Andalucia Diary – Seasonal Travel Notes

A few minutes’ drive from the colonial  Hotel Reina Cristina is the sleepy bay of Getares. This is where the locals holiday; it’s certainly no fancy beach resort, but instead a collection of modest homes looking out onto the bay, with a view of the occasional school of dolphins.

Here is found the Cepas Restaurant, an unassuming modern, light-filled, first floor space. On the wall is a board, with a profile of a tuna etched in chalk, showing the different cuts. It’s clear this restaurant celebrates the local tuna!

Tonight’s meal is the start of the Toma Tours ‘Hiking Mr Henderson’s Railway‘ trip for a intimate group of writers, bloggers and journalists.

Cepas Restaurante © Steve Sparrow Photography

Once we took our seats at the table the magic began. We’re were being treated to a tasting menu of local tuna, some of the best in the world, from the famous Barbate Almadraba Tuna Fishing.

These specially designed tours by Toma Tours often focus on local cuisine and gastronomy, so tonight’s meal was intended to kick things on as they meant to go on!

The gourmet dishes were paired with regional wines (maridaje in Spanish) to create a memorable experience.

The first tasting plates included:

• Wacame salad with red tuna, accompanied by a white wine from the Barbadillo Bodega, Castillo San Diego.

© Steve Sparrow Photography

• Marinated salmon with guacamole, wasabi mayonnaise, and black Tobiko caviar, paired with an Alquézar Rosé wine

• Roast octopus on a bed of Sanlucar potatoes with a Gallego “Ajada” dressing of garlic and paprika, married with a white Albariño wine from the Bodega Más de Bazán

Roast Octopus, Cepas Reataurant © Toma Tours

Then the main dish was presented, which was superb!

• A tuna steak, grilled to perfection, with wild mushrooms with a medallion of foie.

This dish was accompanied by Bluefin Cava Brut Reserva from Bodegas Mestres, created exclusively to be served with the wild tuna of Cadiz. The distinctive bottle is set to become a familiar sight in some of the best restaurants in Europe.

The luxury of being with Toma Tours meant that despite indulging in such an extravagant meal and plenty of wine, we didn’t have to worry about getting back to the hotel, as our Toma Tours minibus was waiting for us.

Tomorrow the hiking through the stunning Guadiaro Valley begins.

Disclaimer:

This specific trip was a media trip. All guests were hosted by Toma Tours but this has not influenced by piece. Please bear in mind that this site and my articles are intended as entertainment only and not a definitive resource for purchasing decisions. Before making any travel or purchasing decision I recommend that you seek as much information as possible from various sources including review sites, guide books and other blogs. If you act based on my writing you do so at your own risk. If you wish to add anything to this piece, simply comment using the WordPress or Facebook plug-in.

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