If you love really getting to the heart of a getaway destination by spending time in the great outdoors and sampling its cuisine, you will find it hard to beat Spanish food and wine holidays.
By heading to the La Rioja region, you will spend your days exploring this pretty area on foot, where you will gain a true appreciation for its beauty.
Indeed, one moment you will find yourself fenced in by grass-fringed mountains and the next you will be strolling through tiny quaint villages - while of course, you will also notice plenty of vineyards as this is Spain's wine-making capital.
So, just what can you expect from walking holidays like this?
Part of the attraction of a specialist walking holiday is that it has been tailored to fit a specific theme and, if you class yourself as something of a foodie, not only will you be able to expand your knowledge of this area, but you'll have plenty of opportunity to sample the dishes you learn about too.
Depending on which tour you choose, your trip could begin in Bilbao, a city renowned for the quality of its restaurants and where you will be able to dine out in style and luxury - should you so please - before your tour begins the next day.
The following morning, you will have the opportunity to explore the city a little further, such as by taking a look around the Guggenheim Museum or browsing the Old Town area, before meeting up with your guide.
This expert will then escort you to a restaurant where you will be able to tuck into some traditional Basque cuisine. Expect to taste meat and fish that has been cooked to perfection over hot coals, along with pintxos - local tapas - and sheep's cheese.
You will then be driven to Rio Ebro, stopping off on the way to admire some of the stunning views. Here you can expect to enjoy a few of La Rioja's most famous foods.
Thanks to its location in the centre-north of Spain, Riojan food is wonderfully varied and you are likely to discover something you find mouth-watering, whatever your palette.
Seafood from the northern coast is popular, as is meat from the southern plains, while La Riojan itself produces a selection of fine vegetables.
Over the next few days of your tour, you will find yourself strolling through some of the most famous wineries in the country and learning more about how the drink is produced.
Not only that, but you will also receive a private wine tasting session with one of the region's leading experts, Bodegas Luberri - an opportunity certainly not to be missed.
Other highlights of your trip will see you visiting the Muga winery, the castle at Davalillo, a wine museum, a ridge at Sierra de San Lorenzo, the covered markets near the regional capital Logrono - where you can head to Calle Laurel for some tapas - and the red rock formations of Penas de Islallana.
On your final full day you will spend the morning in a sculpture park before rounding off your gastronomic education with a farewell meal that includes plenty of local produce and traditional cooking techniques.
You are sure to agree as you make your journey home, there is no better way to taste the highlights of Spain than to walk
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