DESTINATIONS RURAL HOLIDAYS SPAIN & PORTUGAL


w THE ACTIVE BREAK When the burn of high summer fades, Spain and Portugal have the perfect climate for an active holiday – plenty of sunshine but not the sky-high temperatures that make exertion unpleasant. Northern Spain has been


famous for its long-distance walking route for centuries, as pilgrims paced the Camino de Santiago. Today’s clients may be more likely to find their spirits lifted by the breathtaking scenery – and gradients – than the shrine in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and plenty of operators offer guided or non-guided walking holidays. G Adventures offers an eight-day itinerary from Lugo, snaking through the beautiful Galician countryside, from £977. Walking and cycling specialist


Headwater offers a range of itineraries on two feet or two wheels in both Spain and


Portugal, and can open clients’ eyes to a side of the Algarve far from manicured golf courses. Its self-guided tours contrast the lush flora inland with the region’s dramatic seascapes as clients walk from hotel to hotel (ranging from four-night short breaks at £679 to a more comprehensive 10-night itinerary, from £1,209).


w THE WINE ROUTE There’s something about wine regions – who’s ever seen an ugly vineyard? – and a holiday built around tasting different vintages will make any tipple-loving client bubble over with happiness. Specialist operator Grape Escapes offers agents 10% commission and has a range of trips in Iberia, focusing on the Douro in Portugal and Rioja in Spain and including tours, tastings and often some lunches in the itineraries. Options range from Essential Rioja, a great


ABOVE: Hotel Marqués de Riscal, Rioja


introduction to the region at a manageable price (from £462 for a three-night break), to Exclusive Rioja. Guests booking the latter stay at the luxurious, Gehry-designed hotel at working winery Marqués de Riscal and are offered tours of exclusive estates and tastings of premium wines (from £762 for three nights).


Portugal’s Douro wine region can be toured by road or river. All the usual river cruise suspects, including AmaWaterways, Emerald Waterways, Riviera Travel, Uniworld and Viking River Cruises, feature ships on the Douro, offering a very easy pace of life, with frequent stops for wine sampling along the way.


64 travelweekly.co.uk 15 June 2017


PICTURES: ERIC CUVILLIER; HEADWATER; JAMES VILLAS


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