This holiday can start any date you request

Day One - Arrive Malaga or Granada airport, collect hire car and transfer to Granada for 2 nights

Granada is the city in Andalucía for tapas, the small plates of food served with a drink that can still come for free in this province. After you have settled into your hotel a good place to start is by exploring the bodegas around the cathedral where a huge variety of local specialities can be found in the souk like streets of the Alcaiceria.  

Day Two - Pre-booked visit to The Alhambra Palace

No visit to Granada is complete without a trip to The Alhambra Palace, even if you have been before; it is a place that can never be been seen too many times!

Lunch at the Alhambra Parador

One of the most beautiful hotels in Spain is the Alhambra Palace Parador, situated in the grounds of the palace - you need to book about a year in advance to get a room but you can enjoy a long lazy lunch on the terrace amidst possibly the most fantastic setting in the world. Chefs specialities include the classic Gazpacho Andaluz and Pollo a la Alpujarreña, a dish from the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

The influence of Moorish cuisine is most prominent in Granada and the Albaicin barrio is the place to discover Moroccan restaurants and tea houses. These teterias serve a huge selection of fruit and herbal teas along with the traditional sweet cakes and biscuits.

Day Three - Transfer to Cordoba for 1 night

Where Granada is Moorish, Cordoba is earthy - hearty stews and slow cooked meats, pungent olive oil and robust cured cheeses. The local wine is called Montilla and is similar to the finos of Jerez, however Cordobans claim that with their more naturally produced wine, no hangover is guaranteed!

After the essential trip to the great Mezquita, take a walk around the medieval juderia where lining the tiny cobbled streets are hundred year old bodegas that serve excellent wines and tapa portions of local dishes.

Dinner and Flamenco show

This evening your table will be booked at Cordoba's favourite restaurant, just a step way from the mezquita, where specialities include the famous Cordoban cold soup Salmorejo, honey lamb and hand made pastries. The owner José García Marín has been in the Cordoban restaurant trade for 60 years and his restaurant is frequently visited by royalty and other heads of state.

After dinner, a short stroll to the other side of the flood lit mezquita, will take you to your table at one of Andalucia's most authentic flamenco venues where international artists perform nightly for the flamenco connoisseur.

Day Four - Transfer to Seville for 3 nights

Seville is the capital of Andalucía and it relies less on its Moorish past than the other great cities. Its more recent Golden Age came just after the end of Moorish reign when Columbus returned from The Americas bringing untold wealth and gold to the city.

This is the city where the Andalucian's are at their most vibrant and flamboyant and it's reflected in the cuisine which mixes traditional ingredients with Sevillano flair and passion! Like the array of coloured flamenco dresses at fiesta time there is no end to the possible gourmet experiences in Seville.   

Day Five - Private Cookery Class in Seville

Today you will be met by a top Spanish chef who will take you off to the local markets to purchase fresh ingredients before giving you a private one to one cooking class. Taking you step by step though the preparation of a number of dishes which you can then enjoy sitting on a balcony overlooking the cathedral.

Day Six - A day to explore the city of Seville

Local guide Concepción will give you a 2 hour guided walk of the city showing you the most famous historical sites plus many hidden gems that only the locals know. Her enthusiasm for her home town really brings the city to life and gives you an insight that the guide books never can.

After lunch you are free to further explore the city including a visit to the Alcazar and cathedral, climb to the top of La Giralda, take a boat trip up the Río Guadalquivir or relax in the shade of the Marie Louisa park.

Day Seven - Transfer to Malaga for 1 night

Malaga is the most personal and friendly of all the Andalucían cities and the inner "hub" of the city has a village like atmosphere amongst the locals. All its delights are open to anyone but many tourists never break though and discover the pearl of Mediterranean Spanish life that survives in one of Europe's most cosmopolitan areas. Smart waiters serve frighteningly fresh fish and seafood at the crisp linen tables that line the narrow side streets and efficient bar tenders write your "cuenta" on the bar in chalk at the standing room only bodegas.

Visit to The Picasso Museum

Picasso was born in Malaga and a look around the cities most prized museum brings the artist and the city to life. You can also see the remains of the Phoenician city walls which were uncovered whilst renovating the museum - Malaga has been an important Mediterranean city for rather a long time!

Dinner in Malaga

Saving the best till last; for your final evening in Andalucía your table will be booked at one of the most interesting restaurants in Spain, where art seems to be just as important as food. Owner and Spanish TV personality Angel Garó has been digging up Grandma's traditional Andaluz recipes for his team of talented young chefs to combine with modern cooking trends - creating samples of the culinary history of Andalucía. The restaurant is also a museum with over one hundred  pieces on display including works by Picasso, Miró and Salvador Dali. The setting is pure romance and the decor makes you feel like you are eating dinner in a cosy but stately home and as a private guest of the lord of the manor. 

Day Eight

Transfer to Malaga airport, deposit hire car and say farewell to Andalucía!   ¡Hasta pronto!