Payment of private bespoke trip to Andalusia. 15th – 22nd of June 2022. 2 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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15th of June. Arrival from the coast of light to the Sherry Triangle and introduction to Jerez and its tabancos.
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10:45am: upon arrival to your hotel in Jerez, dropoff your luggage to later start a private walking tour of the city aimed at learning about its Hispanic-Muslim origins and about the transformations (architecture, urban planning, social composition and overall character) that it experienced in the 13th century after the Christian conquest and later in the 18th and 19th centuries when the local wines (sherries) became probably the most fashionable drinks in the world.
Your tour will also include a visit to the local market, aimed at understanding the produce that shapes the local gastronomy. Along this part of the tour you will also understand the very important proximity service the market is for the local community and the important role it plays in the social fabric of the city.
1pm: your introduction to the history of Jerez, will finish at a local tabanco. Tabancos are sherry taverns unique to Jerez. Some of them also offer great local food so the second part of your tour will take you to visit some selected ones while you are introduced to the local art of pairing food and sherry. Tabancos are an essential part of the local lifestyle, so this will make a perfect immersion into the local culture to set the context for your stay in the city.
3pm: end of your introductory tour of Jerez at your hotel and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Jerez. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (5*).
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16th of June. The Sherry Triangle (II): Jerez Sherry Bodegas and Ventas
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10:15am: meet your personal sherry host at your hotel and take a short walk to a selected sherry bodega. Along the way, you will be explained about the different types of sherry bodegas that can be found in Jerez, from large-scale ones to small, family-owned artisanal ones.
10:30am: arrival to a small family owned and family run bodega specializing in en-rama sherries (no filtration, no stabilization, no clarification). Then private visit with the owner with a vertical tasting of their en-rama fino to understand its evolution in the solera and criadera system. This will be followed by a tasting of their oxidative sherries too.
12pm: end of the visit to the first winery and short taxi ride to another selected bodega specialised in Very Old Rare Sherries and Sherry Brandy.
12:15pm: private visit to the winery with tastings of selected Very Old Rare Sherries straight from the cask and also of their Sherry Brandy. Explanations about the production and ageing of Sherry Brandy in the Sherry Triangle.
1:45pm: end of the visit and short taxi ride to a selected local venta for lunch. Ventas are traditional restaurants outside cities that keep their reverence towards quality local produce and recipes. Along the way you will be explained about the origins of ventas and about how they have been able to adapt to modern times without losing their core values.
2:05pm: arrival to the venta and pairing lunch there. Starters, mains and dessert all paired with selected sherries.
3:45pm: end of lunch and short taxi ride back to your hotel.
4:05pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Jerez. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (5*).
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17th of June. The Sherry Triangle (III): Sanlúcar de Barrameda
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9:30am: departure from your accommodation in Jerez towards the sherry town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle, with your own personal driver and your private sherry host.
10:15am: arrival to a selected vineyard near Sanlúcar with its own sherry ageing facilities. Tour of both the vineyard and the ageing facilities. Explanation of this particular and unusual production model in the sherry triangle. Tasting of selected sherries in the vineyard.
11:30am: private transfer from the vineyard to the historical centre of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
11:45am: upon arrival to Sanlúcar you will be taken to the mouth of the Guadalquivir river in order for you to understand the particular geographical location of the town and the influence that this has on the ageing of the local fortified wines (Manzanillas).
12pm: private visit of a selected local bodega specializing in Manzanillas. Tastings of selected manzanillas straight from the cask and of two very old rare oxidative sherries, also straight from casks.
1:45pm: end of the visit and farewell pairing lunch in a local restaurant near the fishing port of Sanlúcar.
3:15pm: end of lunch and private transfer back to your hotel in Jerez.
4pm:: arrival to your hotel in Jerez and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Jerez. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (5*).
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18th of June. The Sherry Triangle (IV): El Puerto de Santa María.
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9:30am: departure from your hotel in Jerez towards the sherry town of El Puerto de Santa María in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle, with your own personal sherry host from Genuine Andalusia (a certified sherry educator by the Sherry Regulatory Board) and a dedicated driver.
9:45am: arrival to El Puerto de Santa María and panoramic tour of the historical centre to understand the impact that the sherry industry had on the economy, architecture, urban planning and overall character of the town.
10am: after your introductory panoramic tour of El Puerto de Santa María, you will arrive at the premises of a local sherry storekeeper to visit his bodega and understand the concept and role of storekeepers (almacenistas) in the Sherry scene. Tasting of selected biologically and locally aged Sherries (Puerto finos) in the premises of the storekeeper. Then be transferred to a selected family owned and family run sherry bodega.
11am: after your introduction to Puerto Fino with the store keeper, enjoy a private visit to a family owned and family run sherry bodega with the corresponding tastings there, accompanied by a selection of late morning snacks. Explanation of the particularities of their wines, of their ageing facilities and of the history of their winery. Further tastings of selected fino sherries from El Puerto de Santa María and introduction to the local oxidative sherries.
12:30pm: end of the visit and private transfer to a selected vineyard in the central countryside of the Sherry Triangle.
1pm: arrival to the vineyard, meeting with the owner and tour around the vines with him, aimed at having an introduction to sherry viticulture. Understanding of the particularities of the soil, of the climate, of the vines and of the grapes that make sherry so unique.
1:40pm: end of the walk in the private bodega of the owner, where he makes and ages Sherry only for him and his family. Tasting of his artisanal sherries accompanied by a selection of tapas.
2:45pm: homemade lunch (starters, mains and dessert) in the vineyard house of the owner cooked on site by his wife and accompanied by the corresponding sherries.
4:15pm: end of lunch and farewell sherry cocktail.
4:45pm: private transfer from the vineyard back to your hotel in Jerez.
5:10pm: arrival to your accommodation in Jerez and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Jerez. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casa Palacio María Luisa (5*).
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19th of June. Cycling in the sierras of Cadiz and visiting the town of Arcos de la Frontera.
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9am: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation in Jerez and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the start of a selected cycling route in the sierras of Cadiz.
The stunning Southwestern Spanish countryside offers a landscape of rolling hills, whitewashed villages and small rivers which is delightful to explore by bicycle and this is what this day trip will take you to enjoy.
10:15am: arrival to the start of the cycling route and delivery of bikes and helmets to start a picturesque 36km cycling route going slightly downhill along a former railway. Your personal host (an experienced local touring cyclist) will accompany you along the journey to show you the way and to provide you with water and some small bites for the adventure. You will cross farms, tunnels, bridges, rocky ridges and olive groves for approximately 3 or 3,5 hours before arriving to your destination, where you will drop off your bikes and meet your driver again.
1:45pm: end of the cycle, bike drop-off and private transfer to the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.
2:15pm: arrival to Arcos de la Frontera and lunch in a selected local restaurant in the village.
3:45pm: after lunch, enjoy a private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Hispanic – Muslim urban planning and traditional constructions, on its Christian monumental buildings, on its traditions and on its breath-taking viewpoints. Understanding of what life on the frontier between the Christian Kingdom of Castilla and the Muslim Kingdom of Granada was like in the 14th and 15th centuries.
4:45pm: private transfer from Arcos de la Frontera to your hotel in Seville.
6:15pm: arrival to your accommodation in Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casas del Rey Baeza (4*).
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20th of June. Seville World Heritage Sites walking tour in the morning and flamenco and tapas tour in the evening.
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10am: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel in Seville to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit its impressive World Heritages Sites: the Alcazar, the Cathedral with its Giralda tower and the Archive of the Indies.
You will start your discovery journey by visiting the Alcazar, which is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. The Alcazar has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum splendour in Seville. Another essential part of the Alcazar is the famous house of Trade, which once hosted the offices from where all the commerce with the new world was managed. After enjoying these inner areas, you will be taken to the gardens, which are an exquisite sample of European landscaping from the 16th until the 20th centuries.
Then you will be taken to visit the Cathedral, which is the largest gothic temple in the World and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was built on a vast extension of land where previously a Mosque had been erected. An important part of the Mosque was preserved and it is now a part of the Cathedral. This makes it a unique construction featuring styles as diverse as Hispanic-Muslim, Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque. A most important part of the Cathedral is its bell tower known as la Giralda. During your tour you will be taken to the top in order to enjoy the wonderful views of Seville that one can admire from there.
To finish you will visit the Archive of the Indies. The Archive of the Indies is an iconic neoclassical building erected to keep invaluable documents from all those commercial expeditions that took place between Seville and the New World. Learning about it will uncover probably the most glorious period of the history of Seville and how it connects to the American continent.
1:30pm: end of your tour and free time for lunch at leisure before your evening flamenco and tapas tour.
6pm: reconnect with your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to start a guided walk towards a selected flamenco venue in Seville old town. This introductory walk is aimed at learning how flamenco emerged in South West Spain as a result of a slow fusion of the ancient multicultural musical heritage of Southern Spain with the original gypsy rhythms and musical roots. This will set the context for (and enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of) the flamenco performance in a small and intimate venue that will follow, with 4 people on stage (one singer, one guitarist and two dancers).
7pm: start of the flamenco performance.
8pm: after your flamenco performance, enjoy a tapas tasting tour through Seville old town. Your tour will take you to 2 – 3 selected tapas bars where the locals like to gather with family and friends and where you will taste a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water). This will make an excellent opportunity to learn about Southern Spanish gastronomy, about the connection of different foods to different festivities, regions and specific periods of history and also about the dynamics of tapas bars in Southern Spain.
10pm: after your tapas and wines adventure, be escorted back to your hotel stopping along the way for a sweet local treat.
10:30pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casas del Rey Baeza (4*).
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20th of June. Seville on wheels. A discovery journey of the metropolitan areas of the city by bike.
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10am: reconnect with your personal local host at your hotel and take a short walk to collect your bikes and helmets for your bike tour of the city.
Once equipped with your bikes and helmets, start a private bike tour of Seville aimed at getting a wide perspective of its architecture, size, history, character and green areas too.
The city of Seville is in the heart of a flat SouthWestern Spanish area and it features more than 160km of cycle lanes. This allows cyclists to pedal through its history, beauty, character and charm in a safe and pleasant way.
You will start your adventure by cycling along the city walls, understanding at the same time the system of gates that the city featured in the Muslim times. Then you will cross the Guadalquivir river to discover the grounds where the famous 1992 Seville World Expo was held.
In this area, you will also take a stop at the unique Monastery of La Cartuja, which later became an important ceramics factory and finally a museum of Contemporary Art. Because of this it features an extraordinary mix of religious, industrial and modern architecture styles.
After this, it will be time to explore the quarter of Triana, home of ceramicists, potters, flamenco dancers and bullfighters. In this quarter you will see evidence of old ceramics and pottery workshops and small factories too.
Then, you will cycle to the beautiful park of María Luisa, taking stops to enjoy the beauty of its many colorful constructions dating from the 1920s, being Plaza de España the most iconic, significant and beautiful one.
Finally, you will make your way back to the old town along the most beautiful avenue of the city, which is lined up with buildings designed by architects from different countries for the city’s 1929 Iberian-American exhibition.
1:30pm: back at Seville old town, drop off your bikes and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
Overnight in Seville. Deluxe double room with breakfast included at hotel Casas del Rey Baeza (4*).
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Pricing
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The price of this bespoke trip for a private group of 2 people is 6950 Euros.
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This price includes
– 7 nights accommodation with breakfast included as per mentioned above.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a personal local host from Genuine Andalusia (a certified sherry educator by the Shery Regulatory Board and a fully licensed guide by the Southern Spanish government).
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated uniformed driver.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for all the sites included in the guided tours.
– All private winery and vineyard visits mentioned above with the corresponding tastings in each of them.
– A pairing tapas and sherries lunch including a selection of 6 – 9 dishes to share and up to 4 sherries per person on day 1.
– A pairing lunch in a selected local venta on day 2 including a selection of 2 starters to share, 1 main course per person, 1 dessert per person and up to 2 sherries per person.
– All taxi rides on day 2.
– A pairing lunch in a selected local restaurant near the fishing port of Sanlúcar on day 3 including a selection of 2 starters to share, 1 main course per person, 1 dessert per person and up to 2 sherries per person.
– A homemade pairing country lunch in a private vineyard on day 4 including starters, mains, desserts, artisanal sherries from the bodega of the owner and a farewell sherry cocktail.
– Bikes and helmets for the cycle ride on the 5.
– Lunch in a selected local restaurant in Arcos de la Frontera on day 5 including a selection of 2 starters to share, one main course per person, one dessert per person and up to 3 glasses of wine per person.
– Entrance tickets to a selected flamenco performance in Seville with 4 people on stage (2 dancers, 1 guitarist and 1 singer).
– A selection for 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments or water) during the tapas tour of Seville.
– Bikes and helmets for the ride on day 7.
– All taxes.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat during your free time in each of the cities where you will stay.
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This price excludes
– Any transportation services not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
Flights.
– Any meals not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
– Anything else not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this program of private tours we require a 25% deposit of the grand total no later than the 11th of February at 3pm (Madrid time) via credit/debit card. The final 75% must be paid no later than 20 days prior to the start of the tour program.
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Grand total of this bespoke trip: 6950 Euros.
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25% deposit needed no later than the 11th of February to confirm the program: 1737,5 Euros.
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Final 75% needed no later than 20 days prior to the star of the program: 5212,5 Euros.
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel this tour program more than 20 days prior to its start, we’ll charge the 25% deposit only.
– If you cancel this tour program between 20 and 7 days prior to its start, we’ll charge 50% of the full cost of the trip.
– If you cancel this tour program between 6 and 3 days prior to its start, we’ll charge 75% of the full cost of the trip.
– If you cancel this tour program 2 days or less prior to its start, we’ll charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*)If the travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic didn’t allow for this trip to happen we would give you a full refund. Please note that the travel restrictions we will take as official will be the ones imposed by the corresponding government/s on the general vaccinated traveller coming to Spain from the UK and not your specific personal circumstances.
