Experiences that only insider’s can deliver: Spain –A Wine Wonder – Culinary, History “Gain entry to the winery and palace of the Marqués de Legarda in La Rioja, which has some of the oldest cellars in Spain. The owner is a descendant of El Cid, and his seventeenth-century palace houses family treasures, books, and paintings.”

Conde Nast Traveler,
(December 2007)

Experiences that only insider’s can deliver: Spain – Tile Talent – The Arts, Local Traditions “Take a private class in ceramic-tile painting with Esperanza Romero, whose pieces are frequently exhibited in Spain and abroad. Granada's tradition of ceramics dates back to Moorish times, and Romero will help you choose among the brightly colored geometric designs, guide your technique, and glaze your pieces.”

Conde Nast Traveler,
(December 2007)

“Don’t miss Prado’s director suggestions for a Goya-centered tour … Book a tour through Made for Spain.”

Travel & Leisure,
(October 2007)

Virginia Irurita, Made for Spain, Madrid, Spain – Spain Top Travel Specialist “With this native's connections, you'll see private wineries, stay in a palace in Seville, and get a personal lecture on Gaudi from a professor in Barcelona. Most tourists visit Madrid's Rastro flea market on weekends, but Irurita will tell you that the best-quality items appear during the week.”

Conde Nast Traveler,
(August 2007)

“A Madrid-based travel company, Made for Spain, helped Mr. Stern put together a series of events that started at a five-star inn on the Costa Brava, and included cooking lessons in Barcelona, dinner on the Rioja wine estate of a Spanish marquis and ended on a private balcony overlooking the running of the bulls in Pamplona. To get the group around, Made for Spain provided a small bus along with a driver and guide.”

New York Times,
(June 17, 2007)

“Made for Spain was founded by Madrid native Virginia Irurita, a former event planner, who uses her connections with Spain’s socialites to arrange style-driven excursions. Among the highlights: tours of Madrid’s boutiques led by designer Lorenzo Caprile and walks through the city’s hidden antiques stores with Mercedes Urquijo, a Spanish aristocrat with her own furniture shop.”

Travel & Leisure,
(May 2007)

Secret Sagrada: Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Sagrada Familia, the cathedral designed by Antonio Gaudí in the 1880s and still unfinished. The building's stark, angular Nativity and glass-and-tile towers make it the most memorable feature of Barcelona's skyline. Construction is expected to continue until at least 2026, the hundredth anniversary of the artist's death. A Gaudí academic will show you around the architects' offices, sculptors' and artisans' workshops, and construction areas during working hours.

“The Fabulous 50” Conde Nast Traveler Magazine,
(December 2006)

But for some travelers, money isn’t the issue; it’s getting exactly what you want, when you want it. As Rozanne Silverwood of Reston, Va., says of her family’s recent two weeks with local operator Made for Spain: “It was a dream trip in every way. Our guides were superb, and drivers made the experience a vacation rather than a headache. They even managed to engage our three teenage daughters in the local culture—now that’s really saying something.”

National Geographic Traveler,
(September 2006)

“Check out Made for Spain which offers customized itineraries that might include horseback riding, painting or cooking workshop.”

Travel Agent,
(May 2006)

Toros in Training: Learn how fighting bulls are bred. The Count de la Maza's family has been raising bulls on his 7,000-acre ranch outside Seville since 1910, and his daughter will tell you the legends and secrets of their way of life. After a tour of the ranch, you'll join the family for a tapas lunch that includes many ingredients right from the estate's garden.

“The Fabulous 50” Conde Nast Traveler Magazine,
(December 2005)

Dance of the Gypsies: Learn flamenco from a professional dancer in Granada. The private lesson takes place in a cave that was inhabited by gypsies, the originators of flamenco, as far back as the fifteenth century—the ideal setting for this dance. Tapas, sangria, and live guitar and drum accompaniment will keep your feet moving.

“The Fabulous 50” Conde Nast Traveler Magazine,
(December 2005)

The Guardian of Barcelona: Meet Barcelona's most important living architect and restorer, Josan Bassegoda, who is responsible for much of the city's building preservation and is happy to discuss modernism, Gothic and Romanesque architecture, and of course Antonio Gaudí. Join the professor in his office, which is strewn with art books, the artifacts of his work, and original Guadí manuscripts. Afterward, another local art historian or architect will guide you on a three-hour tour of Gaudí's Sagrada Familia and Park Güell.

“The Fabulous 50” Conde Nast Traveler Magazine,
(December 2005)

While Spain is a family-centered culture—it's common for generations to live together or near each other—it isn't child-centered. There are no such things as children's menus. “Kids menus! You Americans are crazy!” Virginia Irurita, owner of Made for Spain, a Madrid-based luxury tour operator, had said, laughing, when I asked her about it. “Children eat what we eat, of course!”

Child magazine,
(June/July 2005)

“In Spain, as in the rest of the world, it helps to have friends in the right places. That’s what Madrid-based Made for Spain has to offer.”

Food & Wine,
(February 2005)

“Made for Spain is by far the city’s best-connected bespoke travel agents.”

Wallpaper Navigator,
(Summer 2004)

“Spanish Passport “Any travel company can arrange tours”, says Alonso Alvarez de Toledo, cofounder of the Madrid travel specialist Made for Spain. “We connect our clients with people we know”. And Toledo and partner, Virginia Irurita know everyone...”

Departures,
(September 2004)

"Madrid is opening up" says Alonso Alvarez de Toledo, co-owner of Made for Spain, a Madrid-based bespoke tour specialist

Departures,
(July/August 2005)