Barcelona Food Market & Private Cooking Class

Like most great cities, the origins of Barcelona are lost in the mists of time. Whether it was founded by Hercules as the myth suggests, what we can be certain of is that over the centuries Barcelona has become one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in the world.

No matter if your interests lay in art, architecture, history, food, football or laying on the beach, the capital of Catalonia has it all and it´s ready to welcome you with open arms.

Street food in Barcelona

BARCELONA AND IT´S FOOD MARKETS

Everyone knows that Spain is a dream destination for foodies, but not everyone realizes just how varied the cuisine is from region to region. If you are thinking about planning a trip to Barcelona, here are various types of local foods to try and many of those varieties date back to hundreds or maybe thousands of years.

Starting with the famous La Boqueria and getting to the lesser known Mercat de Sant Josep or to Santa Caterina market, the city of Barcelona is full of amazing food markets that are waiting for you.

Barcelona is the perfect example of how food is part of Catalan culture. There are 39 food markets, so tourists and locals alike don’t have to go far to find fresh products.

Fricando traditional tapa. Barcelona

The markets around here are all unique in their own way. You can find fruits, veggies, meat, fish, or even flowers or cooked food. Also, the food markets are opened all week (except in August), which makes them perfect to have fresh homemade recipes every time you want.

With our Barcelona food market tour, you will get to talk to the fishmongers, butchers and veggie sellers and learn about the products that are part of the daily diet in every home in Spain.

La Boqueria food market in Barcelona

TIPS TO PICKING YOUR FOOD FOR THE BEST SPANISH DISHES

If you think that gastronomy is an important part of a country’s culture and you love to mingle with locals, then visiting a local food market will be the perfect activity for your vacation.

We share you some tips about what to look for when cooking typical Spanish dishes:

  • Buy the whole vegetable. The veggies that don´t have the root attached may look more appealing, but the ones with the root are fresher and last longer.

  • The best hours to go to the market is between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. This way you arrive before the morning rush, when the food is most fresh.
  • Before making your first purchase, take a lap around the market. Make sure you compare prices and the food quality.

  • Ask questions. You can even ask the sellers to help you choose the best fruit or even for a homemade recipe. They are very friendly.

Croquetas from Barcelona

SAVOR A JOURNEY TO THE ROOTS OF GASTRONOMY

Markets are a good opportunity to find the culinary culture of a country, a region or a city. More fun than supermarkets and without the etiquette of restaurants, markets are totally different, with sights, sounds and colors to delight your senses.

Here the market vendors shout to draw the attention of prospective buyers, and along with the scents of fresh produce and multicolored displays of products, Barcelona’s markets are a world unto themselves, one we highly recommend discovering.

Exploring food market in Barcelona

ENJOY SPANISH TYPICAL DISHES

You should know that many Spanish vegetable dishes were invented by some of the poorest people. This is due to the fact that in the past, people counted mainly on the ingredients they had around them, or to the ones they grew on their farms. Also, this meant that recipes were different from region to region, and from a house to another.

Besides, vegetables that are in season are relatively inexpensive, which makes Spanish vegetable dishes a great option to enjoy some great Spanish food on a tight budget.

Caragols a la Llauna. Barcelona

Many of the Spanish vegetable dishes are very flexible to cook and their recipes can be easily adapted to the ingredients you have at hand. So, if you want to cook a classic Spanish dish they are perfect!

The best Spanish dishes can contain meat to give more substance, and this means you can have two dishes from one recipe.

REVEAL YOURSELF IN A PRIVATE COOKING CLASS

BARCELONA MARKET TOUR

After discovering the beauty of the city of Barcelona, all its magic and the fascination of its people and markets, it´s time to relax. Can you think of a better way of doing it than cooking some of Spain´s most popular dishes and enjoy it with some great company?

BARCELONA COOKING CLASS

Prepare an authentic meal with our private cooking class and when your work is done, sit down and rest. You will have the company of some selected Spanish wine and great people!

Seafood market Barcelona
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ever carbonell
June 3, 2025
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I took my 2nd trip with Caramel Trail recently and it was an outstanding experience (just like the 1st time). Caramel Trail's attention to detail is second to none. Every step of our trip was meticulously planned and every driver and tour guide was well organized, knowledgeable and friendly.
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Jeff Rosolio
March 26, 2026
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Caramel Trail assisted us on our travels to Spain and Portugal. We cannot say enough great things about their recommendations, travel support and guidance throughout our entire trip. Whenever we contacted Angela or Paloma they responded within minutes every time. They literally made us feel as if we were their only clients. When our trip was disrupted due to weather on Madeira, Caramel Trail had us rebooked and accommodated within hours, which was amazing. We highly recommended them to anyone traveling and needing top notch support!
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Steffanie Acosta
July 10, 2023
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What an amazing experience with our trip to Spain and Portugal planned by Samuel and Paloma from Caramel Trail. From the very first email to the very last, it was just perfect! This was our very first time in Spain and Portugal (in Europe in general) and how many great memories we made. Everything was so well planned, every choice was perfect and Samuel and Paloma available to us 24/7. Every single person we interacted with was so nice and kind and so knowledgeable, we learned so much. Note that we were traveling with 3 kids, one of them being 6 years old but everyone was so accommodating and always mindful of them, it made the trip so easy. Thank you so much for giving us such a wonderful experience.
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Miriam Morgan
September 17, 2022
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Angela helped my husband and me plan our trip to Bilbao, San Sebastian and Barcelona. Her suggestions and communication from the start were exceptional. She listened to our desires, worked within our budget and executed a flawless trip. Everything, from hotels to restaurant reservations to guides to drivers to travel arrangements, was first-class. Plus, she kept in touch with us throughout our trip so as to be proactive to any concerns or glitches which might have arisen (none did). We would recommend Caramel Trail wholeheartedly.
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J. Santiago
May 15, 2026
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We just finished a tour of Portugal. Angela and Paloma took care of all the details of the trip to include airport transfers, hotels, gastronomy and tour guides. We basically flew into the country and they took care of the land portion of the trip. They remained in constant communication during the trip and answered all questions in less than 5 minutes. All of their guides and car/van drivers were professional and were able to communicate in English (and in Spanish also). Several experiences were tailored made for our trip, such as hiking through a vineyard in the Duoro region, a gastronomic tour of Porto, and a nice Sunday drive through the beaches of Algarve, among others. Our driver was excellent and made suggestions on the spot for our lunches, dinners, spots for sightseeing and photography, etc.
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Ronald Husdon
October 27, 2025
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Last year we did Spain and Portugal with Caramel Trail. This year we did Morocco. They provided us with a guide and a driver for every day we were there and some wonderful hotel accommodations and various local experiences. We had a great time and Caramel Trail is simply the best.
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Brenda Carder
April 20, 2026
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We had the best trip to Spain, including Madrid, Toledo, Granada and Seville. Angela and Paloma did an outstanding job of planning a perfect 9 days for us - from start to finish we thoroughly enjoyed our accommodations, our drivers, guides, tours and experiences. My only regret is not having more time - it definitely left us wanting a bit more time to explore each area. They also went above and beyond to help when my niece was ill for a couple days on our trip. We so appreciated the assistance they offered and last minute changes to our itinerary. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and one that we will never forget!
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Rick
May 27, 2025
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Carameltrail did a terrific job planning and organizing our trip to Spain and Portugal. All the hotels, meals, guides, drivers and activities were excellent. Paloma and Angela always answered our questions promptly and checked in regularly to see how we were doing. We could not have been happier with the experience. We particularly enjoyed our trips outside of the main cities, especially our bike ride at Guadarrama National Park, our hike through Donana National Park, our visit to Douro Valley and our sailboat cruise from Cascais to Lisbon.
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Kristen Kelly
June 28, 2023
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Caramel Trail arranged an amazing trip for our family to Spain and Morocco. All of the hotels were great and located in key areas of the cities we visited. The guides and drivers were wonderful - very informative and attentive. They were always available for any questions. We were absolutely thrilled with our experience and would give more than 5 stars if we could!
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Sara Hartnett
July 22, 2026
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Caramel trail was amazing to work with. Both advisors were very easy to communicate with. They came up with excellent suggestions and were very quick to respond. The trip went so smoothly and we had a great time! They were flexible even with travel delays and us sleeping in one morning!
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Bernardo De la Guardia
June 28, 2023
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Samuel, Paloma and their team, always attentive and ready to respond with any questions. Very well orchestrated tours, great guides and first class service. Great experience!
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Greg Schertz
April 7, 2026
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We had an absolutely fantastic trip to Spain and Morocco, with every detail handled by Carameltrail, specifically Angela, and then also Paloma during the actual travel. We loved working with Angela, going back and forth to fine tune our itinerary. She asked the right questions to make sure the itinerary matched our preferences for tours, hiking trails, photo ops, types of lodging, guides, etc. She handled every detail to perfection, making hotel reservations, plane and rental car reservations, drivers... everything! The lodging they set up for us was spectacular and memorable with unique and friendly boutique hotels. And when we had questions during the actual travel, Angela and Paloma were always available, at all hours!!! They even surprised us with special tips during the travel so we were able to enjoy some of their local favorite eats and activities. We highly recommend Carameltrail and will use them again!!
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Olga Belotserkovsky
September 14, 2024
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This was our second trip to Europe using CaramelTrail and working with Samuel Rojo. We wanted to visit Portugal, spend some time by the sea in Spain and have a short visit to Morocco while in Spain. Sam took time to talk with us a couple of times, gave us great advice on creating a manageable itinerary and planned a number of activities/adventures for the kids. CaramelTrail personnel was great (checking on us every day to make sure we are all set for the next day), everything worked perfectly, everyone was on schedule: drivers, tour guides, etc. It was a great trip, all of us had a wonderful time in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. Thank you very much CaramelTrail team! Muchas grasias y hasta luego!
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Tony Vettese
October 20, 2022
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Samuel and Paloma put together an outstanding trip for our family of 5 adults. We put the itinerary together with Samuel who had tremendous knowledge of places, guides, transport, restaurants and experiences. They looked after us throughout and responded instantly to any requests or concerns. An absolutely great travel experience.
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Michael/Jim Robertson/Mulkin
April 11, 2023
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We had a fantastic trip and the experience of planning it with Samuel was wonderful. —Very personalized service —Ease of communication —Quick response time —Quality and uniqueness of experiences/adventures provided —Very collaborative —Friendly, warm, knowledgeable —Accessible during the trip. We highly recommend!
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Robert Traver
June 12, 2023
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What a great trip. Caramel Trails listened to what we wanted and provided a wonderful experience. From Lisbon, the university in Coimbra, Wine Tasting in Porto and the Douro valley, to Templers in Tomar and of Course Sintra. The guides were personable, and knowledgeable, and always on time. Highly Recommend Caramel Trails
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Eva Tannehill
September 22, 2023
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Great company, they set up a perfect mother daughter trip. They where there for us whenever we had a question or to help us out if we need it. Great team.
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Susan McCully
October 7, 2025
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We had such a wonderful time on our trip with CaramelTrail. We had wanted to walk/hike throughout Northern Spain, studying the culture, visiting wineries, tasting pintxos and tapas along the way. Samuel and Paloma were able to provide all of these opportunities. Both drivers and guides were so helpful, knowledgeable and fun to be with. We highly recommend using Caramel Trail as a travel agency.
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Michael Allahverdi
May 14, 2025
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This past March my wife and I returned to Spain for our second travel experience with CaramelTrail. Nothing has changed, it was as wonderful as the first time. Our initial aim was to visit Valencia because of our fascination with all things paella. But, this trip was so much more than that. We traveled to the Matarrana region, the Tuscany of Spain. Our visits to Fuentespalda and Siguenza were incredible. Near Leon, we went to a remote village to visit Bodega El Capricho, a stunning restaurant specializing in beef. Actually it's so much more than a restaurant. It is an ox farm and vineyard as well. We had a private tour of the farm, meat curing cellar, and the wine cellar followed by an amazing tasting menu. Spain is a beautiful country we enjoy very much. What brings the experience to another whole level is CaramelTrail. Paloma and Samuel, once again, did an incredible job of organizing and making sure that our time in Spain was everything we hoped for. The choice of guides, chauffeurs, hotels and paradores, and the gastronomic experiences set CaramelTrail apart from other agencies. We recommend CaramelTrail to anyone that wants an experience of a lifetime.
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Barbara Yunker
July 25, 2025
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Carameltrail is a wonderful travel agency! I would highly recommend them without hesitation. Angela and Paloma planned the itinerary for our family of 10 from Madrid to Barcelona. They planned several side trips that were amazing (Toledo, Segovia, Costa Brava). From the moment we got off our plane, everything was planned for us to perfection. Thank you, Angela and Paloma, for our wonderful memories. Bravo to Carameltrail.
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Janine Prestegaard
December 6, 2024
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100% Confidence in Angela and Paloma. They created and executed an amazing 9 day trip for my family of 9 to travel from Barcelona, to Seville, to Cordoba, to Malaga, and then Granada. Angela was so patient in the planning process. Listened to our objectives, created a plan, and then updated it many times until we thought it was perfect. And, it ended up being more than perfect. Once we arrived in Barcelona, Paloma took the lead and was available 24/7..immediately responding on WhatsApp. At every turn, transportation was top notch. Great drivers and great vehicles. Hotel at Malaga was 5star...exactly what we needed...a warm, cozy LHW oasis after a long week situated perfectly in a dynamic walkable city. All the activities they arranged were either super fun, super delicious, or super cool. Site seeing, food tours, bike tours...the guides were also so easy going, relatable, and accommodating. They always had the best restaurant recommendations...no need to question them. Every reco was perfect. We would recommend them 100000%.
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Moustapha Abou-Samra
November 28, 2023
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There are not enough words to thank you for planning a “trip of a lifetime,” to help us celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. You planned to the minutest of details, an elaborate trip that took us from Madrid, to Morocco, where we visited Casablanca, Volubilis, Meknas, Fez, and Marrakesh; it was a beautiful cultural experience. We then returned to Madrid, where we explored this magical city with its wonderful museums. From there, you planned for us thoughtful visits to Laredo, Córdoba, Sevilla, Ronda, Grazalema, Jerez, the beautiful Costa de la Luz, Málaga, Granada and the amazing Alhambra, and finally the Axarquía area and the beautiful Spanish Mediterranean coast. You made yourselves available to us for any need that might arise, at any time. You were attentive to details, and you obviously are experienced in planning elaborate, special, and personal trips. The guides you assigned for us were knowledgeable and experienced. You selected special, and often historic hotels for us to rest after long days of touring, enjoying culture and food. We were made to feel at home. And we are convinced that we would not have found these hotels on our own, but more importantly, we would not have been able to plan such a beautiful trip on our own, no matter the research. Joanie and Moustapha Ventura, California USA
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Les Shelton
May 7, 2025
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My wife Lauri and I just returned from 10 days in Spain. We were lucky to have worked with Samuel Rojo and Paloma Benty from Carameltrail. They both provided us with great recommendations on what to see and how many days in each city we needed. They were excellent in providing Really knowledgeable guides for us in Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona and Malaga. Also, I became ill during our last few days in Malaga and they were on the phone providing us with medical advice, changing our rail tickets , making sure all of our drivers were able to meet us and help with our luggage. The concern they had for us was wonderful! We would highly recommend them to anyone traveling to Spain who would like to travel independently of a large group. Again , Thanks to Samuel And Paloma Les Shelton and Lauri Vinick
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Cynthia Heredia Esparza
February 28, 2024
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My three friends and myself travel to Spain for a week last week and we used Carameltrail services to tailor some culinary, flamenco and city experiences around Madrid and to some nearby cities since we wanted to fully enjoy the capital without wasting too much time traveling by car. Samuel’s suggestions of Segovia, Toledo, Cuenca and Avila not to mention the tour guides selected for us were extraordinary. Our driver Pancho, who drove us to and from the airport and to the cities mentioned was the best! Puntual, respectful, responsible not to mention very patient with four women who sometimes wanted to stretch the time for extra pictures or some last minute shopping. Samuel and Paloma were also superb, very attentive to our needs via text and always helpful either with a restaurant reservation or with some recommendations for our leisure days. We had the best time in Spain largely because we chose them as our luxury travel specialists… and they certainly are!!!
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Wayne Cole
June 16, 2025
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This is the second time we have dealt with Samuel and Paloma, and both have been exceptional. They were in constant contact with our guides, making sure nothing went wrong. If we decided to alter plans in the middle of our trip, no problem. I would recommend them to all.
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Kathryn Ufolla
April 12, 2025
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5 Stars – Absolutely Exceptional Service! I recently booked a vacation with Carameltrail, and I can’t recommend them highly enough! From start to finish, the experience was seamless and stress-free. The team (Samuel and Paloma) was incredibly knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely cared about creating the perfect itinerary for me. They took the time to understand my preferences and suggested unique destinations and activities I wouldn’t have discovered on my own. Every detail — from flights, private drivers/car service and accommodations to tours and local experiences — was perfectly coordinated. I felt supported the entire time, and any questions I had were answered quickly and professionally. This was hands-down one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, and it’s all thanks to their expert planning and personal touch. If you’re looking for a travel planner that truly goes above and beyond, look no further. Last year Carameltrail planned Spain for me and this year was Portugal. Exceptional experience. I’ll definitely be booking with them again!
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Michael Campo
October 20, 2023
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Caramel Trail once again did an awesome job designing and taking care of us on our trip to Barcelona. Every guide and driver was friendly and knowledgeable, and you could tell that they really enjoyed what they do. Samuel and Paloma who run the agency even checked in by text a few times during our stay to make sure everything was going well for us. Top notch service! This is the 3rd trip I booked through Caramel Trail, and have used them previously for a trip to Portugal and Morrocco.
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Ann Pursley
April 26, 2025
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Carameltrail was exceptional! Angela made planning our trip to Spain so smooth and stress free; arranging every detail from start to finish. She was patient as we changed and rearranged events, and ultimately provided a well blended itinerary based on our expectations and her knowledge. Once we arrived in Spain, Angela and Paloma were available to assist us 24/7 with any need. They checked in every day and guided us along the way ensuring a smooth itinerary. The private tours, transportation, and dinners were exceptional! When our flight home changed unexpectedly and quickly, Paloma was available immediately to coordinate the transportation change. From start to finish, Carameltrail was amazing and I highly recommend them.
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kashyap kansupada
May 28, 2025
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Thanks to Caramel Trail, we had a memorable and stress free visit to Spain!! The venues, docents, and experiences in Seville, Granada, and Madrid were all top notch. Would not change a thing. We appreciate their attentiveness throughout our trip as if they were with us the entire time. Out only disappointment is that we couldn’t use the Carameltrail team for all our trips abroad :) Thanks, Angela and Paloma, for orchestrating a magical trip!
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Gary Blackledge
July 26, 2023
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Recently, my wife and I enjoyed our second trip planned with Caramel Trail. In 2019, we had an amazing trip to Spain. More recently (June 2023), we enjoyed a trip to Portugal with my wife's family. Just like our trip in 2019, Caramel Trail went above and beyond to make each and every experience 5-star! Our hotels in Porto and Lisbon were extraordiary and centrally located, which were very important to us. We had an array of tours, gastronomy, and wine tasting experiences and every guide and driver that we had were exceptional. Caramel Trail also made sure to set us up with outstanding restaurant reservations to make sure that we enjoy the delicious, authentic, and local cuisine of these great cities. After using them for two separate and incredible trips, I cannot recommend Caramel Trail enough!!

Are you planning a trip to Spain? At Carameltrail we design the dreams holidays

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