TRAVEL SPECIALISTS

Try to imagine a colour that you’ve never seen before. The name of that colour is India. In January, a group of travellers who also participated in my South America tour and I, returned from a classy 3-week program that ended up with all of them saying that it was “the best travel experience we ever had”. I can’t wait to go back to see those timeless faces, taste that incredible Indian food and be hypnotized once again by the sheer beauty of the Taj Mahal. If you are hesitant about going to India, there’s no reason to be. Just talk to one of my new India devotees. I’ll be returning to India with my Essence of India tour in January 2007.  In the meantime, click here to enjoy traveller Jack Huberman's pictures.

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2006: October 17 - November 6 & November 14- December 4
2007: February 13 - March 5

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 I have been returning to Spain now for over 40 years and my latest trip was to the Iberian Peninsula, and Andalusia which is one of the Spanish communities most popular in Spain, and also the most identifiable with the Spanish essence’s stereotype: thousands of people come here attracted by the sol y fiesta (sun and party) tandem. But for those travelers who wish to get away from the tourist areas of the Mediterranean, travel a little further to the territory constituting the meeting point between Africa and Europe, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and you will be aware of the great cultural and artistic value that these lands contain.

You can fly from London to either Gibraltar, Jerez or Seville to the area I had chose for this particular trip, and where I was to see some of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Arcos de la Frontera is the departure point for the ‘white villages’ route’ along the length of the Cadiz range of mountains and here I was to make this my base for visiting other villages in the area. This particular village is known to be one of the most beautiful in Spain and the town center has been declared a Historical Artistic Monument since 1962. The village itself is built on the peak of cliffs overlooking Arcos Lake. There are many places to visit in this area such as Arcos Lake a five-minute drive from the main village.  Here I came across an English couple that run a sailing school on the Lake all year round and have been teaching people to sail for many years.  The nice thing about this lake is that it offers reliable, safe, warm and ‘flat’ water conditions, all year round and is ideal for teaching and practice. Canoeing, rowing and windsurfing are also available along with peddloes for non sailing partners.  One afternoon I arranged a private tour of the local golf club Arcos Gardens, which is also a country estate, and is said to be one of the most beautiful golf courses in Spain set in the terrain of a 300 year old Olive grove offering stunning views to Arcos and the Sierras. They were also building the most beautiful private villas around this golf course and what a heavenly place this would be to live, especially if you are a golfer like myself.

Over the next week I took day trips out to the various villages and each one was a step back in time as they haven’t changed too much since Roman times and what wonderful countryside to drive through.  Car rental is very reasonable compared to most places in Europe and the roads are first class.

One cannot visit this area of Spain without going to Jerez de la Frontera and I had allowed myself 4 days to get to know this beautiful town, where wine, horses and flamenco are three words that define this grand, attractive capital of the Cadiz countryside. Their purebred Andalusian horses are the pride of Spain, and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, a prestigious training and breeding center puts on a performances twice a week to show the athletic abilities of these wonderful horses. Visitors from around the globe have been dazzled by the almost balletic movements performed by the school’s snow-white stallions. I had purchased my ticket well in advance since one cannot visit without seeing the show. It was truly spectacular and anyone visiting this area definitely must take time to see it.

Of course a visit to some Bodegas is definitely in order and I found time to visit the Gonzalez Byass wine cellars and their most famous sherry is Tio Pepe.  Jerez de la Frontera is the birthplace of one of the most famous and enjoyed wines in the world. The tours are very informative and last a couple of hours and where you end up sitting eating Tapas and tasting the different wines and sherries.

No evening in Jerez is complete without a visit to the old part of town where most of the flamenco shows start up about 10pm in the evening and there is a new one to see every night.

I took a day to take the train to Cadiz, which was only a 45-minute ride and where everybody goes at the weekend for some sea and relaxation. This area offers long beaches, wonderful countryside, excellent cuisine and wines and interesting monuments and traditions. It is the oldest city in Europe and dates back to 1100 AD. The old part of town blends nicely with the newer part and you can walk the sea wall for miles. I wish I had more than a day in this area but I mean to go back on my next visit.

Traveling south at the end of my trip I passed through Tarifa the meeting point par excellence for wind surfing fans to defy the waves on its superb beaches. This town occupies the closest point to Africa in all of mainland Spain, separated from the coast of Morocco by the Straits of Gibraltar. This geographical point is of great interest, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. The exchange of water masses from each sea creates an ecosystem that helps support an important population of cetaceans, with large numbers of dolphins, as well as frequent sightings of killer whales and sperm whales. Of course there is so much to see in this area for instance taking the ferry for the thirty minute journey to the African coast but perhaps next time.

My journey ended in the little Spanish town of La Linea de la Conception situated next to the Rock of Gibraltar which was where I was taking my flight back to London. A day trip to the Rock was most interesting and a visit to see the famous apes who live on the mountain is a ‘must’ and this can be taken by cable car.

My vacation ended after four weeks and there was so much more I wanted to see. I do know that this is one of the most fascinating areas if you are thinking of visiting Spain and I welcome any enquiries for those interested people who read our web page adventures.

Joadey Caldwell