City Strolls, Coastal Hikes & Tapas Trails: A Road Trip of Andalucia and Southern Portugal

Early this morning you will meet you expert and immensely capable equestrian guide for a morning exploring the coastline on horseback. As you gently make your way through pine forests and nature reserves your guide will explain the landscape of the area and how this stretch of coastline came to be known as the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light). After lunch - a local restaurant for you, nosebags for the horses - you will make your way back to your hotel for an afternoon lazing by the pool. If you feel like eating out tonight, give our excellent local Concierge a call and they will reserve you a table at one of the best restaurants in the area.

After breakfast this morning you will hop into the car and make the 45-minute drive to Cadiz, one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. There you will meet your expert local guide for a private walking tour of the Old Town. As you make your way through the cobbled streets and shady alleyways, your guide will show you life in the city through the eyes of a local. After a visit to the food market - the best in the region, in our opinion - you will make your way to some of the key spots from the city's past, including castles and cathedrals. With over four millennia of history; from the mysterious Phoenicians to the present day via the signing of Spain's first constitution in 1812, you're bound to find something to pique your interest and your guide will tailor the tour to you. Your guide will leave you at one of their favourite local restaurants for a late lunch, after which you can explore the city on your own before making your way back to your hotel.

Having spent the day before yesterday exploring the nature reserves along the Costa de la Luz on horseback today we recommend that you head back to the beach you most like the look of - in the car this time! - to spend some time soaking up the Spanish sunshine on the sand. Once you've picked your spot, spend the rest of the day lazing on the sand and swimming in the sea before heading back to your hotel for one last supper before you move on tomorrow. Alternatively we could organize a day trip to Tangier in Morocco.

After breakfast this morning you will take to the road for the hour-and-three-quarter drive inland to Seville. We imagine that you'll arrive around lunchtime, so after dropping your bags off at your city centre hotel we recommend heading out and finding a spot for a long lunch. Our clued-up Concierge can recommend the best taps bars. The rest of today is all about getting your bearings, so consult your detailed Dossier for our favourite Sevillian haunts and explore the city.

After breakfast this morning your expert historian guide will meet you at your hotel for a full-day walking tour of the city. As you take in the architecture and atmosphere, your local guide will explain the relationship between religion and the buildings around you. Take in the Jewish Quarter; the beautiful Plaza de los Venerables square and the Royal Fortress, which began life as a Moorish Palace, until the reconquista in 1248 when it became the official seat of Christian kings and queens of Castille. With your guide you will trace the history of the palace, still used by the Spanish Royal Family, back to its beginnings in the 10th century. After lunch in a local restaurant you will make your way to Pilot's Palace, arguably one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Spain, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

After spending the day exploring the city, this evening you will be met at your hotel for a private three-hour tour of the best tapas joints in town. As you make your way between crowded and noisy bars where the walls are decked out with Semana Santa and Feria posters, you will be presented by plate after plate of delicious tapas, including garbanzos (chickpeas) with spinach, chorizo, and potato croquetas. Having dived straight into the culinary heart of Seville, you will make your way to one of the best flamenco clubs in the city for a thorough schooling in the city's famous dance and its importance in Andalusian culture.

After breakfast this morning you will make your way from Seville to your hotel in the Portuguese Algarve. The rest of today is all about settling into your hotel, so we recommend taking a dip in the pool and spending some time in the spa (we can pre-book treatments for you) before sundowners on the terrace and a leisurely dinner.

Today you will meet your expert guide for a full day hiking on the southernmost tip of the Algarve. Together you will explore the beaches and coves between Salema and Ingrina, where jaw dropping views, slopping red cliffs and the ruins of Fort Figueira give way to glistening ocean. Keeping an eye on the sky for local birdlife including peregrine falcons and blue rock thrushes is exhausting work, so you will finish the trip with a picnic on the sands and indulge in some traditional produce. After lunch, we recommend a dip in the sea before making your way back to your hotel for dinner.