Santa Ynez Valley Supercar Getaway

Three nights in the Santa Ynez Valley with two supercar driving days, based at a restored historic estate near Los Olivos, with the price quoted on application.

Arrival is by two in the afternoon, with a chauffeur transfer out to the estate, where the rooms are private cottages, and a cocktail hour and dinner to open the trip. The valley is a couple of hours up the coast from Los Angeles and a good deal quieter than Napa, which is part of the appeal.

The first driving day weaves through the valley into the Los Padres National Forest and out onto the Carrizo Plain, which is high, dry and almost entirely empty: in a wet spring the wildflowers there are among the best displays in California. A light lunch breaks it up. The second day runs out to the Pacific Coast Highway, with a choice afterwards between a sommelier-led tasting of rare vintages at a well-known winery, a cookery class in local produce, or a day out on horseback.

Access to a rotating fleet of current supercars for the driving days is included, along with the estate accommodation, the chauffeur transfer from the airport, the cocktail hour and the dining; flights and the optional add-ons are not, and the price is given on application. Four days with two driving days and a choice of activity between them is the format this operator uses throughout. Spring and autumn are the seasons in this part of California, and the Carrizo Plain in a wet spring is worth timing the trip around.