Experience a study tour of Spain and Portugal
That will make you change the way you look at your own farm or rural business
Come along for the journey
We love bringing ideas and information that can help your farm or rural business stand out and thrive.
Why spain and Portugal?
There are many regions within our patch (rural south-west Spain and Portugal) where, if you stood in a field 15 years ago…
And then returned to stand in that same spot today, the farming landscape would be unrecognisable.
You would struggle to know you were in the same place.
It’s a world we’d love to share with you.
Our farm and business tours aren’t holiday tours. If you are just looking to enjoy the rural scenery, take part in some activities and try the local wines, you are probably in the wrong place.
(Unless you are looking to book a rural hen or stag do. In which case you can take your study hat off!)
But if you are a farmer or rural business owner who wants to dive deeper and explore this rapidly changing rural economy, stay with us.
If you’re from the UK, or another country where the agricultural economy is moving and changing more slowly, you need to witness this; the level of innovation and change, and the reasons it is happening.
Another must see, in this part of Spain and Portugal, are the sectors of food and agriculture that remain steeped in tradition.
Some are thriving and evolving; others are not.
Sometimes viewing these things as an outsider can give you a totally different perspective on your own world
We have dreamt up some simple ways you can visit and soak up business ideas from this inspiring, farming landscape.
(We mostly arrange study tours but we also organise magical stag and hen trips for people who love rural life.)
Two ways to experience a Slow Lane Spain tour
Bring a group
Maybe you’re part of a discussion group, or a group of friends with shared business interests. Or you have farming clients who want to explore new ideas. We can take you on a journey, from regenerative practices in the Spanish dehesa — black pig and jamón country — to the 120,000 hectares of irrigated land created by the Alqueva dam.
For farming co-ops, and larger food and drink businesses – we have plenty to inspire if you are looking to send a team. Including one of the most successful (and welcoming) wine co-ops in Portugal right on our doorstep.
We’ll put together an itinerary around your group’s interests. It starts with a detailed consultation call to understand what your travellers really need. Then we use our contacts and local knowledge to arrange everything, checking in with you along the way to get it right.
Travel independently
Looking for fresh inspiration for your own farm or rural business, but aren’t part of a group looking for the same experience right now? Don’t worry, we have you covered.
We’ll put together a bespoke itinerary just for you. You’ll travel independently, with a detailed guide in hand and our support every step of the way.
Our tours are never boring...
Spain and Portugal have an extraordinary ability to mix tradition with innovation.
Sometimes together in the same business.
Even the pasture and acorn fed Spanish jamon, which is steeped in tradition, uses the most modern analysis to test for the necessary balance of fats before deciding whether it makes the grade.
One of the traditional family vineyards, here in the Monsaraz wine region, has come up with some of the most innovative ideas for moving its brand forward. This includes aging the wines deep under water in the Alqueva lake, and also making an amazing white wine from red grapes – with inspirational branding.
We love those stories where high value businesses have been created out of difficult landscapes. A small co-op started with 12 farmers in this arid region of Portugal. They now make and market great wines on behalf of hundreds of farmers.
Blueberries have recently appeared in remote mountain valleys in Spain close to the Portuguese border.
Portugal’s high end rural tourism and how it has evolved, is another interesting phenomenon.
These are just a few of the businesses and regional stories we would love you to discover.
Why we understand
There are two of us working on Slow Lane Spain – myself (Heather) and Manuel.
I have spent most of my life involved in farming in one way and another. From growing up on a PYO farm to being part of an organic farming partnership in the Welsh borders – to leaving the dairy industry and setting up a rural tourism project in Mid Wales. (One of our most recently built lodges is in the picture here.)
I understand the emotions and challenges around farm life, the uncertainties of setting up a new diversification project – from submitting plans to the first guests or customers.
I understand what it’s like to take big uncomfortable decisions around changing direction as a farmer.
If you need to take a step back to help you take the next step forward I’m always here for a call.
Call Heather on +44 7801 335118
Email contact@slowlanespain.com
WhatsApp +351 925 616 222
Stag and Hen Weekends
If you have been given the responsibility of organising a hen or stag weekend for a rural wedding party…
And you definitely don’t want to go to Marbella. In fact, you’re not even sure about a city break in Barcelona.
We can plan your trip around agricultural fairs and festivals, around the harvest, country sports such as riding, shooting or less traditional go-karting.
We can get you into restaurants where the stylish country set go. We can book you wine tastings on the kind of vineyards where you feel as though you are visiting a farming friend.
If this kind of hen or stag do sounds like a fit for your group, get in touch.
