Arrive in Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s stateless nation of Catalonia. The city bursts with art, architecture, and culture and is a great place to start your travels in Spain. Barcelona’s façade combines playful modern architecture with medieval Roman relics. Located on the Mediterranean in North Eastern Spain, Barcelona has a welcoming climate year round. Spend your time wandering the barrios, taking in Gaudi’s masterpieces, visiting the Picasso museum and enjoying culinary delights. When you arrive, your private guide will be waiting to transfer you to your boutique hotel in the Eixample neighborhood, a perfect location for exploration. Once you’ve had a chance to settle in, head out on a private bike tour of the city.

Discover the art and architecture of Barcelona on a private walking tour. Visit the unique and magical Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s most famous work and a worldwide symbol for Barcelona. Stroll the Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona’s most stylish street, lined with boutiques and galleries, and La Rambla with its outdoor cafes and colorful flower stands. Then it’s on to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, which rests on the ancient Roman city of Barcino and is full of buildings from between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Quarter, where you’ll spend most of your time, is full of interesting shapes, peaceful plazas and winding alleyways, with a medieval Cathedral and the Picasso Museum.

This evening, your guide will take you on a tapas tour of Barcelona to learn about the history of local cuisine while you taste (and sip) away!

Fly from Barcelona to Malaga, then transfer by road to Ronda. You’ll arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon and have the remainder of the day to relax, enjoying the pool and walking among the olive groves.

Explore Ronda with your private guide. Ronda is perhaps Andalucía’s most well-known village and one of our favorite destinations in Spain. The town boasts many cultural landmarks, including one of the oldest and most beautiful bull rings in Spain. The area around Ronda is becoming well-known among enthusiasts as a producer of very good red wines and, to a smaller extent, white wine produced in boutique wineries. Visit a local winery, where the winemakers show you around while you taste their treasures. One winery we like to recommend and include is the Descalzos Viejos. This is a family-owned cellar, built into a church, in what once was a monastery for the Descalzos Viejos monks… you’ll find it’s hard to decide what’s more spectacular: the hospitality, the views, or the wines you’re tasting.

Enjoy some of the best walks in southern Spain in the Serrania de Ronda. The Sierra de Grazalema is made up of several smaller sierras (mountain chains), such as the one that you will explore on this walk, the Sierra del Endrinal. The word endrinal in Spanish means “thicket of blackthorn bushes,” the fruit of which are the sloe berries which go into the Spanish liqueur pacharán. Other flora you will see are olive and wild olive (acebuche) trees, and carob (algorrobo) trees, as well as a great variety of pines, most famous of which is the rare pinsapo, or Spanish Fir, which can grow up to 30m high and live for over 500 years. This hike is about 5 hours and can be tailored to your preferred level of activity.