On Location: “Olé!”: PAX unpacks Spain’s Costa del Sol & Madrid with Collette & travel advisors

“Welcome!”

Had it been any other day, with any other group of visitors, the greeting may have been “bienvenido!” But on this particular afternoon, our gracious hosts, Mayca, Luisa and Mar, a trio of women residing in Pedregalejo, a laid-back neighbourhood in an eastern corner of Málaga, Spain, not far from the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, were happy to switch from their native Spanish to English.

With a smile that greeted us before she did, Mayca, standing at her doorstop, gestured at us to step into her home, where Luisa (her sister) and Mar (her sister-in-law) awaited inside, circling a dining table, set for 12, in a bright and tidy living room accented by framed portraits of family members past and present.

Amid warm embraces (and offers of Spanish beer, wine and fruity sangria), we took a seat and dove into a round of conversation.

Us, going on about the cold temperatures in Canada. Our enthusiastic hosts, sharing family updates, their experience in hosting international students, and anecdotes about living in sun-kissed Málaga, Spain’s sixth-largest city, known for its beaches, the historic Alcazaba Moorish fortress, Castillo de Gibralfaro castle, and an abundance of vivid orange trees that line the streets and squares.

What started as a timid exchange of pleasantries soon blossomed into what felt like a lively family reunion. But what turned two groups of strangers into fast friends was the universal language of good food.  

Stepping in and out of a kitchen, our hosts shared plates of local fare. Lettuce with fresh tomatoes and tuna. Spanish omelettes, made from potatoes, eggs and onions. Succulent pork with rice filled with pine nuts. And finally, tiny cups of “natillas,” a sweet custard that tasted like “a crème brûlée that wasn’t burned,” we mutually decided. 

“More?” our hosts would kindly ask. “Si!” we replied, drawing on whatever Spanish we knew. 

The sangria? Bottomless.   

The Andalusian way of enjoying life over an elaborate meal, as if each day was a holiday, was rubbing off on us. But the food for thought, as we broke bread with Mayca, Luisa and Mar, was a profound sense of gratitude. Each bite seemed to carry a deeper understanding of life's simple pleasures.

It was a lunch we likely wouldn’t have found in any restaurant, café or bar. What we had unlocked, during Spain’s biggest meal of the day, was a genuine cultural exchange.

Hola, España!

This is the goal of Collette’s “home-hosted” meal program, which invites travellers into the homes of local families (who, perhaps, view it as an opportunity to refine their English-speaking skills), pull up a chair, and swap stories over local dishes.

The aim is to help Collette travellers connect with destinations in a different way (and let’s face it, there’s nothing more local than enjoying a meal in someone’s own home). The revered tour operator, with more than 100 years of experience, has the connections to make it happen. 

It’s one of many cultural activities travel advisors from both Canada and the United States unpacked last week with Collette on a week-long adventure from Spain's dreamy Costa del Sol region in the south to Madrid, the country’s central capital, including Segovia in the northwest.

Contrasting regions, each packed with cultural pizzazz.

The FAM, designed to showcase Collette’s premium touring style, was offered exclusively to advisors who belong to Ensemble, which recognizes Collette as a preferred partner.

“We really value our partnership with Ensemble…we put a lot of love and work into it,” trip co-leader Kateryna Havrylova, Collette’s partnership marketing manager, told PAX, which was invited to cover the tour, exclusively, from Jan. 19-26.

Keeping the guest list contained within Ensemble was strategic. The idea, Havrylova said, was to create a peer-to-peer environment where new and experienced agents could learn about a destination, and from each other, during and after the trip. 

While Collette received many applicants, just nine Canadian travel advisors, from Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick, made the cut.

“The aim is to bring advisors who aren’t familiar with Collette – or who are just starting to sell it,” Havrylova said of the guest list, which included agents from from well-known companies like Go Travel and Travel Edge.

It was a timely initiative, bringing together Ensemble’s most influential. Collette is riding high after a banner 2024, which was, as previously reported, Collette’s best year ever in its entire 107-year history.

The same sentiment can be said about Collette’s sales in Canada, which are outpacing other major markets, Havrylova shared. 

“Every 25 kilometres, there is a castle”

Enter Costa del Sol. 

Our tour began at Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport, where a smiling male driver, holding a glowing tablet displaying a glowing Collette logo, greeted us.

We transferred to the Occidental Fuengirola hotel, a seaside resort, some 30 minutes from Málaga. It’s a four-star property, across the street from a beach, operated by Barceló Hotel Group.

Costa Del Sol (which means “Coast of the Sun”) is a region filled with enchanting cities, towns and villages, on or near the Mediterranean, that brim with year-round sunshine, in addition to ancient castles and fortresses – relics of the Arabs and Romans.

READ MORE: Collette has best year in 107-year history, shares top trends

“Every 25 kilometres, there is a castle,” our resourceful tour director, Carmen – our eyes, ears, and personal Spain Wikipedia for the week – told us.

The Occidental Fuengirola was our basecamp. A starting point for day trips, via luxury coach bus with leather seats, into Costa del Sol’s dreamy locales, where cobblestone roads, olive tree-peppered landscapes and Spanish traditions, like elaborate lunches – and the afternoon siestas (naps) that follow – awaited.

The port city of Málaga, with its palm-fringed plazas, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Here, we faced remnants of the past, from the Alcazaba (a Moorish fortress with epic views) to the Roman Theatre, which sits at the foot of the fortress, to the Cathedral of Málaga with its striking Renaissance design.

And art! Iconic painter Pablo Picasso, born here in 1881, has deep connections to Málaga. The Picasso Museum (a must-do) showcases his many works of warping proportions and shapes.

A local expert, named Lourdes, walked us through the museum, passionately explaining Picasso’s style, like cubism, which toggles between realism and abstraction.

Another notable resident of Málaga, we learned, is Spanish actor and director Antonio Banderas, who’s a partner in several local restaurants, such as El Pimpi and La Pérgola del Mediterráneo. The Hollywood star has also played a key role in shaping the city’s annual film festival.

Cave houses & sangria surprises

A more traditional portrait of Andalusian life emerged the next day in Setenil de las Bodegas, where whitewashed houses are built into cliffs, and where visitors can enjoy a unique “cave village” with limestone ceilings.

Here, “cave houses” are built under boulders. It’s striking architecture, both practical and visually fascinating, as it keeps homes cool in summer and warm in winter.

It’s both charming and surreal, walking through town, under slabs of rock that create a tunnel-like effect.

Setenil also has deep ties to the Arabs that once ruled the land – the town's hilltop castle was once a fortress.

We dove into glasses of “tinto" (dark colour) red wine and payoyo goat cheese at Cueva del Iberico, where cured ham (jamón, the back legs of pigs, which hang openly like wall decorations) and exquisite wines converge.   

Between sips of rich blends of wine, our jaws hit the floor when it was revealed that sangria – a punch traditionally mixed with red wine, chopped fruit, and sodas – is actually not a thing among Spanish people.

“Spaniards don’t drink sangria,” said our tour director Carmen. “It’s what the tourists drink.”

Locals, she said, prefer “tinto de verano,” which is also a wine-based beverage – except without all the fruit. It’s not as sweet.

Let’s just say from that point on, after ordering sangria at every meal for two days straight, tinto de verano quickly became a drink of choice.

A town called Ronda

The discoveries continued in a town called Ronda, which is set high above deep El Tajo gorge, where the scenery soars.

We crossed Plaza de Toros, an 18th-century bullring. Modern day bullfighting rose to prominence in cliffside Ronda – thanks in part to Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, a fan, who piqued international interest in the Spanish sport.

The town, one of many communities of white-washed houses in the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga, is also linked to Hollywood’s late Orson Welles, who had a lifelong affection with the town (his ashes are buried there).

The allure of Ronda’s cobblestone laneways and historical ties to the Kingdom of Granada, dating back to the late Middle Ages, is pure time travel.

The Alhambra – without the crowds 

Why an emphasis on this easy-breezy region of Spain, in the middle of January?

Havrylova pointed to a rising desire among Canadians to visit Europe during low seasons when crowds are thinner. Because let’s face it, overtourism, in popular parts of Europe – be it Spain, Italy or France – has gotten out of hand.

“During the summer, it has become so crowded to a point where people are no longer enjoying it,” Havrylova said.

There’s definitely something to be said about travelling off season.

Case in point: in Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors, set in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, we visited the Alhambra, a sprawling palace and fortress complex with reddish walls dating back to the 13th century.

The ceilings, columns, arches and fountains inside are decorated with ceramic mosaics and intricate stone carvings with Arabic inscriptions. Secrets from the past, hidden in what, today, is considered one of the best-preserved examples of Islamic architecture.

This UNESCO site – which has a reflection pool that inspired the design of India’s Taj Mahal – is one of Europe’s top attractions, drawing up to three million visitors a year.

The summer months, with sweltering temperatures, can see throngs of visitors at the Alhambra, which is considered “the eighth wonder of the world.”

But not in January. While our visit saw a smattering of crowds, from school field trips to the odd tour group, we had plenty of room to explore the site’s stone buildings, gardens and courtyards without getting pushed or elbowed.

The blue sky, bright sun and light breeze was a bonus. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day to unpack the last and grandest Moorish fortress.

Comfortable Costa Del Sol

Spain – Costa Del Sol, in particular – is a good option during winter because the climate is spring-like and comfortable. When it’s sunny, daytime highs can reach up to 20 to 24 °C (depending on where you are).

In seaside Marbella, a town that has a marble walk featuring ten bronze sculptures created by Salvador Dali, it may as well have been summer – without the humidity.  (Madrid further north, in comparison, is a tad cooler at this time of year).

Costa Del Sol, which makes up the bulk of the tour, is also a great choice for clients who have already unpacked Spain’s more popular cities, like Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.

“It takes you off the beaten path,” Havrylova shared. “It brings you to places that are not very well known in the Canadian market. This is the real Spain, if you wish.”

Collette’s Costa Del Sol-Madrid combo is a “Classic” tour – travel, involving an average of 37 people (maximum of 44), that opens worlds of cultures and flavours.

Our tour was more like a cross between Classic and “Explorations” – another one of Collette’s travel styles.

Explorations, Collette’s fastest-growing product, are limited to just 24 people, book unique accommodations (like igloos in Finland), rare activities (like truffle hunting in France) and utilize local experts who know the inside scoop about a destination. The days are tailored specifically for smaller groups.

Pace yourself

One thing to note about Collette is pacing. The idea is to spend more time in destinations, which relieves clients of having to pack/unpack multiple times, at various hotels.

The Costa del Sol to Madrid route is set up for this. Guests stay in just one hotel for the first five nights, before transferring to Madrid, by train, for the final two days.

“It’s an easy tour. It’s meant to be relaxing,” said our always-positive guide Carmen, who managed all trip logistics, from booking tickets to finding local bathrooms, and led walking tours in select areas using wireless "whisper" audio devices. 

“Costa del Sol isn’t about running from one place to another one. It’s a place where people vacation. We want guests to get to know the region a little deeper.”   

Consistent with all Collette tours, which are designed by local teams, is a connection to communities. Meals that involve restaurants and cuisine (like fresh sea bass, swordfish and calamari) that locals enjoy. Opportunities to get off the bus and take a regional train, or city subway – when possible.

In Marbella, we participated in a flamenco lesson – a master class, led by star instructor and dancer, Charo Martin, in her own dance studio. Despite our clunky dance steps, we couldn’t resist the joy of throwing our hands in the air and shouting “Olé!” after each song. 

On these tours, the destination – and everything that makes it sing (or dance) – is the star. 

When advisors are the hero 

Travel advisors looking to sell Collette have access to new sales, marketing, and training tools, outlined here, as well as a travel protection plan that has “been a hit” with the trade. 

Advisors start with reduced rates of 50 per cent on trips for themselves and they receive even bigger savings as they book more travellers within a year.

And, if a travelling client purchases another trip with Collette within two years, the customer gets a five per cent discount.

Havrylova says Collette’s tools, incentives and care that's provided in destination are meant to make advisors look good in front of clients – before, during and after a trip.  

“For travel agents, it’s peace of mind,” Havrylova said. “Because we will take care of their clients. They will look like the heroes.”

How do Collette’s tour directors craft the perfect experience? What’s the buzz in Madrid? Stay tuned for more of PAX’s exclusive coverage from Collette’s adventure in Spain with Ensemble!

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