Spain

Spain rewards a bit of planning, mostly because the best of it happens late and books out early.

Best for: Food and wine, couples, and trips that pair a city or two with time by the sea.

When to go: May, June and September are the sweet spots. July and August get hot inland but stay comfortable on the coast.

Where to go: San Sebastián for the Basque cooking, Madrid, Seville and Barcelona for the cities, Mallorca and the Costa Brava for the coast. Belmond La Residencia in Mallorca has been a favourite of ours for years. For wine, we add Rioja or Ribera del Duero.

Good to know: Lunch is the main meal and dinner rarely starts before nine, so the days run on a different clock. We hold the hard to get tables, line up the right city guides, and pace things so the rhythm works for you. With more time, it joins neatly with Portugal.

Pick a starting city and we'll build the rest around it.