Travel Guides

From the sweet, salt water oysters just on the coast of Setubal to the buttery cured hams of
Salamanca, Iberia is rich in diversity and flavor. Equally true, the incredible diversity of wine
that awaits you is breathtaking.

Portugal

Sitting astride Spain, on the furthest corner of the Iberian
peninsular, it’s easy to make superficial comparisons between the two countries. They both enjoy hot climates, speak Latin- based languages and have a healthy appetite for leisure, food and wine. However, with breathtaking coastal cities like Lisbon and Porto, delightful rural
aldeias or villages, and of course, their own cultural traditions, like the melancholy Fado, Portugal is possibly yet more romantic than its neighbor. And there is no better way to experience this than sailing in the Algarve, appreciating the lush
and moss-covered gardens of Sintra or exploring the Gothic
architecture in Viana do Castello. And whilst its food and wine are less celebrated on an international level, that’s not to say it’s inferior in any way. Check out this article on Portuguese food and drink and you’ll start to understand why. Between their grilled fish, sumptuous pastries, warm stews and varied
cheeses, there is no shortage of options to entice the palate.

Spain

Spain is a diverse country, with not one national identity but many. Basques, Catalans and Galicians, just for starters, would quiver from defining themselves as strictly
Spanish, despite the outside world lumping them in that very category. And its not just the people who are different. The land is varied too, from the wet lush woodlands of the North to the craggy shores of the Costa Brava, the dry interior plains and coastal mountain ranges. No doubt it’s this mix of people and
geography that makes for such a rich and varied travel experience and manifests itself in the different cultures and
cuisines one encounters along the way. Great cities, like Madrid, Barcelona, Granada and Seville, idyllic islands like Mallorca and
Ibiza, friendly people no matter whether they’re speaking Castilian, Catalan, Basque or Valenciano and amazing cuisine,
from tapas and paella to Iberian hams and artisan cheeses. Did we mention that we like the wine here too.