Olives & Grapes
Journey from Córdoba to Granada, navigating a sea of silver olive trees, karstic landscapes and Moorish architectural wonders
Best time to go
October to June
+
Suggested Length
6-8 days
Ideal Traveller
Professional
Explorer
Running from Córdoba to Jaén, the Route of the Caliphate is a region of fantastic landscapes covered in olive trees, with a rich cultural and gastronomic heritage. Down south, the imposing Sierra Nevada guards the treasures of Granada, one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in Spain.
Few places in the world enjoy the unique combination of exceptional historic wonders and incredible food as Cordoba. Founded by the Romans, home to great philosophers such as Seneca, once a leading cultural center in the ancient Islamic world, and capital of the Umayyad Caliphate that dominated the entire peninsula, Cordoba offers unbelievably delicious food.
Inside the city, classic tabernas offer hundreds of delicious tapas while outside the city, to the north, is located the world famous Valle de los Pedroches, where some of the best Iberian ham in Spain is produced. To the south, the Montilla-Moriles wines, produced using ancient techniques similar to those used for the production of sherry and to the east, an ocean of olive trees that expands up to Jaén and paints magnificent landscapes in green and silver shades, producing the best olive oil on the planet.
Facing the Mediterranean Sea is Granada, the once intellectual capital of Al-Andalus, with its world-renown wonders, objects of fascination and devotion: the sublime Alhambra, the palace-city where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition, the cave-neighbourhood of Sacromonte and the beautiful Albaicin, among many others.
Its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and the 3,478 metres-high Sierra Nevada, allows Granada to boast an extensive variety of superb ingredients, unparalleled food wonders that produce a humble and honest yet exciting cuisine, best represented in its great tapas culture, but also in the small villages surrounding the city, each with its own characteristic personality and food.
The Experience
Roam the dehesa with the Iberian pigs and discover how Iberian ham is produced. A millennial art that’s been perfected to create the most luxurious and delicate morsel of meat in the world.
Feast on traditional homemade Iberian pork and lamb dishes at a farm kitchen. Enter the kitchen with the lady of the house, learn cooking techniques and steal (if you dare) some of her secrets.
Wander through the narrow, cobbled streets of Córdoba and Granada, questing for the next food temple in which to achieve enlightenment or enjoy a private lunch in an old patio andaluz.
Ride an Andalusian horse
through the countryside to a very
old bodega where you will
taste its unique wines.
Feel the benefits of oleic acid in your body when tasting the world’s best Extra Virgin Olive Oil at beautifully well-preserved century-old almazaras (oil mills). Learn all about different olive varieties and traditional dishes.
Bike, walk or run through the impossible
karstic landscapes of Sierra Subbética
and the magnificent Sierra Nevada peaks,
stopping for traditional local food
cooked with love.
Eat the best food the region has to offer at food shrines that won’t be found in tourist guides. These places are where the professional pilgrims go when they search for pure and simple culinary inspiration.
A taste of the route
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Acorn-fed Iberian pig: produces excellent ham and meat |
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Salmorejo: cold, creamy tomato soup |
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Montilla-Moriles wines: close to sherry in flavour and strength |
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Olive Oil: some of the finest olive oils in the world |
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Olive tree fields |
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Artisan goat’s milk cheese |
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Choto: roasted suckling goat |
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Olla: traditional stew |
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Quisquillas: small and delicate local prawns |
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