HUB FOR ARCHITECTURE LOVERS, FOOD LOVERS, OR JUST LOVERS!
- Defining Spain is as difficult as describing one of the masterpieces of its many artists. From obsessions like bull fighting, flamenco and football to surreal art & architecture, the Spanish canvas is unique and varied. Add the snow-capped Pyrenees in the north and sun drenched beaches in the South, and words will completely fail you!
Not to be missed
- Ascari Race Resort
- Ronda
- Named after the F1 legend Alberto Ascari, this track incorporates all the famous turns of F1 circuits around the world.
- After the historic delights of Andalusia, crank up the pace at Ronda. This historic town is also home to the luxurious Ascari Racing resort. Named after the F1 legend Alberto Ascari, the resort boasts of the longest track in Spain (5.5 kms) and incorporates all the famous turns of F1 circuits around the world.
- 26 corners, cambers and slopes make for a memorable ride. You can drive a GT3 Porsche racing car and for those who can harness their inner Schumacher, the driving programs let you work your way up to a real F1 car. The track is all yours, no pace cars, no pit stops!
- Ronda is nestled in the mountains, and its guests arrive in choppers. Post race, there's always the swanky clubhouse cum resort to relax in. Car lovers can head to the garage which houses the legendary Ascari car collection.
- Sherry Trails
- Seville
- The home of Sherry and Tapas, Seville is all set to take the gastronomic world by storm. And you can have a ringside view.
- The home of Sherry and Tapas, Seville offers the seasoned gourmand a menu of wine & gourmet trails that is now bigger and more chic than ever.
- The perfect tour starts off at the nearby Jerez de la Frontera, the city of Sherry. A historical town, it produces a mind boggling range of Sherries in flavours that include rich raisins & chocolates, light almonds and green fruits.
- Family owned ‘bodegas’ & wineries are aplenty and in keeping with Andalucian hospitality, most tours include an authentic rustic meal. Your Cata or sherry tasting would include the light and airy Fino, the nutty Amontillado and dry Palo Cortado, the golden Oloroso, and the rich, complex Pedro Ximenez. The region’s sherry is shaped by elements like the chalky soil, the grapes (palomino), the sun and the barrels made of American Oak.
- If time’s on your side, you should taste your way around the ‘Sherry Triangle’ composed of Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
- Jerez was named Wine Capital of Europe, 2014 and Seville has more than 4,000 tiny bars that serve up winners like the Garbanzos con Espinacas (chic peas & spinach), Pringá (toasted bread topped with pork/chorizo) and Huevos a la flamenca (eggs baked with chorizo and tomato sauce). Happy Tapeo-ing! (Tapas crawling)
- La Tomatina Festival
- Bunol
- Thou shalt always squeeze and squash a tomato! Live by this cardinal rule at the tomato throwing fest at Bunol, until you drip red!
- Bunol bristles as August draws to a close. The last Wednesday of August sees fun worshipping loyalists assembling from near and far. The ham is secure at the end of a tall pole greased with soap. The artillery arrives at Plaza del Peublo. Hearts pound. Frenzy is about to be unleashed. The brave heart that climbs the slippery pole and covets the ham signals the beginning of ‘La Tomatina’.
- At precisely 11 am, a shot is fired, and mayhem begins, as truckloads of tomatoes arrive. The only requirement to participate in this one-of-a-kind battle is the sheer ability to squash and pelt tomatoes at each other. Not gently, not carefully, but by abandoning all restraint so as to ensure that your victim is covered in red, from top to toe.
- Tickets to La Tomatina are usually booked well in advance. There is a limit to the number of people participating in the tomato fight, so early birds get to be part of the brawl. We recommend staying in nearby Valencia and visiting Bunol for the battle.
Must Dos
- Follow the artists (Gaudi-Barcelona/Dali-Figueres/Picasso-Malaga).
- Spend enough time in Madrid to take in its many facets like flea markets, Michelin studded restaurants, museums and the imposing Bernabeu Stadium (home ground of Real Madrid).
- Tour the cultural city of Toledo, brimming with art, Roman origins, renaissance architecture and more.
- When not going Gaudí, visit the Basilica of Montserrat in Barcelona.
- Tour the Camp Nou stadium (home ground of FC Barcelona) and catch the Spanish frenzy during a match.
- Hire a personal stylist and tour the Outlet Malls at La Roca, outside Barcelona, for the hottest names at cool, cool prices.
- Learn the flamenco at its birthplace – Seville.
- Get yourself a full flamenco outfit at any of Seville’s flamenco shops.
- Schedule wardrobe time here, as the offerings include Adolfo Dominguez, Bimba y Lola (set up by his daughters), Mango & Zara original outlets, Calle Sierpes (shoes & more), and the city’s oldest hat shop, the Sombrererìa Maquedano.
- Take a Sherry trail to Jerez de la Frontera, the city of Sherry.
- Enjoy the sheer architectural delight of the City of Arts & Sciences and a tour of the Lladró factory at Valencia.