Spain: From the tomato-soaked chaos of Valencia, to the vintage sidecar cool of Barcelona, and the midnight flamencos of Seville—this is the ultimate Spanish trilogy.

• Arrivals into Valencia and check into your hotel.

• First things first! Valencia is the birthplace of Paella so we will immediately head to lunch at the world Casa Carmela, arguably the highest rated Paella in Spain. Reservations are needed months in advance, which of course we will have. Unlike tourist traps that use gas burners and ovens, the 4th generation descendant, Toni Novo, cooks every single paella over a live orange-wood fire. This creates the specific smoky flavor (ahumado) and the perfect crispy bottom layer known as socarrat.

Toni Novo, 4th generation descendant of Casa Carmela

• After lunch we head to Jardin de Turio. Imagine cycling through a 5.4 mile lush green park that sits below the city streets, completely car-free, because it used to be a river until they diverted it to save the city from floods. You start at medieval stone gates (Serranos Towers) and ride east as the sun begins to drop. When the light turns golden, the park transforms into a local living room—families picnicking, musicians playing, and fountains cooling the air.

• As we round the final bend just as the sky turns purple, and suddenly, the trees open up to reveal the City of Arts and Sciences. These massive, futuristic white skeletons rise out of turquoise pools, and at sunset, they reflect perfectly in the water like a sci-fi movie set. It is the single most photogenic moment of the entire trip, and on an e-bike, you get there without breaking a sweat.

City of Arts and Sciences

Today's theme - Origins of Flavor

9:30 AM - Mercado Central, an Art Nouveau masterpiece that feels more like a temple than a grocery store. Breakfast at Central Bar, a high-energy counter run by a Michelin-star chef inside the market. If you prefer a light breakfast, grab a Cortado, (a local coffee of 1:1 espresso-milk distinctively served in glass and a pastry.) We can walk the aisles, dodging locals buying live eels and hanging ham, soaking in the sensory overload of one of Europe’s most beautiful markets.

1:30 PM - El Palmar, a small fishing village located within the Albufera Natural Park, famous as the birthplace of paella (Valencian paella), surrounded by rice fields, and known for its traditional 'barraca' houses. Lunch at Arrocería Maribel to try All i Pebre (a rich garlic and pepper eel stew) or Arròs del Senyoret ("Gentleman's Rice", a seafood paella with all the shells peeled off for you). WE EAT LIKE VALENCIANS!

3:30 PM – 7:30 PM - The Spanish sun is high, and the wine from lunch is kicking in and jet lag may hit. Choose your own adventure for the afternoon lull:

• Option A (The Nature Nap): Walk 15 minutes to the Dehesa del Saler. Find a spot in the protected pine forest or sand dunes and nap in the shade of the Mediterranean pines.
  

• Option B (The Shot): Take a 5-minute bus back to the Mirador del Pujol dock. Sit on the pier, watch the fish jump, and get those mirror-perfect water photos before the sunset crowds ruin the shot.
  

• Option C (The Local): Stay in El Palmar. Find a terrace, order an Agua de Valencia (a dangerous mix of OJ, Cava, Gin, and Vodka), and master the local art of doing absolutely nothing.
  

8:00 PM - We board our traditional boat for a sunset tour of the Albufera Lake. Before we launch, we enter a Barraca—a traditional mud-and-reed farmhouse. Inside, time stands still, offering a glimpse into how the rice farmers and fishermen lived generations ago.

Our boat then takes u on a glide through the reeds as the sun drops, painting the sky in gold, orange, and purple. It is a moment of pure "Zen" - birds singing, water lapping, and the best light of the entire trip reflecting off the calm water.

9:30 PM - If the "Agua de Valencia" hasn't finished you off, we head back to the city to Carrer de Sueca in the trendy Ruzafa district, Valencia’s multi-cultural mixing pot. And in recent years, it has indisputably become the city’s hippest neighborhood, with an eclectic and ever-changing variety of popular clubs, retro bars, trendy restaurants, vintage shops and offbeat bookstores.

Buenos noche!

You tasted the perfection at Casa Carmela; you breathed the history in the Albufera. On your final day, you don't just eat the legend—you learn to master it. We bypass the sterile tourist classrooms for a private farmhouse estate hidden among the orange groves and rice fields.

Here, under the guidance of a local renowned chef, you will unlock the guarded secrets of the dish while sipping local DO* wines and savoring authentic tapas.

This is paella as it was meant to be: not a recipe, but an art form cooked with heart, ending with homemade desserts, sweet mistela, and the satisfaction of a tradition truly earned.

* It is important to appreciate DO (Denominación de Origen) wine is Spain’s elite seal of authenticity, guaranteeing that every drop in your glass was grown and crafted within a strictly protected region rather than being a generic mass-market blend. These wines are "liquid geography," showcasing rare local grapes like Bobal and Merseguera that have evolved over centuries specifically to cut through the smoky richness of authentic paella. It is the difference between drinking "red wine" and tasting the specific soil and sun of Valencia.

On the last Wednesday of August, the rules of civilization are suspended. We descend upon Buñol for the world’s ultimate bucket-list adrenaline rush: La Tomatina. You don’t just watch this spectacle; you survive it.

This is not merely a festival; it is a legendary, pulp-filled rite of passage known across the globe as the "World's Biggest Food Fight." It is the definition of organized chaos on a massive scale.

The objective is simple: paint the town red. Literally. You will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of thrill-seekers as 100+ tons of over-ripe tomatoes flood the narrow streets. It is a sensory overload where everyone is a target, the ammunition is endless, and the laughter is uncontrollable.

• 7:00am – We board our transport and head for the hills of Buñol, beating the crowds to secure our position before the madness begins.

• 12:00pm - 1:00pm – The battle cry! A firecracker signals the start, and the massive trucks roll in. Suddenly, the streets turn into a river of red as "ammunition" flies in every direction. For one intense hour, you are in the heart of the fray, dodging flying fruit and launching your own in a euphoric free-for-all.
  

• 2:00pm – The Cease-Fire and The Great Rinse Off. We emerge from the battle, covered in pulp, to be hosed down by locals and river showers.

• 5:00pm – We return to Valencia to scrub off the last seeds, recharge, and prep for the grand finale.

• That evening – The Official La Tomatina After Party. We close out the war with world-class DJs and new friends from every corner of the globe!

The morning is reserved to relax and enjoy the last of Valencia before we leave for Barcelona.

• 4:00pm - Train to Barcelona passing endless miles of orange groves, the flat rice paddies of the Ebro Delta, and majestic flashes of the Mediterranean Sea shimmering in the distance.
  

• 5:00 - We check into our hotel in the Gràcia district, a bohemian village within the city. It is away from the tourists and overcrowding that often afflicts La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter, but close enough to visit, then get out! Relax, maybe take a siesta, before we head out.

• 8ish - Tapas at Bar Cañete, our splurge for dinner.
  

• 10ish - We stroll through the Raval District, for an Absinthe at Bar Marsella, the oldest bar in Barcelona (est. 1820). It hasn't been dusted since Hemingway drank here. Dalí, Picasso and Gaudí were also frequent patrons. The chandeliers are covered in cobwebs, the mirrors are tarnished, and the floor tiles are cracked. It feels like a movie set from the 1920s.

9:00am - 3.5 hour Sidecar Tour of Barcelona. Ditch the suffocating fishbowl of a standard tour bus for the ultimate "Steve McQueen" power move: cruising Barcelona’s streets low-slung in the bucket of a vintage Ural motorcycle. While other tourists are stuck behind glass or walking in herds, you will tear up Montjuïc and zip through narrow Gothic alleys with the wind in your hair, effortlessly driven by your private local guide. This isn't just sightseeing; it is a head-turning, open-air cinematic experience that transforms the city into your personal movie set.

Private Sidecar Tour

Evening: Festa Major de Sants. While the guidebooks send the masses to Gràcia Fesitval, the locals escape to Festa Major de Sants for the city's most authentic street party. Residents transform their own blocks into immersive, hand-built movie sets competing for the neighborhood crown. It is a raw, unpretentious fiesta where you drink cheap vermouth, eat grilled botifarra*, and dance to live bands in a decorated alleyway until dawn.

Feta Major de Sants

*Botifarra is a traditional Catalan pork sausage, a staple of Catalan cuisine, with many varieties ranging from fresh (grilled) to cooked, white (lean meat) to black (with blood), and often seasoned with spices like pepper, sometimes with additions like truffles, eggs, or rice, and famously served grilled with beans (Butifarra amb Mongetes) or in stews.

Day time activities still being researched

Lunch - La Cova Fumada. Behind unmarked wooden doors lies a gritty, chaotic tavern that hasn't changed since 1944, serving as the undisputed birthplace of the legendary Bomba (spicy potato ball). It is the ultimate anti-tourist trap: no sign, no patience, just the most authentic, garlic-soaked bite of history in all of Barcelona. Today we eat with locals.

Evening: Sunset Cataman Jass Cruise. Trade the crowded pavement for the open Mediterranean on a sleek catamaran that turns sightseeing into a floating jazz club. With a cold drink in hand and a live saxophone soundtrack, you will watch the Barcelona skyline burn gold as the sun dips behind Montjuïc. It is the ultimate "golden hour" reset button—classy, effortless, and visually unforgettable.

• Morning - Depart via AVE train for Sevilla

• 2:30pm - Arrive Sevilla. Check into our hotel. Relax by the pool sipping Tinto de Veranos.

• 8ish - Triana Tapas Crawl. As the temperature drops, we meander across the Puente de Isabel II (Triana Bridge) over the Guadalquivir River into the Triana barrio, arguably the most famous barrio in Spain.

Puenta de Isabel bridge

• Our first stop will be Las Golondrinas, famous for their Punta de Solomillo (Grilled pork sirloin tips on bread, Champiñones (Grilled mushrooms topped with mint aioli), and spicy radishes.

• Next is Blanca Paloma to try their Berenjenas Rellenas de Gambas (deep-fried eggplant stuffed with shrimp bechamel. It is rich, creamy, and famous)

• If there is room to nibble more, the adventurous wil go to the very local Casa Ruperto to try a whole deep fried quail, or Casa Questa for Cola de Toro (Bull's tail stew).
  

• Time to enjoy the music of Calle Betis (The Waterfront Party). This is the strip of bars right along the river, which at first looks touristy, but it has legendary spots and we will head into Lo Nuestro where locals show up with guitars. Grab a drink, stand in the crowd, and watch locals dance Sevillanas (the social folk dance of Seville) spontaneously. This is not flamenco, that will be different night

Calle Betis

Potential stops at Bar Santa Ana and Puratesca.

• 9:00AM - Enjoy a two-hour walking tour of Seville and see some of the city's most iconic landmarks like the Giralda and Plaza de España. Learn about the city's monuments and its history from a knowledgeable guide. Visit the exteriors of the Cathedral, Alcázar, University, and Plaza de España, and take the opportunity to ask your guide questions along the way.

• 1:00PM - Espacio Eslava in the San Lorenzo neighborhood to taste their "Un Cigarro" (Cigar), "Yema sobre Bizcocho" (The Egg), and "Costillas con Miel" (Honey Ribs).
  

Eslava

• 2:30PM - Back to the hotel for poolside Tinto de Verano cocktails.

Tinto de Verano

• 7:45PM - Las Setas de Sevilla. We walk the winding path on top to get a 360-degree view of the sunset and experience the city lighting up. It’s breezy, social, and of course has a bar on top.

Las Setas de Sevilla

• 9:00pm - After hours the visit to Sevilla would not be complete without trying a Sangre de Cristo at Bar Garlochi. Walking into Bar Garlochí feels like stepping into a different era. The decor is reminiscent of a church or a late 19th-century family mausoleum, adorned with religious statues and paintings that create a captivating atmosphere. The scent of incense fills the air, enhancing the unique vibe. The owner, Miguel, has poured his artistic vision into every corner, showcasing beautifully painted portraits that add to the charm.
  

Bar Galochi

• 9:30am - Real Alcázar de Sevilla. We head straight to the Patio de las Doncellas. The Real Alcázar is a breathtaking architectural hybrid where Islamic craftsmanship meets Christian grandeur, making it the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. Beyond its intricate tilework and gold ceilings, the complex opens into a sprawling, lush garden oasis that famously served as the "Water Gardens of Dorne" in Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones Real Alcázar de Sevilla

• 12:00PM - After the Alcázar , we stroll through the maze of tiny alleys in the Jewish Quarter. Once the medieval Jewish ghetto, this neighborhood is a mesmerizing labyrinth of whitewashed alleys so narrow they were designed to block the scorching Andalusian sun. It is the perfect place to get lost, leading you into hidden plazas filled with the scent of orange trees and the whispers of history.

Jewish Quarter Santa Cruz

• After lunch, we head back for our daily siesta and cocktails by the pool and rest up for a night of flamenco.

• Back you bags for an early next morning departure.

• 7:00pm - Dinner at Michelin reviewed Cañabota or La Barra de Cañabota.

• 10:30PM - Our flamenco show at La Caboneria. This is not a touristy flamenco dinner/show. This is old school, wooden floors, no photos, flamenco.

For those continuing on to Rock of Gibraltar and Morocco, see next Adventure.