Ideas Worth Crossing Borders For
Come along for the journey
We love bringing ideas and information that can help your farm or rural business stand out and thrive.
We offer Farm Study Tours and Country Sport Getaways in Spain and Portugal
Across rural Andalucía and Extremadura in Spain, and the Alentejo in Portugal….
There are many sites, 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.
The energy and new ideas in rural business, both in Spain and Portugal, are too good to pass by on your way to the coast.
Wherever you are based, witnessing this transformation first-hand offers a fresh perspective: the chance to understand what is changing, why it is happening and what ideas could be useful in your own business or region.
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. It can help you spot opportunities, question familiar assumptions and take home ideas that could work in your own business. It can also bring you into contact with people whose needs, resources or expertise complement your own—creating the potential for new networks, supply relationships and mutually beneficial projects.
We make it simple to visit, meet the right people and soak up fresh business ideas from this inspiring rural landscape.
If you're interested in shooting or other country sports in Spain or Portugal click the link below.
Two ways to experience a Slow Lane Spain Study tour
Bring a group
Perhaps you are part of a discussion group or business network, have clients who want to explore new ideas, or are looking for a worthwhile learning experience for your team. We can take you 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 and food cooperatives, industry groups and larger food and drink businesses, there is much more to explore. Your visit could look at successful cooperative models, organic production, water management, new uses for agricultural by-products, research-led quality and the cross-border networks connecting businesses across Iberia, Europe and beyond.
We will build the itinerary around your group’s interests and business objectives. It starts with a detailed consultation to understand what your travellers want to learn, the challenges they face and the connections that would be most valuable. We then use our contacts and local knowledge to arrange the programme, 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 dairy 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.
If you need to take a step back to help you take the next step forward we are always here for a call.
Manuel also has a long history of running a business in the Seville area.
His network of contacts across Andalucia – and ability to make more connections as we research new opportunities for you is invaluable.
Call us on: +44 7801 335118
Email: contact@slowlanespain.com
WhatsApp +351 925 616 222
Country Sport Getaways
If you have been given the responsibility of organising a group getaway
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 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 sounds like a fit for your group, get in touch.
