Alongside the river Tormes, this former Dominican monastery was a stopping off point for Columbus before he set out en route to the New World. Now it combines the best facets of a relaxation centre with the fashionable virtues of a wine hotel.

Amid a dramatic landscape of vineyards, the Durius winery is complemented by other facilities: a small hotel with some thirty rooms, some rooms in the vineyards, a restaurant, the Durius River Cafe headed by the internationally renowned chef, Sergi Arola, and Wine Spa & chill out. We recommend the packages organised by the Hacienda, which include accommodation, natural food sampling, exclusive vinotherapy treatments and guided tours of the facilities.