Ronda is all about the dramatic gorge and how the pretty white old town, complete with one of Spain’s oldest bull rings and sensational bridge, is built impossibly around it. Certainly worth the day trip from the likes of Seville and Malaga as the surrounding scenery is just gorgeous and, despite it being really busy with fellow day tourists, has enough to see to not make it feel overly crowded
Top tip #1 – if have a car, focus instead on the drive through nearby Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema. Ronda is beautiful, for sure, but it is just one of many stunning white hilltop towns in this part of Andalucia. Instead of spending 1-2 days in Ronda, enjoy it as part of a driving route from Ronda to Arcos de la Fontera. The most beautiful part of Spain, one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in all of Europe and with far less tourists than in Ronda. See the full travel entry here –Driving through the White Towns of Parque Natural Sierra Grazalema
Tip #2 – walk through the valley to the west of Ronda as part of a circular route that gives you great views of the Bridge. Its a fairly simple route that you can start from anywhere, is around 6km / 3.75miles so takes only about 1.5 hours with only one moderately steep part, gives the best views of the gorge and allows you to wander through the vineyards for a very different feel. Use google maps – start at the bridge- then walk through the pretty Old Town to Mirador del Viento for amazing views – then to Mirador La Hoya del Tajo for further great views – then walk through the vineyards to Mirador de los Pinos – then all the way along the ridge to the views from Hotel Catalonia Reina – and then back to the central area with the bridge
Tip #3 – or something more unusual, try the Bodega Garcia Hidalgo vineyard. Only 5km from town, run by a local family and about as genuine a vineyard tour you can get
Tip #4 – where to stay. We stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Reina which has sensational views of the nearby mountains and valleys from its wide garden balcony, but is a bit overpriced for the rooms you get. I don’t think it really matters where you stay as everything is so close in Ronda
Tip #5 – where to eat. La Abaceria Ronda did great tapas. For drinks, give the Hotel Catalonia Reina’s outside area a go for great views and not rammed
Whilst the wines from Rioja are known throughout the world, the wine region itself is relatively underrated compared to other regions with such a famous name. This is a real plus, because, in addition to the spectacular views along the mountain ridge-line and the oh-so-pretty small villages perched on top of the various rocky-outcrops, you don’t tend to get the huge hoards of fellow tourists you normally associate with such regions . . . nor the prices
I only spent a very short time in the Rioja Wine Region, so I won’t go into much detail for tips, except:
Tip #1 – visit the Eguren Ugarte winery. Both the winery itself and its surroundings that look over the valley are simply stunning. They do wine tours and tastings and really reasonable overnight staying options
Tip #2 – try to stay in the wine region itself. We stayed in Burgos which, although it was nice and had the UNESCO World Heritage Cathedral, felt a bit too far away from . . . well . . . any sign of vineyards!
Portugal is a great country for visiting for 10/14 days as it has a heap of varied things to experience and not vast distances to cover. By basing yourself in the 3 major areas of Porto / The Douro Valley, Lisbon, and the Algarve, you can use each as a hub for adventures nearby and also be able to stop off on a few places directly in between that are great for a couple of hours or so
Big highlights for me were actually some of the smaller places that I’d never heard of before I arrived in Portugal. In particular the gorgeous Duoro Valley wine region, the hilltop town of Sintra and the beautifully charming streets of Cascais. Plus, the more famous highlights of port tasting in Porto and various neighbourhoods of Lisbon
Each piece that makes up this itinerary has its own travel post, but I’ve also condensed the key points and listed some more general tips below
What a surprisingly wonderful experience the Duoro Valley offers! I must admit that, like many others, I hadn’t heard of it before making the trip to Portugal and had mainly thought of the Algarve and Lisbon area when thinking of Portugal. . How wrong I was – the Duoro’s combination of vineyards, steep dramatic slopes and river views is one I can’t think of anywhere else in the world, let alone Portugal. When you add into the mix that there is the more unusual Port wine to sample along with the normal table wine, then you have a real gem of an experience and, in my opinion, the highlight of Portugal
My girlfriend and I went on a 6month trip around Latin America (excluding Brazil). Started in the far South in the Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and, broadly, made our way up the west coast to the Yucatan Peninsular of Mexico. Best large scale trip I’ve done, and wanted to share the overall itinerary and tips here to hopefully help those who are considering something similar
A few high level points:
- Other than the flights there and the first hotel, there were only three things we booked in advance: the Inca Trail (which we knew we needed to for permits); plus for Patagonia a trip through Torres del Paine National Park and a ferry through the fjords (as we were going at peak season and only a couple of weeks after we landed). Everything else, we booked when in Latin America and, in our opinion, that is the best way to do it – gives you the freedom to relax in the places you find that you love and be super flexible to do what you want to do
- Total costs – my girlfriend and I went in our 30s, with no kids and on sabbaticals from work. We’re not poor, but certainly not mega wealthy. We didn’t stay in super expensive hotels (other than for the occasional splurge), flew economy and used a bit of common sense for timings of certain expensive items, but never held back on doing the things we wanted to do. Some examples of big ticket items: US$5k for a week diving in the remote Wolf & Darwin Islands in the Galapagos; US$1.2k for 4 days in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia; US$800 for a helicopter trip to see the El Mirador Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan jungle; US$700 for the Inca Trail. Total cost of the whole trip was US$34k each. This included all flights, transport, hotels, activities, food, drink, guides, screwing things up, credit card fees – the lot. Expensive, but so are most Experiences of a Lifetime
- It’s not about trying to “do everything” – in a place as large as Latin America, you couldn’t even if you tried – so don’t think of things as a big tick box exercise. Brazil, for example, we knew we couldn’t do justice whilst also trying to enjoy all the other amazing places we’d heard of, so left it for next time
- In the similar vain, make sure you give yourself big chunks of time to chill out. Not only to recharge the batteries, but also because most places are enjoyed when you spend time to soak up the feel for the place. There were some places . . . like Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Bocas del Toro in Panama . . . where I could have spent weeks there just because the general vibe of the place was so wonderful
- Safety – we weren’t robbed, but many people do either having a bag stolen or, unpleasantly, get robbed face to face. Other than a couple of cities, we generally felt super safe the places we went and tried to just apply common sense to reduce our risks
- Learn a bit of Spanish before you go – the app DuoLingo was great for getting us to a basic level that made a lot of difference. But also don’t be afraid to pull out google for simultaneous conversation translations to really be able to have a conversation with someone – some long trips became some of our highlights just from being able to properly talk with the driver / locals. I particularly remember a long taxi ride in Colombia where we went back and forward for 2 hours with the driver on everything from his home town to politics to football to his favourite movies to his family problems- never could have done that without Spanish or google. In a similar vein, and using the right level of common sense, don’t turn down an invite for drinks / dinner / house visit with locals. There are some truly unforgettable natural and cultural spots to see, but similarly an evening with a local family will be something likely to be just as unforgettable
- Whenever checking out a place or must-do-site, its easy to get templed / churched / ancient site / beached out. Always do a very basic bit of research to see if there is a more out of the ordinary way to experience it – by bike / drinking tour / kayaking / helicopter / whatever. Thats what we tried to do, and I hope it reflected in some of the cool stuff listed below
The most famous wine region in Latin America . . . making your way cycling from one superb vineyard to the next . . . stopping off for lunch overlooking the tallest section of the Andes range . . . sounds awful right?
Whilst Mendoza has a sea of vineyards spread out across a wide area, Chacras de Coria is jam packed with vineyards in a manageable sized area that is geared for cyclists who can easily make their way between them. If you can, give yourself an extra day to head off to some of the other regions, but make Chacras de Coria your base
If you look through a typical European highlights itinerary it will invariably be dominated by the cities. For instance, the Lonely Planet’s top itinerary for Europe is 12 cities and nothing else, and of its 24 overall European highlights, only 6 are not cities (the Norwegian Fjords, the Matterhorn, Greece’s Santorini, Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, Transylvania, North Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid . . . if you’re interested). It’s understandable – Europe is a centre for culture and stunning capital cities, but it also has some world class experiences to be found outside of the cities and this itinerary gives you a flavour of those with a focus on its mountain and wine regions
With this itinerary you will enjoy:
- Mountains – the most spectacular views of Europe’s premier mountain regions with Switzerland’s “big three” of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau from Interlaken, and the Pyrenes’ Cirques de Gavarnie
- Wine regions – 4 of the best wine regions France has to offer with Bordeaux, Provence, Alsace and Champagne
- Lakes – 2 of the world’s truly stunning lakes with the simply magnificent Lake Como and the Swiss Lakes surrounding Interlaken
- Coastline – the epitome of luxury and style with the most famous stretch of coastline in Europe with the Cote d’Azur, its trio of corniches and Monaco
- Hilltop villages and rural regions – the prettiest in Europe with the hilltop villages and elegant treelined streets of Provence and the timbered fairytale villages of the Black Forrest
- Roman Ruins – some of the best preserved Roman Ruins with the Pont du Garde and the Arles Amphitheatre
- Driving – and of course, some of the best driving scenery in all of Europe as you pass from one mountain range to another and along some of the prettiest countryside on the continent
There may be more famous wine routes in the world, but The Route des Vins d’Alsace might just be the best overall package when you consider a few factors that makes this such a great experience. Firstly, the countryside for the route is an appealing combination of rolling lush green fields, misty mountains and castles perched on top of outcrops throughout the 170km / 105mile route, which, as it sounds, is just awful. Secondly, and continuing the awful theme, the villages dotted along the route with their small alleyways and central squares look like something straight from a fairytale
Now, for those first two factors, I realise that there are other wine routes in the world that offer such equally dreamy surroundings, but consider the third factor – the Alsace region’s history of swinging between France and Germany provides a intriguing mix of culture that is basically unique – think French attitudes, but speaking German. And, finally, the Alsace region does not have the reputation of the likes of Bordeaux, Tuscany, Napa Valley and the Garden Route, so with that comes reduced visitor numbers and, to be honest, a much more down to earth and less douchey vibe. You can enjoy in a bit more quiet as you spend a couple of days stopping in the quiet fairytale towns and deciding which of the wine cellars spread every mile or so you want to visit
A highlight of France
I haven’t written a detailed review as I only spent a few days in the region, but for a good route guide, I’d suggest this site – https://blog.ruedesvignerons.com/en/travel-guide/alsace-wine-route/ – which gives a good overview of the places to stop
The Bordeaux region is arguably the most famous and respected wine region in the world. Whilst staying in Bordeaux the city is indeed nice with its UNESCO World Heritage listed old town and wide variety of wineries and restaurants (see experience entry Wandering Bordeaux for more tips), it misses out on that wonderful feeling of staying in the wine region itself. St Emilion and its surround wineries give you that feeling, and should be prioritised far ahead of Bordeaux the town. The medieval village itself is gorgeous, sitting just above the vineyards for views all across the valleys (also UNESCO World Heritage listed), and its surrounding vineyards give that feeling of being in the premier spot for wine in the world . . . summer early evenings when the temperature is dropping, any remnants of the day tourists have left and you are there to enjoy world-class meal in a small part of paradise . . . the French, I must say, do this all very well
Tips:
- St Emilion itself – it can get busy in the day, so considering trying to spend time there in the early evening to avoid the crowds. It’s worth also seeing if you can get to the balcony of the Hotel de Pavie – other than one of the church towers, it has the best views of the village and largely overlooked by fellow tourists who head down to the main square
- Wineries – the highlight of the trip is finding a spot to have a meal in the vineyards, and potentially a wine tour / tasting. We went to Chateau Petit Faurie de Soutard (Le Jardin), L’Atelier de Candale and Restaurant du Grand Barrail and would very much recommend all. I’d also recommend Chateau Soutard for the wine tour
- Where to stay – St Emilion is either daft expensive or very basic, so aim to stay out. We stayed in a vineyard , Chateau Soutard Cadet, within walking distance of St Emilion and it was magical (but pricey). Have a shop around for places further away that will be far cheaper and likely just as pretty, but be aware that public transport is basically zero so will need your own car
Driving through the rolling countryside or wandering through the Champagne-mad streets of Reims and Epernay, stopping at cellars ranging from small family run wineries to some of the largest and famous in the world, all whilst sampling and learning about how the crème de la crème of drinks is made. Spending a few days in the Champagne region is a world-class experience and one that should be right at the top of the priority list when visiting France
