Best of Andalucia Experience
The Schedule
Day 1 - Jerez de la Frontera – Private visit to Sherry Bodega & vineyard
Upon arrival to Jerez, you will be taken on a guided walking tour of the city that will allow you to travel back to this era first to later continue with an explanation of the transformations that the architecture, urban planning, economy and character of Jerez experienced when its local wine became probably the most fashionable drink in the world. People from many different countries came to Jerez to start their own sherry export business in the 18th and 19th centuries, turning the city into a booming wine settlement with an international bourgeoisie, which is still present in the city these days.
With all this knowledge, you will be taken to a selected sherry winery in Jerez old town, in order to understand how sherry is aged. There, you will be explained the many different types of sherry that there are and what the secrets of their differences are. Of course, you will do the corresponding tastings there and you will understand why sherry is now having a comeback thanks to the promotion and support that it is being given by some of the most renowned chefs in the world, who are discovering how different sherries boost the flavor of different foods, creating excellent pairings.
After the bodega visit, you will be transferred to a vineyard in the countryside where lunch will be cooked for you on site. Upon arrival to the vineyard, you will take a small walk to understand the most important aspects of sherry viticulture, then you will be treated to an aperitif overlooking the rolling hills of the sherry triangle and finally you will be served a pairing lunch composed of different dishes that will be paired with different sherries. A local chef will be on site to explain every dish.
Day 2 - Private bull breeding estate & Cadiz
Southern Spain has been the home of some of the most renown matadors in the history of bullfighting and also of some of the most renown brave bull farmers. Each brave bull farmer is known for their particular approach to breeding and for the morphology and behaviour of their bulls. This tour will allow you to understand the complexity and tradition that lies behind the art of breeding brave bulls. You will also be able to enjoy the beauty of the Southern Spanish countryside and of a traditional farm estate.
Your private tour will start with a short drive from Hacienda de San Rafael to a selected brave bull farm where you will immerse yourself into this classic tradition. During the drive, your guide will set the context for the program that will follow by giving you some basic information about brave bulls, about the farmer and about the area where their farm is located. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a member of the family who owns the farm and then you will go on a 4 x 4 vehicle to visit the areas of the farm where the bulls are roaming. There you will be explained about the animals, about their diet, their habitat, their routine and their behaviour. You will also understand the how the mother cows are selected and what makes a bull ideal for a bullfight.
After your tour of the farm, you will invited to the owner's farm estate, where after an aperitif and a traditional homemade lunch will be served. This will be the perfect setting to ask as many questions as you like and to have further interaction with the farmer.
After lunch, you will be driven to the city of Cádiz. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 11th century before Jesus Christ, the city of Cádiz remains eclipsed by the popularity of the former Muslim capitals of Andalusia: Córdoba, Seville and Granada. However, Cádiz has amazing surprises to offer to the adventurous travellers with a thirst for history, architecture and art discoveries!
Along this private tour, you will see incredibly well preserved evidence of the Phoenician foundation of the city in 1100 B.C. and later travel forward in time to the 18th century to experience the period when the city held the monopoly of the trade with the Americas, formerly established in Seville. The cosmopolitan bourgeoisie that settled down in Cádiz in this period commissioned the best architects and artists of that time to build and decorate their houses and places of devotion and you'll see remarkable evidence of this in selected hidden gems of the old town.