The tastes of the Spanish Mediterranean

Barcelona

Day 1: Welcome to Barcelona

Your local host will be waiting for you at Barcelona's international airport to take you to your hotel in the city center, before explaining the details of the trip you are about to embark on.

Once you’ve checked into your hotel and freshened up, you will embark on a tour into the heart of this bustling metropolis, with a local guide to help you visit the most special spots of Barcelona. You'll explore the works of genius architecture up close, including Gaudí's Sagrada Familia masterpiece, as well as some lesser-known but equally stunning locations.

In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner in a local winery, before retiring to your hotel for the night.

Barcelona

Day 2: Explore Barcelona's green spaces

After breakfast, you will meet your local naturalist guide to discover Barcelona from another perspective - to discover the urban nature and green spaces that have been shaping the city today.

For lunchtime, we will head by Cercanias train to nearby Mataro, where we will enjoy the best of the Mediterranean cuisine in a seaside restaurant that serves dishes elaborated with local and organic products.

Dinner tonight will be served at a seafood restaurant in the popular neighborhood of Barceloneta. This restaurant serves dishes that are cooked using products fished sustainably in the Port of Barcelona.

Barcelona - Montserrat - Barcelona

Day 3: Discover the vineyards of Penedès

After breakfast, head to the wine region of Penedès, where you will visit a pioneering biodynamic winery, taking the time to explore its vineyards on foot or horseback.

After visiting its historical cave, you will have the chance to taste its sparkling and sweet wines, which perfectly showcase elaborate recipes passed down through the generations.

After lunch, option to visit the Montserrat Abbey before returning to Barcelona. The abbey, which stands proud and silent on a massive rock over 4,000ft high, offers a chance to contemplate extraordinary views as you immerse yourself in a historic setting.

Barcelona - Pals - Peratallada

Day 4: Soak up the Costa Brava sun

After breakfast, begin your journey towards the beautiful Costa Brava. You'll tour the Montgrí Massif, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, visiting a fishermen's project known as Proyecto Séoia along the way. This project promotes the sustainable production of cuttlefish and squid, and contributes to the recovery of local marine biodiversity in these unique Mediterranean seabeds.

After your visit, you will have the chance to enjoy seafood delights in a local restaurant that supports the project. Then, in the afternoon, take time to discover the medieval villages of Pals and Peratallada before checking into your hotel to relax and unwind.

Peratallada - Cadaqués - Peratallada

Day 5: Explore the wonderful works of Dalí

Leave Peratallada this morning, heading towards the coastal town of Cadaqués. Aside from enjoying its lovely setting, you will visit the house-turned-museum of Catalan painter, Salvador Dalí. Discover the wonders of this unique museum, getting a chance to better understand the mind of this famous and eccentric painter.

In the afternoon, you will have free time to relax on the beach and get lost in the streets of Cadaqués. For dinner, why not treat yourself and enjoy an assorted selection of local tapas, wine, and cava in a unique and attractive Catalan bistro.

Peratallada - Garrotxa Volcanic Natural Park

Day 6: Stroll amongst volcanoes in Garrotxa

After breakfast, begin an adventure towards the unknown and volcanic region of the Garrotxa Natural Park. After arriving at your accommodation, leave your luggage and take a stroll amongst volcanoes and the magic beech forest of La Fageda.

Stop to enjoy lunch surrounded by nature, then visit an inclusive dairy production project, which distributes dairy products to all the school canteens of the Catalan community.

You'll have the afternoon free to walk through the capital of the region, discovering its rich historical and cultural heritage. Dinner this evening will be served in a restaurant specialized in local and volcanic gastronomy.

Garrotxa Volcanic Natural Park - Besalu - Tarragona

Day 7: Uncover the past in Tarragona

After breakfast, head in the direction of Tarragona. You'll stop en-route in Besalu, one of the most beautiful villages of Catalonia and well-known thanks to its medieval heritage.

Upon arrival into Tarragona, you will have free time to take lunch and spend the afternoon diving into its Roman heritage, particularly its ancient amphitheater. If you're simply looking to unwind, why not sit back in a bar with a glass of sangria in hand?

Tarragona - Priorat - Montsant

Day 8: Taste the flavors of Montsant

Today's journey takes you towards the wineries of Priorat and Montsant, the cradles of high-quality and innovative wines, and some of the most popular regions for wine-lovers to visit in Spain.

Hike through the surroundings of the Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei, leading to the Pregona Fountain - a peaceful place in Montsant where you'll hear the monastery bells ringing out far and wide, thanks to the acoustics of the mountains. Then, visit the monastery to understand the history of the Carthusian monks and their importance in the wine culture of the region. The morning will end with a restorative wine tasting in the Scala Dei Winery.

You'll have the afternoon free to visit other villages and experience more regional wines at your leisure.

Montsant - Delta Del Ebro Natural Park

Day 9: Traditions & local living in the Delta del Ebro

You're headed for the Delta del Ebro Natural Park this morning! After checking into your accommodation and leaving your luggage behind, meet your guide and embark on an authentic ethnographic experience.

This eco-cultural safari will help you explore the park's different ecosystems, as well as the rice harvest customs and knowledge of the locals. It will end with a kitchen workshop session and lunch centered around traditional rice dishes.

For the remainder of the day, bikes will be provided for you to continue discovering this unique natural place by yourself, at leisure.

Delta Del Ebro Natural Park - Canet Lo Roig - Maestrazgo

Day 10: Taste the region's liquid gold

This morning, make your journey towards the historic Maestrazgo and Canet lo Roig villages.

The local region is famed for having the highest density of olive trees that are older than 2,000 years. There, your local expert will guide you on a gentle hike to learn about their cultivation, while taking time to listen to the trees' ancient heartbeat. After the hike, enjoy a professional extra virgin olive oil tasting to understand the virtues of this so-called oro liquido (liquid gold).

Lunch will be served in a unique restaurant located in the heart of the Royal Sanctuary of Font de la Salut, where you will enjoy 100% seasonal and local-made dishes. In the afternoon, your local expert will guide you through a historical tour of the Royal Sanctuary, to learn about the curiosities of this medieval place.

Maestrazgo - Sierra De Irta Natural Park - Valencia

Day 11: Traverse the coast to Peñiscola

After breakfast, check out and head to the coast for a hike in the Sierra d'Irta Natural Park, the last spot of the Valencian coast that remains completely unspoiled. For lunch, enjoy a picnic on the beach or in one of the coves toured during the hike.

In the afternoon, you will visit beautiful Peñiscola, the third pontifical town after Rome and Avignon and known as La Ciudad en el Mar. Enjoy a craft beer tasting in the historical center of Peñiscola, learning all about its artisanal production process.

Finally, in the evening, depart for Valencia where you will spend the night.

Valencia - Albufera Natural Park - Valencia

Day 12: The biodiversity of Albufera Natural Park

After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of Valencia culminating in a visit to Albufera Natural Park. In this unique space, discover and learn about the local Mediterranean ecosystems, which feature an astonishing biodiversity and diverse landscapes.

Whilst in the park, you will have the chance to enjoy a traditional Valencian paella and explore the grounds by rowboat or on foot, relaxing as you marvel at its shores, sand dunes, and rice fields. Keep an eye out for the beautiful birds and wildlife that fill the park!

In the evening, feel free to walk through the streets of Valencia, feeling the warm Mediterranean breeze as you enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Valencia

Day 13: Say farewell to Spain

This morning, depending on your flight schedule, you may have some free time in Valencia to spend at your own pace, enjoying everything that this bustling cosmopolitan on the edge of the Mediterranean has to offer. At a suitable time, head to the international airport for your flight back home. Have a pleasant onward trip!