- Old City
- La Boquería and Santa Caterina markets
- Fishermen’s wharves
- Vermouth bar
- Signature cocktails
FOOD TOUR CATALONIA
The culture and customs of this land are only comparable to the grandeur of its landscapes and its gastronomic richness
Catalonia: Through the Mediterranean
Bordered to the north by the Pyrenees, to the east by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the south by the Ebro River, Catalonia is a region with a friendly and hospitable character that welcomes travelers, showcasing its full repertoire. A variety of architecture, culture, landscapes, and traditions attract millions of visitors every year.
With almost 600 km of coastline, the Catalan coast surprises us with distinct landscapes and cultures. Nothing is quite like the Ebro Delta, the Garraf coasts, or the Costa Brava; however, they all share the commonality of being bathed by the Mediterranean. This implies a way of life where the enjoyment of small pleasures takes center stage in the daily lives of its people. Grand farmhouses, witnesses of a past where the countryside was the protagonist, await us in all regions of this magnificent community. Within their walls lies a unique culinary repertoire, passed down from generation to generation.
La Garrotxa, El Bages, Priorat, or Empordà are just a few of the splendid regions that await us in Catalonia, a land that should be visited at a leisurely pace, for here, happiness is found in the little things.
Barcelona: Vermouth, markets, and the waterfront
Our gastronomic journey begins in Barcelona, where the typical Catalan vermouth bars, ideal for trying traditional tapas and cured meats, provide the perfect introduction to the journey that lies ahead. Its markets, led by La Boquería, offer a glimpse into the wide variety of products from this land: mushrooms, fish, seafood, cured meats, cheeses, legumes… And above all, they showcase the quality of these ingredients. To experience this quality firsthand, it’s essential to visit the Moll de Pescadors, where we’ll witness the unloading of fishing boats brimming with prawns, mackerels, and tuna, and observe live auctions at the fish market.
Despite having the Maresme region just a few kilometers away, known for its Llavaneras peas and Alella wine as regional stars, our proposal takes us south. We’ll visit a 17th-century farmhouse winery in the heart of Penedès, the birthplace of one of the world’s finest sparkling wines, Cava. There, besides enjoying a magnificent meal with local products, we’ll learn and participate in the crafting of this exceptional sparkling wine.
Tarragona: flavors of the Sea
We will continue southward, where we can visit a semi-open sea tuna farm. Here, we’ll have the opportunity to swim among them and witness the ‘ronqueo,’ the filleting process, and the tasting of some of these magnificent specimens – a true indulgence for our senses.
Our journey will proceed to our next destination: the Ebro Delta. The mouth of the country’s most important river bestows an unparalleled gastronomic richness upon this area. Rice dishes, fish, oysters, eels, and mussels await us in this region. We’ll learn about rice cultivation and, alongside the rice fields, prepare a splendid paella. We’ll venture into the sea to harvest and savor oysters freshly plucked from the water, accompanied, of course, by a bottle of cava.
Inland Catalonia: wines, calçots, and mató
We’ll venture into the interior of Tarragona until we reach Priorat, one of the highest quality wine regions in Europe, where Garnacha and Cariñena grape varieties, combined with the craftsmanship of winemakers, transform its landscapes into exceptional wines. Remaining in the province of Tarragona, we’ll roll up our sleeves and put on bibs to avoid staining ourselves, as it’s time to face the calçots, sweet tender onions that are dipped in a sauce very similar to romesco. We’ll learn how to make this sauce ourselves and then indulge in grilled calçots and meats, a unique experience to share with friends.
We’ll visit the olive groves and oil mills of Les Borges Blanques, before returning to the province of Barcelona. We’ll cross the Montserrat mountain to reach the Bages, a relatively lesser-known Designation of Origin (DO) that holds unique flavors for us. Here, we’ll become beekeepers for a day, make our own Mató cheese, and taste the finest wines of the region in an idyllic setting.
La Garrotxa: volcanic gastronomy
We will continue our gastronomic journey northward until we reach La Garrotxa, an unparalleled volcanic region known for its beauty. We will stay in one of its magnificent farmhouses. We’ll taste the Santa Pau bean, a very delicate and buttery legume due to the volcanic soil of the area. We’ll sauté it with mushrooms and ‘butifarra del perol’ (a traditional Catalan sausage). Let’s not forget to visit one of the many dairies in La Garrotxa, as it’s home to one of Spain’s most prized goat cheeses.
Empordà: Pure Mediterranean
Our culinary journey through Catalonia will conclude in Empordà. There, we can taste their magnificent wines, such as Carignan and White Grenache, or the Muscat of Alexandria, some of the varieties cultivated in this Designation of Origin (DO). We’ll witness the arrival of the fishing boats and observe the auctions in the ports of Roses or Palamós, where we’ll acquire the freshest products to cook our ‘Suquet de peix’ (fish stew) in a fishermen’s hut by the cove, just as the sailors did with the day’s catch. We’ll wrap up our journey in L’Escala, where we’ll visit one of its canneries to learn all the secrets behind some of the country’s finest anchovies.
Catalonia Itinerary
Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Day 1: Vermouths and Fish Market, Barcelona
Day 2: Farmhouses Among Vineyards, Penedès
- Traditional breakfast on a farm
- Sitges and the Garraf Coast
- At the farmhouse among vineyards
- Wines and Cavas
Day 3: Gastronomic Ecosystem, Ebro Delta
- Swimming among tuna
- Ronqueo
- Oysters, bateas, and cavas
- Sunset picnic facing the rice fields
Day 4: Garnachas and Calçots, Valls
- Priorat
- Gratallops, among Garnachas
- Siurana
- Valls, embers and Calçots
Day 5: La Moreneta, Honey and Mató Cheese, El Bages
- Montserrat Monastery
- Beekeepers for a day
- Our honey and mató cheese
- Olive mill
- Winery dinner in Bages, the catalan Tuscany
Day 6: Among Volcanoes, La Garrotxa
- Santa Pau beans
- Unique cured meats and Butifarras
- Meal at our farmhouse
- Make your own cheese from La Garrotxa
Day 7: Brave Gastronomy, Empordà
- Vineyards Touched by the Tramuntana
- Prawns and Fish Market
- Fish Stew in a Fishermen’s Hut
- Canneries and Anchovies in L’Escala
Suggested itinerary. It’s possible that the itinerary may undergo modifications due to factors such as group size, time of year, and activity duration.
