’s hard to identify any changes since then. Ancient sherry bottles and promotional items cover the walls and fill glass cases, accompanied by well-aged bullfighting posters. The main attraction, however, is the pile of barrels behind the bar. Owner Pepe carefully curates and ages manzanilla (dry sherry) from Sanlúcar in his private cellar. Today La Manzanilla serves exclusively sherry aged in their own barrels, which have never been emptied since the founding of the taberna. Each glass is served with exactly two stuffed olives, and the bill is tracked in chalk on the dark wooden bar. Traditionally these sherry wine bars have also sold wine straight from the barrel in bottles to go, and La Manzanilla keeps this tradition alive, with prices listed by the liter.

Cádiz Wine Tasting

Join a local wine expert for a tasting of some of the exciting white wines from sherry country. The Palomino grape planted in chalky soils that is used to make sherry has proven itself capable of making fascinating white wines. A new generation of talented winemakers has proven this with their limited-edition releases that have become cult wines around the world. These pure expressions of the terroir of Jerez and its surroundings are the perfect introduction to the world of sherry. You’ll taste some of the best examples, including so-called vinos de pasto, white wines aged in barrel with the layer of flor yeast that defines fino and manzanilla sherry.

Dinner at Casa Lazo Restaurant

A wood-paneled storefront with glass displays full of gourmet products hides behind it a tapas bar and restaurant serving the highest quality products: Casa Lazo. Casa Lazo began as a store selling Iberian ham and charcuterie before becoming the local star eatery it is today. Iberian pork is a key attraction here, in the form of  top jamón ibérico and other cured meats as well as fresh cuts cooked impeccably. But you’ll find a great selection of other products here, from traditional tapas to selected beef and lamb from the best producers in Spain to local fish and shellfish, including bluefin tuna from the almadrabas of the Cádiz coast. Don’t miss the wine list, written in chalk behind the bar and featuring numerous fine wines from Spain’s great regions.

Day 2 - Seaside Cádiz & Tabernas

  • Free day in Cádiz

  • Lunch at Almanaque Casa de Comidas

  • Evening ultramarinos tapas bars on your own in Cádiz

  • Overnight Hotel Casa Cánovas, Cádiz

Free day in Cádiz. Consider visiting the Torre Tavira in central Cádiz, a historic palace offering panoramic views of the city from its historic camara oscura. You may also want to explore the  Oratorio de la Santa Cueva with its unique neoclassical chapel or climb the bell tower of the Cathedral. At sunset, El Pelícano Bar offers a relaxed terrace on the edge of Cádiz’s old town that overlooks the Atlantic and lets you take in the pastel buildings of Cádiz’s waterfront. A beautiful spot to have a drink and gaze at the sinking sun.

Lunch at Almanaque Restaurant in Cádiz

Opened by two Cádiz natives who worked together at two Michelin star Ricard Camarena restaurant in Valencia, Almanaque Casa de Comidas is dedicated to rediscovering the recipes and ingredients of Cadiz home cooking and bringing them to life with impeccable preparations. The small, cozy space in the heart of Cádiz’s old town features tables and an outside terrace. Sit down and you’ll be greeted by expert staff who will recommend plates from a menu of tapas and shared plates that changes daily. Expect plates based on seasonal vegetables, fish, and meat that allow the incredibly fresh products to shine. You’ll usually find an excellent rice dish on the menu, a specialty picked up in Valencia that’s always a good choice. The wine list features selections from small producers in the region and other parts of Spain that pair great with the dishes, many of them available by the wine glass. Almanaque has only been open for a few years, but it’s already making a case for itself as the most exciting restaurant in Cádiz.

Evening Ultramarinos on Your Own

The ultramarinos is a kind of tapas bar deeply associated with the city of Cádiz. These bars evolved from dry goods stores that traded in products that came and went on ships from the port of Cádiz. Today they serve quality cold and cured tapas like charcuterie, local cheese, cured and canned fish alongside glasses of wine or sherry or ice-cold Spanish beer. They’re popular spots before dinner for a drink and a bite, but by hopping from place to place you can make a light dinner. Some also have some cooked dishes available. Below are some recommended ultramarinos.

La Cepa Gallega

La Cepa Gallega was a true Cádiz ultramarinos, a trader of products with the ships coming and going from the new world of Cádiz’s port at the end of the 19th century. As shipping activity declined, the owners focused on selling gourmet products as a store and bar. In 2018 the bar was reopened under new ownership while maintaining the offerings, decor, and even employees of this century-old    gem. The interior is filled with wine bottles and character, while the outdoor terrace offers barrel tables and the atmosphere of Calle Plocia, a bustling tapas area. Great wine and sherry by the glass attracts a loyal clientele who pair their drinks with deli papers covered in chicharrones, jamón ibérico, mojama, and other delicacies. Owner and wine aficionado Bernardo, who reopened this jewel after being a loyal customer himself, is as passionate a host as you could ask for, helping to guide each and every customer.

La Sorpresa

La Sorpresa was an old ultramarinos store from the 1950s hidden on a small street near Cádiz’s central market. Today, following the original owner’s retirement it has been resurrected as one of the most popular aperitif spots in the city. Beer on tap, a wide selection of wine by the glass and bottle, and sherry from barrels helps wash down charcuterie, canned fish, and a selection of top-quality tuna from the almadrabas of the Cádiz coast. The old store counter has been preserved as a spot to buy top quality fish conservas, complete with the old mechanical scale. You can enjoy your tapas at the bar, at the classic high barrel-like tables outside, or, unusually for an ultramarinos, at proper tables in the back.

Taberna Casa Manteca

Walk on the seaside paseo to Casa Manteca for mojama and chicharrones all served on sheets of butcher’s paper and washed down with local sherry. Taberna Casa Manteca is famous in Cádiz, and for good reason. Originally a neighborhood store, in the 1950s it was converted into a tapas bar after the clientele started eating (and drinking) their purchases there. The founder had briefly been a bullfighter, and the inside of the bar is covered in bullfighting memorabilia, including some from Pepe El Manteca himself. Casa Manteca serves mainly papelones, portions of sliced charcuterie or cheese served on pieces of the paper used to wrap cheese for sale. They are best known for chicharrones, pork belly that has been cooked whole with spices, sliced thin, and served cold, often with lemon and salt. Enjoy them accompanied by a glass of sherry or wine from the extensive selection covering the walls.

Pelayo

Pelayo is a project created by the owner of beloved Cádiz restaurant El Terraza, a hidden gem near the Cathedral. A top-tier gourmet store and deli in front offers the best products from Cádiz province and beyond alongside an excellent selection of sherry wines. Outside, there are shelf tables where you can sample the products from the store, but the real surprise is in the back. A large collection of vintage motorcycles and memorabilia lines the walls leading to a small area featuring and tables and a bar back where savvy gaditanos meet to drink sherry and sample the daily cooked specials or deli products. You’ll often be greeted by the owner himself, a gracious host welcoming you to a bar that might otherwise feel like a private club.

El Veedor

Ultramarinos El Veedor combines an ultramarinos store and an ultramarinos bar in one small space. The walls are lined with shelves holding anything you could need from a neighborhood store: rice, bread, wine, potato chips, even cleaning products. On one side of the long, narrow bar is the deli counter, where hand-cut Iberian ham and gourmet cheese are available to go alongside cold drinks and the staples lining the walls. The rest of El Veedor is a bar, serving mainly the same cheese and charcuterie alongside Spanish pantry comfort dishes like habitas con jamón. Unlike many ultramarinos, El Veedor does have cooked dishes, most notably half a dozen styles of tortilla española. There is beer on tap, wine by the glass, and sherry served fresh from barrels at the end of the bar. Like many ultramarinos, El Veedor has unusual hours for a bar, opening early in the morning to accommodate both shopping and pre-meal tapas.


Day 3 - Jerez and Sherry

  • Transfer to Jerez

  • Old Town walking tour and market visit

  • Faustino González winery visit & tasting

  • Lunch at Bocarambo restaurant

  • Transfer to Hacienda San Rafael

  • Overnight Hacienda San Rafael

Jerez de la Frontera

Every wine enthusiast should visit Jerez for an experience unlike any other. The inland city of Cádiz province, Jerez de la Frontera is pure Andalusia, the land of sherry and flamenco and horses and bullfights. The old town mixes quiet streets and scenic plazas with bustling tapas bars and sunny restaurant terraces. Jerez feels like a small version of Sevilla as it once was, relaxed and energetic, traditional and inspired. The sherry houses, cavernous wine warehouses in the center of town, are full of shadows and history and old barrels each containing a surprising liquid jewel. To walk through one of these “cathedrals of wine” and taste straight sherry from the barrel is one of the world’s essential wine experiences.

Jerez Walking Tour & Market Visit

Start your day off with a walking tour of the historic city center and a visit to the impressive market filled with local produce, meats and charcuterie and, surprising for inland Jerez, glorious piles of fresh Atlantic seafood.

Faustino González Winery Visit & Tasting

Every wine enthusiast should visit Jerez for an experience tasting biological and oxidative aged wines. Surprisingly, nearly all sherry wineries are in town, which means that exploring the undiscovered jewel that is Jerez, tasting sherry and pairing sherries with your lunch will keep you eye-level with the locals. Visit a family-owned bodega in central Jerez making some of the finest sherries available today with a member of the family. Your masterclass will begin with biologically aged sherry, where a vertical tasting of finos straight from the barrel will give you a fascinating portrait of fino sherry’s aging process. After tasting the finos move to the tiny painted tables in the picturesque patio to learn about what happens to sherry as it ages and oxidizes. Amontillado, oloroso, palo cortado–you will know what those words mean, and how they taste, after this immersion.

Lunch at Bocarambo Restaurant

Head to a hole in the wall restaurant in the center of Jerez for lunch. This family-run spot serves excellent traditional Jerez cuisine alongside two legendary specialties. The first is Iberian pork grilled whole and sliced at the table. The second is authentic paella cooked in the patio of the restaurant in a single enormous pan. The owner and rice master learned firsthand from paella experts in Valencia. You can watch the rice being prepared from the bar and tables. Relax in the covered patio dining room with great food and friendly service.

Dinner at Hacienda San Rafael 

Have dinner with wine in the Hacienda dining room. The menu varies nightly.

Day 4 - Day at the Hacienda

  • Horseback riding or hiking near Hacienda San Rafael

  • Lunch at Hacienda San Rafael

  • Afternoon massages

  • Dinner at Hacienda San Rafael

  • Overnight Hacienda San Rafael

Horseback Riding or Hiking Near Hacienda de San Rafael

Spend the morning riding beautiful Andalusian horses at a stable near Hacienda San Rafael or hiking in the wild hills nearby.

Lunch at Hacienda San Rafael

Spend the morning riding beautiful Andalusian horses at a stable near Hacienda San Rafael.

Afternoon Massages

Enjoy expert massages at Hacienda San Rafael in the afternoon.

Dinner at Hacienda San Rafael

Have dinner with wine in the Hacienda dining room. The menu varies nightly.

Day 5 - Ronda

  • Spend the day in the hilltop town of Ronda

  • Ronda walking tour

  • Lunch at Bardal Restaurant

  • Kieninger winery visit

  • Dinner at Hacienda San Rafael

  • Overnight Hacienda San Rafael

Ronda

Ronda is the jewel in the crown of the so-called white villages, those picturesque hilltop towns that dot the mountainous areas of Andalusia. Perched on two sides of a plunging gorge where birds nest, Ronda offers stunning views over the surrounding countryside. The seventeenth-century Puente Nueva, an impossible-looking stone bridge, crosses the gorge and leads to the old town, where narrow streets lead to enchanting plazas and hidden palaces. Explore the old town before lunch at two Michelin star Bardal Restaurant.

Ronda is also home to one of southern Spain’s most surprising wine regions. A few bold winemakers discovered that the altitude and climate around Ronda allowed them to grow grapes like Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot that usually struggle in Spain. Today, these pioneers and many others have transformed the surrounding countryside into arguably the premier place for red wine production in Andalusia. The styles are varied, but most of the wines are far fresher and more elegant than the latitude would suggest they could be. The best news for travelers is that the  wineries are close by to visit and local wines are available in bars and restaurants all over town, bringing a wonderful vibrancy to the local wine culture.

Lunch at Bardal Restaurant

After working in some of Spain’s top kitchens and running the excellent casual restaurant Tragatá in Ronda, chef Benito Gómez decided to dive back into haute cuisine with Bardal in the heart of Ronda. In just a few years Bardal has become one of Andalusia’s most acclaimed restaurants and accumulated two Michelin stars along the way. Dining at Bardal is comfortable and relaxing, for the space, the cuisine, and the staff transmit Gómez’s philosophy that a restaurant should be about eating and enjoyment, not pretention. The cuisine at Bardal has traditional Andalusian dishes and local ingredients at its heart, but Gómez also uses ingredients and flavors from other parts of Spain, especially his native Catalonia. Expect seasonal dishes that combine flavors and techniques in surprising ways to highlight the essence of star products. The selection of Andalusian cheeses and the desserts made in house are unmissable. The wine cellar is carefully selected, highlighting Andalusian wines from around Ronda and exciting regions like Jerez alongside terroir-focused wines from Spain and around the world. Bardal is a friendly but exceptional leader of new Andalusian cuisine. 

Kieninger Winery Visit

Austrian Martin Kieninger trained as an architect and first came to the area near Ronda in that capacity. He fell in love with the area and the potential of the mountains around Ronda for wine production. Kieninger brought his Austrian heritage with him, planting Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt alongside French grapes and Spanish varieties like Tintilla de Rota and Garnacha. Today, his winemaking dream is fully realized. The winery building and house are surrounded by vineyards grown without any pesticides or other artificial chemicals. Bees and other insects fly through the air, and aromatic plants and trees dot the property. The winemaking is traditional and low intervention to best express the vineyards rather than the winemaking. The result is a line of unique, fresh, and delicious wines unlike any others made in Spain. The Austrian grape varieties can thrive in Ronda’s high elevation Mediterranean climate, bringing vibrant acidity and fruit to a red and a rosé. You’ll also find the same freshness in the reds made from French and Spanish grapes, which eschew power and extraction for finesse and drinkability. Kieninger is one of the great success stories of Ronda wine and continues to innovate and improve.

Dinner at Hacienda San Rafael

Have dinner with wine in the Hacienda dining room. The menu varies nightly.

Day 6 - Sevilla: Andalusian Grandeur

  • Transfer to Sevilla

  • Sevilla private walking tour

  • Lunch at Eslava

  • Tapas tour dinner in Sevilla

  • Overnight Hotel Corral del Rey, Sevilla

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 Walking Tour

Meet your guide and embark on a guided walking tour through historic Sevilla visiting World Heritage Sites and other monuments. Explore the Santa Cruz district with its traditional architecture, narrow alleyways and countless quaint corners and the former Jewish Quarter's winding streets and hidden patios. Tour the Alcázar, a fortified palace that is one of Spain’s greatest examples of Mudéjar architecture. The Mudéjar style brings together designs and craftsmanship of Moors who remained in Spain after the reconquest, and subsequent expulsion, with Christian symbols and architecture. The courtyards and galleries of the Alcázar are enchanting, strongly evoking the city’s Moorish past. The palace was a residence of the kings of Spain, and they still travel to Sevilla from time to time to occupy their rooms on the upper floor. Then step inside one of Sevilla’s palaces, with sprawling gardens and ornately decorated rooms hidden away from the bustle of the city. Option to visit the Cathedral, the largest Gothic temple in the world and where Christopher Columbus is buried.

Lunch at Eslava

The original creative tapas bar in Sevilla, Eslava provides the perfect balance between traditional Andalusian recipes and innovative creations and techniques. The small space, located at the northern end of Sevilla’s old part away from the crowds near the monuments, offers tapas and shared plates of a wide range of specialties. Locals know that Eslava is one of the city’s best places to eat and arguably the best value for more creative cuisine available. 

You can try exceptional preparations of typical dishes like croquetas and carrillada alongside seafood brought straight from the coast and house specialties like the famous egg with mushroom bizcocho and carmelized wine. Unlike most modern restaurants, Eslava offers true tapas of its most iconic dishes starting at just a few euros, but you can also order larger shared plates of them as well. There is a rotating selection of wines by the glass from wine regions all over Spain along with an extensive list of wines by the bottle including some of the finest wines made in Spain. Don’t let the idea of tapas confuse you, Eslava is one of the best places to eat in Sevilla and all of southern Spain.

Sevilla Tapas Tour Dinner

Your guide will pick you up for an evening tapas tour in Sevilla’s historic center. Tapas "bar hopping" normally involves visiting a number of bars, trying local delicacies and sharing each dish with your companions. Your guide will take you off the tourist trail and into Sevilla's side streets and hidden plazas, introducing you to the local bars with their buzzing atmosphere and busy barmen. You will also learn about numerous Spanish wines. Taste the local delicacies and soak up the sights, sounds and smells of Sevilla!

Sevilla Uncovered

Tapas are part of the culinary landscape all over Spain, but nowhere do they occupy such an important place as in Sevilla. nearly every corner, street or plaza is home to bustling places where people stand, lean, and occasionally sit while washing down all sorts of small creations with glasses of ice cold Cruzcampo beer or sherry from down the road in Jerez. You’ll find traditional tapas bars unchanged for decades and centuries where the most traditional cuisine is on offer, but also truly creative places where young chefs use the tapas format to showcase imaginative dishes. It can be hard to think of good restaurants in Sevilla that aren’t fundamentally tapas places, and it’s best to accept this and abandon yourself to the city and its ways, hopping from bar to bar trying specialties and joining the river of joyful people that stream through the streets at every meal time.

Day 7 - Explore Sevilla

  • Free day in Sevilla

  • Flamenco Show

  • Dinner at Cañabota restaurant

  • Overnight Hotel Corral del Rey, Sevilla

On Your Own In Sevilla

EME Catedral Mercer Panoramic Rooftop Bar

Head up to the rooftop of the five star EME Catedral Mercer Hotel for a drink and the best views of the Sevilla cathedral in the city. The bar directly faces the length of the cathedral, showcasing the Giralda bell tower and the main door with its elaborate facade and flying buttresses. There’s a wide selection of craft cocktails available to sip while you relax above the bustle of the city. The cathedral is lit up after dark, so the view is stunning during the day or at night.

Arab Baths - Hammam

There’s no better way to recover from the weariness of travel than to step into this palace in the center of Sevilla. Here you’ll find Arab baths with different water temperatures restored to modern standards, massages and other spa services. When you’re done with your experiences you’ll be able to relax on the small rooftop pool with views of the Sevilla cathedral.

Cruise on the Guadalquivir River in Sevilla

See Sevilla from the river on a private cruise on an electric boat. You’ll have amazing views of the Triana neighborhood, the famous Torre de Oro, and the beautiful buildings from the Ibero-American Expo of 1929.

Evening Flamenco Show

Before dinner, step inside a traditional tablao flamenco for a performance of Andalusia’s most important traditional music, flamenco. Originating with the gitanos of southern Spain, flamenco is passionate and intense, singers and dancers being moved by the spirit of the music known as duende. There’s no better place to see flamenco than Andalusia, where its rhythms and melodies are infused in the people and new flamenco stars make their mark. Our guide will explain to you the fundamental aspects of the music, dance, and history before you get to see Sevillano flamenco in all its glory.

Dinner at Cañabota Restaurant

Sevilla’s newest Michelin star restaurant, Cañabota is a temple to superb fish and seafood sourced from the Spanish coast. In just a few years, the local team behind this small restaurant in the center of Sevilla has made it the premier destination in Sevilla for seafood. The brightly lit dining room features an open kitchen and a case displaying the products available that day. Every morning, one of the restaurant partners makes his way through the markets of the coast of Cádiz using his many years of experience with local fish to source the best and most seasonal pieces for Cañabota. Unlike many Michelin star restaurants, Cañabota offers the chance to order à la carte, with a menu that changes based on what products are available featuring creative plates alongside delicious fish and seafood sold by weight. There’s also the option to order a tasting menu, a journey through the best creations of the chefs and the best products found in the market. The wine cellar, enclosed in glass and visible in the back of the dining room, features an extensive selection from Spain and other countries, with particular focus on sherry wines from nearby Cádiz province and sparkling wines. If you feel like a taste of Cañabota in an even more relaxed environment, La Barra de Cañabota is located next door and offers the same quality in a true tapas bar environment.

Day 8 - Departure

Transfer to the Sevilla airport or train station for departure.

Hotels

Cádiz Hotel - 2 nights

Hotel 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. If you’re looking for a different dining experience in Cádiz, don’t miss the restaurant, where local star chef Danilo Piteo reinvents the best of his native Italian cuisine.

Hacienda San Rafael - 3 nights

Hacienda de San Rafael - Hacienda de San Rafael is the perfect bolthole from which to explore western Andalusia, located just outside of Sevilla, close to Jerez de la Frontera, the Cádiz coast, and hilltop Ronda. A sprawling hacienda, once dedicated to olive production, it has been lovingly converted into an 11-room hotel. The property has been in the British-Jerezano Reid family for generations, and they are still in charge. Staying at the hacienda is a bit like staying in their home, but with all the trappings you might expect from the world’s best hotels. The rooms are connected to the main house, while former farm buildings have been transformed into ultra-private casitas with their own pools. The decor shows impeccable taste and the family’s love of travel, with rarities from countries around the world. Whatever you need is available here. There is a private chef who cooks just for the guests, so you can relax in the dining room or by the pool as long as you like. Massages, cooking classes, horseback riding, or any other imaginable thing can be done at the hotel or nearby, and if you decide you need to go further afield, the Reids and their helpful staff can get whatever you might need. This is a place you’ll want to stay for as long as you can, and as soon as you leave you’ll be planning when you can come back.

Sevilla Hotel - 2 nights

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.

The Riches of Andalusia Trip Includes

  • expert private guides & local specialists

  • 7 nights boutique lodgings, double occupancy

  • breakfast daily

  • premium tastings at wineries

  • guided wine tastings and wine-pairing meals

  • deluxe air-conditioned private transport

  • transfer to Sevilla or Jerez airport or train station at end of trip

  • Epicurean Ways expertise

  • in-country support

Not Included

  • travel insurance

  • tips to guides and drivers (not required but appreciated)

  • flights to and from Spain

  • extras in hotels such as room service, minibars, etc.

A note on winery visits, restaurant selections and hotels

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

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.

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 calculate and send you the price.