Andalucia.

Andalucia is the southernmost of Spain's mainland regions, and the contrast inside it is unusual — the Sierra Nevada to the east holds Iberia's highest peaks at over 3,400 metres, while the white villages of the Sierra de Grazalema and the Costa de la Luz beaches sit a couple of hours' drive away. Most slow-travel trips work one of three angles: the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarras for mountain riding and walking, the Pueblos Blancos for low-altitude cycling and exploring, or the Andalucian train circuit for unhurried sightseeing.

For cycling, the white-village loop is the headline product — generally moderate gradients, quiet roads through Ronda, Zahara, Grazalema and the cork-oak country between them, ending up on the Atlantic coast around Conil or Tarifa. The Sierra Nevada is more demanding: longer climbs, thinner air above 2,000m, and prime road riding from Granada up to Pico Veleta on the same road the Vuelta sometimes takes. Saddle Skedaddle's two Andalucian weeks cover both ends of that spectrum.

The Al Andalus Express is a different proposition entirely — a 1920s wood-panelled train running a six-night circuit through Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Jerez, with the rolling stock as much the point as the destinations. It's the closest thing in mainland Europe to the Orient Express and runs only spring and autumn.

Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) are the workable windows. Summer in lowland Andalucia regularly exceeds 38°C and is unkind to anything more energetic than a swimming pool; winters are mild on the coast but cool at altitude. The Sierra Nevada ski station sits at 2,100m and runs December to early May, which closes off the high road riding from late autumn until snowmelt.

Walking supply in Andalucia is thin on Mooch right now — the cluster is in the works. For coastal and white-village walking specifically, the most credible specialist is On Foot Holidays, who run several Andalucian itineraries; Inntravel and Headwater also cover the area.