The Highlights of Southern Spain

Flamenco is the traditional song and dance of the gypsies of Andalusia and was developed over hundreds of years before becoming popular in the 19th century as a form of café entertainment. There are three parts to every flamenco show: ‘grande’ or ‘hondo’ with intense, profound songs; ‘intermedio’; and finally ‘pequeño’, lighthearted songs about love and nature. The cast changes every day here so there is always something new to experience. You’ll get to appreciate the differences between male and female flamenco dancers and enjoy the exceptional music that accompanies them.

Spain has an incredibly rich culinary history and is famous for its tapas, bite-sized morsels of delicious food usually enjoyed with a glass or wine or beer. You’ll visit some of the city’s best tapas bars and enjoy dining the way Spaniards have for more than two centuries.

In 936AD, Adb ar-Rahman III decided to move the seat of government away from Cordoba and set about building a new royal city 8km away. The city was to reflect the powerful kingdom he governed and was constructed using marble, gold and precious stones. Built on three terraces and surrounded by a city wall, the royal castle sat proudly on the middle level while the lower levels were reserved for living quarters and the mosque. The city was destroyed in the civil war between the Berbers and the Moors and was lost for over 1000 years. Luckily, it was rediscovered in 1911 and excavation still continues.

Alvear is one of the most prestigious and internationally renowned bodegas in Andalusia, boasting extensive vineyards that are located in the most famous estates in the Sierra de Montilla y Moriles. This privileged land’s star grape variety is Pedro Ximénez, which is thought to have originated in the Rhine region, and is used by the bodega as the unique base wine for its sweet, fino, oloroso and amontillado wines. You’ll tour the vineyards and winery and enjoy a tasting of its unique wines.

Spend the morning swept up in the whispering breeze, sunsoaked earth and dancing olive groves of Cortijo La Reina, a 15th century family-owned farmstead just outside of Córdoba that is breaking moulds with its sustainable and biodiverse production of organic vegetables, legumes and olive oil.

Afterwards you can enjoy the countryside of Córdoba where Castle of Almodóvar del Río lies, a formidable fortress erected under Moorish power in the 8th century. The current Marquis of Motilla will welcome you into their castle to share the history that lies behind its walls.

The lavish Alhambra is Granada’s most visited site. Once a palace and fortress for the city’s Muslim rulers, the Alhambra means ‘red fort’ and is named after the red clay used in its construction in the mid-13th century. The Generalife was the country residence of the Nasrid king and the recreational courtyard and its beautiful gardens sit on the slopes of the Cerro del Sol, offering spectacular views.

This sturgeon farm, just west of Granada, has been in operation since 1956 and is one of the leading sturgeon farms in the world. In fact, it is the only farm with organic certification for caviar and sturgeon. Be welcomed by your local hosts with a drink while you learn about the sustainable project’s history and mission.

Afterwards, enjoy a guided tour of the whole farm, and learn all about the life-cycle and treatment of the fish, finishing with a tasting of one of the best caviars in the world paired with Taittinger Brut Reserva champagne and premium vodka.