aracena getaway day 1

14 Tuesday Apr 2026

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We left Sevilla around 9.30 on Monday and arrived at Cinco Jotas in Jabugo shortly after 11.00, after dropping our bags at the hotel in Aracena. María Castro was there to greet us and took us on quite the VIP tour. Unlike the last couple of times I visited we were allowed into the drying and ageing areas (had to suit up first!) which was not only super interesting, it was just what I needed for my upcoming articles. After our tour María and Marco gave us a wonderful tasting of the fabulous 5J black label jamón and also some of their charcuterie, paired with sherry wines from the exquisite Osborne La Honda / Coquinera selection.

We had been invited for lunch at Finca Buenvino and I was really looking forward to seeing everyone again. Of course María knows the Chestertons (everyone in and around Aracena knows everyone else) so she dropped us off and stayed for a quick visit. And then we sat down with the family – Sam & Jeannie and sons Sam & Jago – for a wonderful home-cooked meal, with plenty of wine and lots of chat. I was enjoying myself so much I totally forgot to take any food photos, also it didn’t seem the thing to do there. Suffice to say Jeannie and her son Sam (who is taking over the reigns at Buenvino) put on an impressive spread. All too soon it was time to get back to Aracena and finally check into our hotel, so Jeannie gave us a lift over.

Turned out that we (well, me) ended up being a “prisoner” in the hotel as, after attempting to go out for an evening drink that first day at a “nearby” bar (7 mins away according to google maps, more like 30 mins for me up and down very steep cobbled streets) I knew that was it. I’d have to leave the joys of Aracena for after my knee op. Which also meant having to eat the hotel breakfast for two days… ufff.

Anyhow, for now just leaving short snippets of the Aracena Getaway here. More coming up on Bitesize Sevilla. Stay tuned.

aracena getaway!

10 Friday Apr 2026

Posted by in trips, friends, travel, andalucia, getaways, writing, bitesize sevilla

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Excited and nervous. Last time I visited these little piggies in Jabugo was back in 2017, which was also the last time I went to Restaurante Arrieros in nearby Linares de la Sierra. And next week I’m going to do both again, along with quite a few other cool pig-related things. It all started when I ran into Adela & Luismi at Manolo Cateca in January and they told me they were retiring in July and so would be closing Arrieros. I made a mental note that I would have to visit again before then. Then I wrote my All About The Pig article for Bitesize Sevilla and thought a follow-up piece focusing on just jamón would be a good idea, and that I could combine a trip to the Sierra de Aracena to also do some research for the final part of the Bitesize Day Trips series. And THEN I was commissioned by Pellicle Magazine to write a piece on jamón cutters (!!). So aside from visiting Arrieros one last time I also had three articles to research, which (to me anyhow) totally justified taking a trip.

Gonna say it’s been complicated, especially trying to organise transportation (basically impossible to do this trip without a car). But with the help of friends and contacts it finally came together. I’ll be based in Aracena for two nights and during the three days I am there will be visiting my friends at Finca Buenvino, jamón producers in Jabugo and Corteconcepción, restaurants in Linares and Fuenteheridos, along with the Jamón Museum and Gruta de las Maravillas (Cave of Wonders) in Aracena. Stay tuned!