Independent touring for food-lovers in Spain & Portugal
As keen ‘foodies’ ourselves, local gastronomy is always high on our list of criteria when putting together our tours – for that very reason we consider that all of our itineraries qualify as Spanish and Portuguese food tours!
Each region is different from the next and fiercely proud of its cuisine. Wherever you go you will find the very best seasonal produce, locally sourced and home cooked, at very reasonable prices.
Most of our tours will bring you through wine regions. Spanish and Portuguese wines are constantly improving and offer superb value for money. Many producers and smaller regions haven’t yet made it into the supermarkets – be a little daring and you’re sure to find some truly excellent wines which combine perfectly with the local cuisine.
Fantastic food - everywhere!
We specialise in the lesser known areas of Spain and Portugal, avoiding the crowds. Take an independent tour and discover a different side of the Iberian Peninsula, with fantastic gastronomy, heritage and culture as well as beautiful landscapes and all the activities you can imagine.
About the tours:
- Independent touring with all the info and support you need
- Bespoke itineraries – designed and organised by our experts
- Fly to Spain or Portugal and we’ll include a hire a car
- Or we’ll build in the ferry travel to Spain
- Request a personal quote with route map, highlights…
- Travel with full directions, guidebook and touring map
- Regional guides, essential docs formatted for mobile and tablet
Explore our favourite tours for food lovers in Spain & Portugal
Here are a few of our favourite tours for food lovers - use our interactive search for a full list of tours for food lovers in Spain and Portugal
Practical Information
- Destinations
- North Spain
- Spanish Pyrenees
- Catalonia
- Madrid & Inland Spain
- Andalucia
- Portugal & Cross-Border
- Our food guide
Spain & Portugal - a foodie's paradise
Art, nature, history, music, language or even technology, there are several reasons to choose a destination when planning a holiday but, no doubt, gastronomy is a high priority for many of us. As one of the key elements that shapes cultural identity it’s perhaps at the table where travellers can best relate interactively with the area and its locals.
Spain and Portugal stand out from the long list of gastronomic destinations around the world. A history full of diverse cultural influences combined with a wide variety of terrains and contrasting climatic conditions have determined a strong regional gastronomy in both countries. In the face of the “fast food” onslaught the locals, fortunately, remain committed to their traditional flavours and cooking techniques.
Each region has its specialities and proudly offers its own flavours giving special emphasis to local seasonal produce. From delicious fresh fish and seafood along the coastline, top-quality vegetables and fruits from their fertile valleys, to the extraordinary meat-dishes of the mountainous areas, the Iberian Peninsula has much to offer.
Keen “foodies” ourselves, we’ve drawn on over 30 years of arduous gastro-exploration to create our Spain and Portugal Food Guides which we give to all our clients as part of our Vamoos Travel App.
Northern Spain - from Michelin stars to delicious local fare…
From the Basque Country to Galicia, Spain’s north-west coast is rightly gaining fame on the world gastronomic stage. Michelin stars abound but the culinary tradition goes much deeper and you will find remarkably good local fare at very good prices. Fresh fish and seafood stand out but don’t miss the excellent Galician beef, the bean stews of Asturias and Cantabria and of course the wonderful pintxos of the Basque country – see our holidays in northern Spain.
Spanish Pyrenees – authentic flavour in every bite
Perhaps not normally considered a gastro-destination, the Spanish Pyrenees offer some fine mountain fare and a cuisine which varies from valley to valley. In the western valleys of Navarra Basque and French influences are brought to bear on the excellent local ingredients. In the central valleys there are wonderful meat dishes and stews and in the east the Garrotxa region offers its own twist on things with Cocina Volcanica.
You’ll also find some surprisingly good wines along the way, not least in Somontano, a long term favourite of ours – see our Spanish Pyrenees tours.
Catalonia - home of the Mediterranean diet
Known internationally for its fine wines from Priorat and of course cava, the region boasts fish from the Med, rice from the Delta and olive oil everywhere, making it a pillar of the Mediterranean diet.
In the north, in the Pyrenean mountains you'll find a feast of wild mushrooms and charcutterie and don't miss the 'volcanic cuisine' in the Garrotxa using ingedients grown in teh rich volcanic soil - see our Catalonia tours
Madrid & Inland Spain – hearty food and wonderful wines in the interior…
Burgos lamb, Guijuelo ham, El Bierzo peppers or the famous suckling pig from Segovia. The fine olive oil and cheeses of Extremadura or lamb cutlets of La Rioja…
The cuisine of the Spanish interior is hearty and wholesome with some real treats for the discerning foodie traveller. Couple that with a truly vast selection of Spain’s best wines and you’re in for a feast! See our Madrid & Inland Spain tours.
Andalucia - a gastronomic identity shaped by countless influences
Here you’ll find the finest cured ham in the world, the revered Atlantic bluefin tuna and arguably the best olive oil to be found anywhere alongside simpler pleasures like a well made Gazpacho or a dish of fried fish with a glass of ‘fino’ sherry.
Apart from the myriad varieties of sherry, Manzanilla and Montilla-Moriles, you’ll find some excellent reds and whites in the Sierra de Málaga and delicious dessert wines in Málaga and the Axarquia region just to the east.
In particular the region’s Moorish past and proximity to Africa have made their mark and differentiate the local cuisine from that of the rest of Spain – see our Andalucian tours.
Portugal – over 365 dishes of “bacalhau”!
It is said that the Portuguese say ”I love you” through food. The gastronomy is simple but flavourful, with the emphasis on quality ingredients.
Signature dishes are Caldeirada (seafood stews) and Bacalhao (salt cod) and the northern hills are well known for their pork dishes, roast kid and beef. Accompany these with a superb variety of wines, from the Vinho Verde from the far north to the exquisite reds of the Dao, the Alentejo and the Alto Douro – the oldest demarcated wine region on Earth – and of course, the classic Ports.
See our Portuguese tours
A taste of two countries - compare and contrast...
We all love to compare and contrast when we travel from region to region – so what better than to visit two world-class gastronomic, wine producing countries in one trip!
Follow the Duero as it becomes the Douro, compare Lisboan tascas with the tapas bars of Madrid. Taste both the well-known Alentejo wines and the up and coming reds and whites from Extremadura, see for yourself which side of the border has the best Albariño wine, the best seafood, tasty cheeses, the best cured ham…
See our Cross-Border tours
Travel with us - eat like a local
Travel with Casas Cantabricas and you’ll receive a local guide to each area which includes including our own restaurant recommendations - the places where the locals eat, and where we go ourselves!
You'll find this, as well as our Spain and Portugal food guides with vocabulary and all the essential foodie terms, as part of your personal paper-free Vamoos Travel App. The restaurants are all geo-located, so you can easily find those magical out-of-the-way places and you'll also find recommended wineries to visit and other gastronomic attractions.
The app includes everything you need to plan the detailed day-to-day activities with all the information at your fingertips:
- Full itinerary details
- Letters and receipts
- Ferry / hotel vouchers
- Our own guide to the areas you will visit
- General food and vocab guide
- Map with hotels and points of interest geo-located
- List points of interest by proximity
- Directions to find your accommodation
- Bespoke point-to-point directions
- Local weather forecast for each location
- Helpline messaging service
- Photobook facility
And, of course, if you need help or expert advice with any particular detail we’re only a phone call away and always delighted to help!
A taste of two countries - compare and contrast...
We all love to compare and contrast when we travel from region to region – so what better than to visit two world-class gastronomic, wine producing countries in one trip!
Follow the Duero as it becomes the Douro, compare Lisboan tascas with the tapas bars of Madrid. Taste both the well-known Alentejo wines and the up and coming reds and whites from Extremadura, see for yourself which side of the border has the best Albariño wine, the best seafood, tasty cheeses, the best cured ham…
See our Cross-Border tours
Why our clients love our tours
Your satisfaction is our Nº 1 priority – read independent reviews of our holidays on AITO.com
