How to Build the Perfect Golf & Wine Vacation in Spain
All Square 5min read •
6 Jan
Spain is one of the very few countries in the world where world-class golf and legendary wine regions exist side by side. This unique geography allows travellers to build a trip where mornings are spent on outstanding golf courses and afternoons among vineyards, historic bodegas, and tasting rooms — without long transfers or complicated planning. A great golf & wine vacation in Spain isn’t about choosing between the two. It’s about pairing the right courses with the right wine regions.
Catalonia: Championship Golf Meets Cava and Mediterranean Vineyards
What makes this region special is how easily these courses connect to wine. Within an hour, you’re in the Penedès wine region, the heart of Spanish Cava, or in Empordà, a smaller but highly respected Mediterranean wine area. You can play a championship course in the morning and be walking through vineyards or touring a cava cellar that same afternoon. Few places in Europe offer this kind of balance between elite golf and wine culture.
La Rioja: Golf in the Heart of Spain’s Most Famous Wine Region
If there is one place where golf and wine feel truly inseparable, it is La Rioja. Here, courses are literally surrounded by vineyards. Rioja Alta Golf Club, Izki Golf, and Sojuela Golf sit right in the middle of Spain’s most iconic wine landscape, near Logroño and Haro.
This is where golf becomes part of a broader cultural journey. After your round, you’re minutes away from legendary wineries such as Marqués de Riscal, Muga, or CVNE, as well as cutting-edge architectural bodegas like Ysios. Evenings are spent in Logroño, famous for its tapas streets and deep wine culture. In Rioja, golf doesn’t compete with wine — it complements it.
Ribera del Duero: Powerful Wines and Elegant Countryside
Further west, Ribera del Duero offers a different wine style — bolder, deeper, more structured — and a more dramatic landscape. While the region is less dense with golf courses than the coast, it pairs beautifully with golf in central and northern Spain.
This is the land of legendary producers like Protos, Vega Sicilia, and Abadía Retuerta, and it fits perfectly into an itinerary that combines Rioja or Madrid-area golf with serious wine exploration. Here, the rhythm slows down: fewer crowds, more focus on gastronomy, history, and long vineyard lunches after your round.
Andalusia: Iconic Golf in Sotogrande and Southern Wine Traditions
While Andalusia is better known for sherry and fortified wines than for classic vineyard regions, the wine culture here is just as deep. From Jerez de la Frontera’s sherry bodegas to the emerging quality wines of Montilla-Moriles and Ronda, southern Spain adds a completely different flavour to your journey. The contrast between traditional white villages, Mediterranean courses, and historic bodegas makes this part of the trip especially memorable.
Other Perfect Pairings Across Spain
Spain offers even more combinations for travellers who want to expand their route. Near Valencia, El Saler combines world-class golf with nearby Mediterranean cuisine and wine regions. In Murcia, La Manga Club pairs resort golf with southeastern Spanish wines. On Mallorca, courses like Son Gual and Alcanada combine island golf with boutique wineries and spectacular coastal scenery.
How to Build the Ideal Itinerary
The best golf & wine trips in Spain are built around two or three regions, not five or six. A perfect flow could start in Catalonia, continue to La Rioja, and finish in Andalusia — or focus purely on northern Spain with Catalonia, Rioja, and Ribera del Duero.
Spain’s excellent roads and high-speed trains make transfers easy, and major airports in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, and Málaga connect everything smoothly. Renting a car gives the most flexibility, especially in wine regions where vineyards are scattered across the countryside.
The key is to plan your tee times and winery visits in advance, especially at famous clubs like Valderrama or Camiral and at top wineries with limited daily tours.
Why Spain Is the Perfect Golf & Wine Country
What makes Spain truly special is not just the quality of its golf or the prestige of its wine. It’s the way they coexist naturally. You’re never far from a great course or a great bottle. You can play championship golf in the morning, tour a historic winery in the afternoon, and finish the day with unforgettable food and local wine.
In Spain, a golf & wine vacation doesn’t feel like a themed trip. It feels like the way life is meant to be enjoyed.
