Southern Spain Food Tour
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Long one of our most popular destinations for our Spain food tours, Andalusia (or Andalucia in Spanish), evokes thoughts of sunny days, friendly locals, and such Spanish customs as flamenco, tapas, and bullfighting.
Located in the south, Andalusia boasts a beautiful, sunny climate, which makes it not surprising that it is today a largely agricultural region. The miles of olive and almond groves and vineyards produce some of the region’s most known products, which you will enjoy on our Spain gourmet tours.
The region’s gastronomy also benefited from Andalusia’s long and complex history, including its eight hundred years of Moorish rule, which has left lasting cultural and culinary influences.
Start your trip in the vibrant city of Malaga, birthplace of Pablo Picasso and home to a wonderful array of museums, restaurants, shops, beaches, and cultural sites to explore.
From there, travel off the beaten path to rural Andalusia for a unique and intimate Spain food tour focusing on the regional products and dishes.
Your home for most of the week will be a traditional Andalusian finca (farmhouse) nestled in the heart of the Andalusian olive country and bordering the stunning Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas. Your home for your Spain food tour is surrounded by amazing views as far as the eye can see. This is authentic Andalusia, a rural gem unknown to most visitors to Spain, and one that will delight your senses and your tastebuds.
The farmhouse was purchased and lovingly restored by your hosts, Chef Clive and his wife Maki, whose love for Andalusia led them to choose this area to make their home some 15 years ago. Their renovations retained many original rustic features of the farmhouse, making it an intimate and idyllic setting for your Spain cooking vacation.
You will explore Andalusia’s gastronomy during your Spanish food and wine tours during the day, and during your hands-on cooking classes with your host chef Clive in the evenings. Learn about the local cheese production, taste the world-famous PDO olive oils, discover “fino,” the region’s dry wine, and visit an organic sturgeon caviar farm during your Spain food tours.
Your cooking classes with Chef Clive will focus usually around the preparation of a 3-course meal utilizing Andalusian products, many of them seasonal ingredients grown in their own garden. After the classes, serve your creations – and of course enjoy them yourself – in the family-style meal that follows.
This is a truly unique and intimate look into one of Spain’s most beautiful and authentic regions.
If you are looking for a Spain cooking vacation that explores more of the region’s cultural sites, including Córdoba and Granada, check out our Cooking in Andalusian Olive Country Spain food tour.
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Your Spain Food Tour Highlights
Your southern Spain food tour starts in Malaga and then takes you to the Andalusian countryside, where you will stay at a charming farmhouse B&B. The week will include cooking classes with your host and amazing foodie excursions to taste the local products of Andalusia.
Itinerary
Spend five nights in souther Spain and explore the food and wine of Andalusia on a Spain food tour. Andalusia has some of Spain’s best food, which you will explore during your amazing hands-on cooking classes and foodie excursions.
Day 1 (Monday)
- Arrival, transfer by taxi on your own from Malaga airport or Malaga train station to to your hotel.
- Malaga is more than just an airport or port city in the southern region of Spain. It has become one of the most culturally diverse and dynamic and creative cities in Europe. You are never far from the ancient monuments, modern architecture, and the world class collections at the Pompidou and the Picasso Birthplace museum. From the sun and beach to the great shopping experiences in trendy districts, Malaga has something for everyone. In recent years, Malaga has rebranded itself as the ¨City of Museums¨ having 37 museums and art galleries on its map. And don’t forget to visit the central food market ¨Atarazanas¨ where many renowned Malaga chefs and the locals source their fresh, high quality ingredients each day.
- Evening at leisure and overnight.
Day 2 (Tuesday)
- Breakfast and check out.
- This morning meet for a market visit and tapas lunch tour in Malaga.
The Atarazanas central market was originally built in the 14th century as a shipyard under Moorish rule. The main entrance presents an imposing archway, which is the only original structure still standing. After the Christian riconquista, it was used as a convent, hospital, and barracks, and it eventually became a central food market constructed using the industrial iron structure of the late Nineteenth Century. Most recently, it re-opened its doors to the public in 2010 after 2 years of complete refurbishment. In 2019 it was voted one of the top 10 food markets in the world by readers of The Guardian. - There are more than 250 stalls indoors – fishmongers selling the catch of the day, olive stalls specializing in local varieties of table olives, charcutería, fruit and vegetable venders selling colorful, local, juicy seasonal produce….there is something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
- You will participate in a walking tour with the local market expert who will make sure to introduce you to the true local specialties and will immerse you into the local culture and gastronomy. This food market and tapas tour will last about 3.5 hours including many tapas tastings and drinks.
- Pick up in the afternoon, then transfer to Finca and settle in.
- Welcome dinner with wine at the finca.
- Overnight.
Day 3 (Wednesday)
- Breakfast at the finca.
- The rugged and mountainous terrain of the natural park Sierra Subbetica in the heart of Andalusia has been known to produce a high quality olive oil since Roman times due to its unique microclimate between 600 – 1000 m above sea level, defined by good rainfall and a temperature fluctuation that improves the intensity of the aroma and flavor of olives year after year….
The rolling hills covered in ancient olive trees can be seen in this area as far as the eyes can see. After a short drive, you will arrive at a very special region of the Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) Priego de Cordoba. This PDO is one of the most awarded denominations at the national and international levels and you will learn from the professional olive oil taster why this area dominates the world of olive oil. - After an olive oil tasting, head deep into the natural park, where you will encounter one of the most picturesque whitewashed villages in Andalusia nestled in the masculine rocky gorges. Zuheros is known for producing artisan cheeses from goat and sheep milk. Below the village you will find a Via Verde (Green Way), which was once upon a time a railway track that transported olive oil, and which was then converted into a green route for cycling and walking. You will have an opportunity to taste different types of local cheeses either at a cheese producer or at lunch. In September of each year, you might visit the local cheese festival.
- Return to the finca, where you will have your first cooking class featuring Andalusian dishes. Dinner to follow.
- Overnight.
Day 4 (Thursday)
- Breakfast at the finca.
- La Rambla (founded as Al-Ramla, meaning “sand,” by the Moors) is a small town located in the south of Cordoba city and is a popular pottery town that has been associated with the craft since Prehistoric times. There are over 100 ceramic workshops producing anything from simple day-to-day bowls to decorative pieces. In early June, they hold an annual ceramics festival where the potters display and sell their works of art.
- After visiting La Rambla, head to Montilla, which is internationally acclaimed for its unique wines such as fino, very dry white wine using the same aging methods used by Sherry makers in Jerez. The Protected Denomination of Origin Montilla-Moriles includes 17 towns and villages in the area guaranteeing the quality of its wines and the origin of the products. You will visit a monumental cellar and learn and taste the local wines at one of the oldest wineries in Spain. Lunch at a local bar.
- Return to the finca, where you will have your second cooking class featuring Andalusian dishes. Dinner to follow.
- Overnight.
Day 5 (Friday)
- Breakfast at the finca.
- Today you will have a visit to another extraordinary place in Andalusia. It is the first fish farm in the world to be awarded an organic certificate and is still one of the few in the world to enjoy this privilege. They have restored the environment with extreme care and passion using the natural river to preserve native species of sturgeons that almost became extinct in the 60s, and they have been producing ecological caviars since then. You will enjoy a visit to the farm, learning about the “dinosaur fish,” and taste their high-quality caviar.
- Lunch at a local restaurant.
- Return to the finca, where you will have your final cooking class featuring Andalusian dishes. Farewell dinner to follow.
- Overnight.
Day 6 (Saturday)
- Departure after breakfast to Malaga / Granada airport or Antequera Santa Ana AVE Train station.
Interested in adding additional nights and tours in Cordoba and/or Granada? Please inquire!
Southern Spain Food Tour Trip Details
Included in the 5-Night Spain Food Tour
Accommodations
- One night in centrally located hotel in Malaga
- Four nights in a farmhouse B&B
Food & Beverages
- Daily breakfast
- 4 lunches
- 4 dinners
- Wine with included meals
Classes & Instructors
Your 3 hands-on cooking classes with be with your host, chef Clive, who has been a professional Chef of the highest caliber for over twenty years, with a distinguished career in the United Kingdom. He specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, and his passion for food and cooking led him to launch his own cooking retreat in rural Andalusia with his wife Maki in 2005. A true food connoisseur, Clive will teach you the preparation of standard Andalusian dishes and will lead you in an exploration of the Moorish flavors that have influenced the cuisine of the region. Most of the produce will be picked from their own garden. The fun-filled cooking sessions are casual, informative and very hands-on, usually based around the preparation of a three-course menu. Clive’s laid-back style and gentle nature will increase your confidence in cooking and inspire your imagination. After each class you will help serve – and of course enjoy – the family-style meal in the casual and intimate dining room.
Excursions
- Guided visit of Malaga’s Atarazanas market
- Olive oil visit with tasting
- Visit of Zuheros and cheese producer (when cheese producer is not available, an alternate cheese tasting at a restaurant will be proposed)
- Visit to La Rambla and Montilla-Moriles with winery visit and tasting
- Visit of organic sturgeon farm
Transfer Details
- Arrival transfer from Malaga to the finca
- Departure transfer to Granada or Málaga international airport, or Antequera-Santa Ana train station (check out by 11 am). (Please note that an early departure may incur a surcharge, please inquire.)
Not Included
- Taxi from the Malaga airport or train station to your Malaga hotel
Accommodation Information
The husband and wife who purchased this hundred-year old farmhouse have lovingly restored it while still retaining many of its original features. The rustic finca has just four bedrooms, each with underfloor heating and electric fans. The property boasts amazing views onto the olive groves, a wood burning stove for the winter months, and a beautiful pool and patios for the summer months. Please note that there are no accessible rooms, and there at least a few steps to get to any of the rooms or between different parts of the house. One of the upper floor rooms is on 2 levels, while the annex suite and one of the ground floor rooms each have a few steps leading down from the door.
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Your accommodations in Malaga will be at a centrally located hotel, such as the boutique 4* Hotel Teatro Romano. A relaxed hotel with a contemporary vibe, the Teatro Romano lies near the beach and on a street filled with restaurants. It is also a short walk to the first-century Roman theater and the Picasso Museum. Rooms feature modern, clean decor, en suite bathrooms, flat screen TVs, and WiFi. (If unavailable a comparable hotel will be proposed.)
Spain Food Tour Pricing & Dates
Find pricing and dates for our Andalusia Spain food tour below, and contact us for availability or to book your trip.
Pricing:
5-Night Spain Culinary Vacation Pricing
US$2495 per person based on double occupancy
- Add US$400 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
- Add US$120 per person to upgrade to Suite
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!
Andalusia Spain Food Tour Dates
Our southern Spain food tour and cooking vacation is available most weeks March – mid December excluding December 17-January 10 and August, for a minimum of 1 person. Other start dates may also possible, but the Malaga market visit cannot happen Sundays or Mondays.
2024
Sample dates – please inquire for availability!
June 2-9 – SOLD OUT
June 10-15 – SOLD OUT
June 17-22 -SOLD OUT
June 24-29
July 1-6 – SOLD OUT
July 8-13 – SOLD OUT
July 15-20 SOLD OUT
July 22-31 SOLD OUT
August – Unavailable
September 1-14 – SOLD OUT
September 15-19
September 20- 30 – SOLD OUT
October 1-6 SOLD OUT
October 7-12
October 14-17
October 18-30 – SOLD OUT
October 31-November 3
November 4-10 – SOLD OUT
November 11-16
November 18-23
November 25-30
December 2-7
December 9-15
December 16 – End of February, 2025 – CLOSED
2025
Please inquire for 2025 availability!
March 24-29 – SOLD OUT
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We can help plan the ultimate Southern Spain food tour!
Whether you need help with additional nights or tours in Spain, or if you want a completely customized Spain food tour, we can help plan the ultimate culinary vacation Spain.
We might not be able to pack for you, but there are many things we can help with to make your Andalusia culinary tour that much better. Contact us for more information, or you can indicate your interest during check out and we will follow up with you directly! Contact Us