Days 1-2: Apr 23-24
Madrid/Toledo/Madrid
Head to La Mancha and stop at farms
that produce manchego cheese and
saffron. In Toledo, sample the delicious
marzipan, made from fresh almonds and
honey in a recipe that dates to Moorish
(Islamic) times.
Hotel Ritz Madrid B L
Day 3: Apr 25
Madrid/C?ceres Carlos Falc?
Marques de Gri??n's winery produces
one of the most prestigious varietals of
Spanish wine, Malpica del Tajo. Visit his
vineyard, and after lunch in a local inn,
continue to Trujillo, a little hill town
that specializes in a liqueur made from
acorns. Nearby is the UNESCO World
Heritage Site of C?ceres, home to the
renowned Atrio restaurant, where you
dine tonight.
NH Palacio de Oquendo B L D
Day 4: Apr 26
C?cares/Trasierra Drive past
evergreen oaks that produce acorns, the
secret flavoring of the pata negra hams.
Stop in the hilltop village of Montanchez
to visit a prestigious establishment that
prepares these unique hams. Continue
to M?rida to see the superb Roman
theater.
Trasierra B L D
Day 5: Apr 27
Andalusia Walk in the woods
or stroll to the village of Cazalla de la
Sierra in the heart of Andalusia for a
glass of wine or some tapas. Return
to Trasierra for a cooking class hosted
by television chef Gioconda Scott, the
daughter of Charlotte Scott. You stay
in her beautiful Andalusian farmhouse
that is often featured in the world's top
design magazines.
Trasierra B L D
Day 6: Apr 28
Trasierra/Seville/Sanlucar la Mayor Drive to Cortijo El
Esparragal, a beautiful country house
and stud farm, en route to your manor
house hotel, run under the auspices of
Spain's most renowned gastronomic
guru, Ferr?n Adri?. Dine tonight at La
Alquer?a, its renowned Michelin-starred
restaurant. The next day, drive to Seville,
where you can sample an amazing
variety of tapas. Later, take a carriage
ride through Mar?a Luisa Park to
privately visit one of the city's grandest
palaces.
(Day 8: B D)
Hacienda Benazuza el Bulli B L D
Days 7-8: Apr 29-30
Sanlucar la Mayor/Cordoba/
Lucena In C?rdoba, stop at the
Mezquita, a cathedral that was once
a Roman temple and then the largest
mosque in the world. C?rdoba's
Moorish cuisine lives on, and lunch
today features specialties that have their
origin in dishes that go back before
the Christian Reconquest of 1285.
Afterward, continue to your hotel
in Lucena.
MS Convento Santo Domingo B L D
Day 9: May 1
Lucena Learn about the
"liquid gold" that Spain exports to every
corner of the globe when you attend a
lecture on the secrets of producing extra
virgin olive oil. Continue with a visit to
an ancient olive press and marvel at the
olive trees that appear to stretch to the
horizon.
MS Convento Santo Domingo B L
Day 10: May 2
Lucena/Osuna/Sanl?car de
Barrameda Whitewashed villages,
seemingly unchanged since the time
of the Moors, dot the hills and border
the rivers of Andalusia's heartland. Stop
in the town of Osuna for a tapas lunch
before continuing to the province of
Cadiz and your country hotel, where
the chef prepares an exceptional
farewell dinner. Later, attend a pulsating
flamenco dance and song performance
by local villagers.
Hacienda de San Rafael B L D
Day 11: May 3
Sanl?car de Barrameda/Jerez
de la Frontera/Sanl?car de Barrameda
Drive to Jerez de la Frontera. After
wandering through the market bustling
with fishmongers, privately visit the
prize-winning Lustau bodega. Learn
the secrets of producing this famous
Spanish wine and sample some of the
bone-dry finos as well as the luscious
Pedro Ximenez varietals. Continue
to Sanl?car de Barrameda, home of
manzanilla sherry, where you enjoy a
lunch of local shrimp, another specialty
of the region. Later, return to your
hacienda for farewell drinks.
Hacienda de San Rafael B L D
Day 12: May 4
Sanl?car de Barrameda/USA
or Canada Board your homebound
flight or continue to Portugal.
B
Day 13: May 5
May 5-10: Your journey takes you to
Evora, the wine country of the Alentejo
and to the heart of central Portugal,
home of some of the country's finest
regional cuisine. Dine in monasteries,
as well as Michelin-starred restaurants.
Along the way, sample specialty wines,
cheeses and suckling pig. Fly home via
Lisbon.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO PORTUGAL