Wine and Castles Tour

Eight nights, self-guided, from Madrid to Salamanca through some of Spain’s most prestigious wine regions. Caminos arranges the hotels, an economy hire car and the directions, and the example route takes one week of touring plus the opening days in the capital.

Castles are the distinctive element: Caminos says authentic, charmingly restored castles will be your home at each stop. Between them the route runs through Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro and Rueda, with great wine centres at Laguardia, Haro, Logrono, Penafiel and Valladolid, plus prehistoric dolmens, ultra-modern bodegas and local food such as roast lamb.

Two nights in Madrid come first, covering the Golden Triangle of Art (the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza), the Royal Palace and the monastery of El Escorial. Two nights in La Rioja follow, around Laguardia and Labastida, the Dinastia Vivanco wine museum and the enobus for self-guided wine tours. Two nights in Ribera del Duero take in the Golden Mile wine route, the castle and wine museum at Penafiel, Lerma, Valladolid and the Roman ruins of Clunia. The final two nights are in Salamanca, with Toro and Rueda wines, Tordesillas, Zamora and a river cruise in the Arribes del Duero.

The price covers hotels on a bed and breakfast basis for two sharing a double room, an economy four-door hire car for those flying, or Brittany Ferries crossings for travellers bringing their own car, a regional guide book and a personal travel app with restaurant suggestions and weather forecasts, and instructions for finding every hotel. Flights, one-way and cross-border car hire charges, extras such as a second driver, garage parking and local tourist taxes are not included. Caminos quotes about £1,150 per person as an indicative mid-season figure for 8 nights, and adapts the route, hotels and airports to each traveller.