The simplest way is to fly into and out of Seville Airport (SVQ). Fast trains also link the city with Madrid, so it's no hardship to fly into or out of the capital either and we can host you for some time there too if you like.

It's absolutely possible to travel by train from London or Paris. If you are coming from the UK, then if you set off at breakfast you can take two trains from London St Pancras and be in Barcelona before dinner time. It's a short hop between stations on arrival in Paris and away you go. After a night in Barcelona, you take the train to Seville and off you go. If you want to do it on the way back, simply flip that on its head.

Of course, we would be very happy to host you in Paris and/or Barcelona if you want to have a look around those great cities - we have lots to see and do even if you have already been.

Finally, it's also possible to travel by sleeper train from Paris to Barcelona. If you would like information, please just ask.

This trip can run from March through June and September through to early November.

In spring and fall, you can expect it to be warm and sunny with average daytime temperatures of around 59-77°F.

In July and August, temperatures can rise to 86°F and above, which is simply too hot to enjoy being outside for any length of time.

Rainfall remains low outside the winter months, so you should be dry.

Peak season is usually around Easter and in the summer months.

We spend a great deal of time regularly visiting the hotels in the area to ensure we always offer the very best available. In Seville, we look for quiet and comfy rooms, good service and a bit of personality. We like some luxury touches, but not necessarily luxury for the sake of luxury. More expensive doesn't always mean better! In Aracena, your inn offers the perfect blend of style, comfort, tranquillity and great food.

Please inquire for full details.

This trip invites active discovery, with days spent exploring city streets and country trails on foot. Naturally, there are ways for you to dial this up and down as you go though.

We don't pack your days too tightly. In the city you can pick and choose where you go when and when to stop for a coffee or a snooze in the hotel. Seville simply isn't a city to rush around in.

In Aracena, your guide is there to set the pace for you and you simply let him know how much or little you want to do - either way it will be a terrific day. The self-guided walk is a moderate one and a good way to work up an appetite for lunch. But equally you can use your car to explore in the morning and drive to lunch.

The roads are all paved and in a good to excellent state of repair. Given how quiet the roads are, how close everything is and how beautiful the landscapes are, driving is a pleasurable pursuit in these parts. It's not a price to pay to win your freedom, it's very much part of the experience.

For two people traveling to Spain you can expect a medium-sized vehicle such as a VW Golf.

For any clients not based in Europe, an international driving license is officially required, but we don't know of any local office in Spain or Portugal that has requested to see it. But it is officially a requirement. If you are in the US, visit https://www.usa.gov/international-drivers-license for more information and details of how to apply.

No, invariably your hosts speak English perfectly well. In busier areas of the main tourist centres like Seville, English will be widely spoken. In smaller restaurants and in villages and the countryside, it is spoken infrequently. Saying this, it isn't a problem, people are invariably happy to work out how to communicate. We have lots of people visit the Sierra de Aracena each year and language never gets in the way, so please don't sweat it.

For sure! As well as the time you spend with your guides and hosts, locals themselves of course, this trip gives you lots of opportunity to observe and interact with locals as much as you'd like to.

The Aracena hills are a genuinely untouched corner of Andalucía. It’s an area so little known that you see a way of life long forgotten elsewhere. You can expect total peace and quiet in small rural villages with older residents, in particular, sitting out of an evening watching the world go by - aided by the seemingly endless sweeping of front doorsteps. In some of the villages, you can still see women come out to wash clothes in the fountain together.

Absolutely, yes. Keeping your hire vehicle, this trip combines particularly well with our 6-night Andalucía Farmhouse B&B Stay and Ronda & Cádiz Coast by Car.

Equally, you could continue by train from Seville with the rest of our Seville, Córdoba & Granada trip.

Yes, as long as we retain the essence of this trip through the pacing and content. Most commonly that might mean adding more guiding for your second day in Seville, or giving you time in other areas such as Madrid, Barcelona or the rest of Andalucía.