Your Essential Travel

Reenergize and indulge in ales, wines and amazing cuisine as you sail north along the Atlantic Coast of Europe from Lisbon, Portugal to Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s a 14-port, 18-day journey through some of the most storied vineyards and urban centers in the world. Drift along Portugal’s celebrated Douro River and learn about the early wine trade prior to sampling deep red aged port in a famed Porto wine cellar.

Poised as if to kiss the continent of Africa, Andalusia hugs the southern coast of Spain and embraces cultural influences from both sides of the strait. This is the birthplace of Don Juan and Carmen, evening paseos by women in lace mantillas, cape-twirling matadors. In short, it is quintessential Spain. The beaches of the Costa del Sol are legendary. And behind lie equally magnificent mountain ranges sheltering picturesque "white villages.

Uncover the flavours of Galicia and Portugal on this eight-day adventure full of culinary delights, local wines and European hotspots. Take a tour of the central markets of Santiago de Compostela and enjoy a francesinha dinner in Porto. Discover how centuries of invasion and trade have given Portuguese cuisine a mixture of Mediterranean, African and Middle Eastern influences. Sip port and local wines among the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley and roll up your sleeves for a cooking class at an Alentejo farm stay. Explore coastal Lisbon, rubbing shoulders with locals at a canned fish hotspot and tuck into a glass (or two) of ginjinha (wild cherry liqueur) and the famed Portuguese tarts.

Welcome to the Iberian Peninsula, home to some of the world's freshest seafood, finest wines and most flavourful local produce. On this 17-day trip across Northern Spain and Portugal, tingle your tastebuds as you eat and drink your way through cities and towns made famous by their cuisine. Hop from taperias to wine bars, learn how to cook authentic and delicious local meals, explore ancient wine cellars and fresh food markets and wander the fields of a farm before sitting down to a home-cooked meal. From sweet Portuguese tarts to savoury Spanish jamon, delight all your senses on this food-forward adventure.