One of the pleasures of walking in Andalucía is stopping at a village bar for tapas. It's part of everyday life here and, for many people joining one of my walking holidays, it becomes one of the unexpected highlights of the week.

Unlike a restaurant meal, tapas are informal. More often than not, we'll find a table beneath a large sombrero outside a village bar. A cold drink arrives, a few small dishes appear on the table and, before long, everyone is deciding which one to try first.

No two stops are ever quite the same. The tapas available depend on the village, the season and often whatever has been cooked that morning. Some bars specialise in traditional stews, others are known for fresh fish or local cured meats, while many have their own house specialities that you'll only find there.

During your holiday, we'll stop at several different bars and cafés, each with its own character. They all become part of the walking experience, giving us the chance to relax, chat about the morning's walk and enjoy a glimpse of everyday life in rural Andalucía.

What Exactly Is a Tapa?

Nobody knows for certain where tapas originated, and several stories try to explain how they got their name. One popular explanation is that a slice of bread or ham was placed over a glass to keep out dust and flies. Another is that small salty dishes encouraged customers to stay a little longer and order another drink. Whatever the true story, tapas have become one of Spain's best-loved culinary traditions.

Today, tapas are simply small portions of food served alongside a drink or ordered to share. That's exactly how we'll usually enjoy them during your holiday, with several dishes in the middle of the table for everyone to try. They can be as simple as a few slices of jamón serrano, local cheese or olives, or as substantial as a slow-cooked meat stew, grilled fish or freshly prepared seafood.

When we stop at a village bar, there'll usually be several tapas to choose from. Some you'll recognise immediately, while others may be completely new. You never quite know what the kitchen has prepared that morning, and that's all part of the experience.

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Village Bars and Local Specialities

One of the things you'll soon notice is that tapas aren't the same everywhere. Every village has its own favourite dishes, and every bar its own specialities. In many places, the menu changes from one day to the next.

Some tapas appear regularly throughout Andalucía. Jamón serrano, local cheeses, olives and ensaladilla rusa are all common favourites, while dishes such as salmorejo, espinacas con garbanzos or slow-cooked pork stews are often found in village bars. If we're walking closer to the coast, you may also find fresh fish, calamari or prawns appearing on the bar.

One of the nicest things about stopping for tapas is that there's always something new to discover. Even after all these years, I still enjoy spotting a dish on the bar that I've never tried before. Sometimes it's a recipe that's been served in that village for generations, while on other occasions it's simply the cook's own speciality.

That's one of the reasons I never like to promise exactly what we'll be eating. Part of the enjoyment comes from seeing what the kitchen has prepared that morning and choosing something that catches your eye.

Coastal or Inland?

Over the years, I've noticed a real difference between stopping for tapas on the coast and stopping in the smaller villages inland. Neither is better than the other, but they do offer a different experience.

Along the coast, many bars and restaurants serve a full menu throughout the day. With visitors arriving from all over the world, it's natural that many prefer to choose exactly what they'd like to eat.

Inland, particularly in the smaller villages we visit on our walks, tapas remain a much bigger part of everyday life. Many bars have a selection of freshly prepared dishes, with favourites appearing on the counter as lunchtime approaches. Some are available every day, while others might only appear once or twice a week.

It's also where you're most likely to discover something you've never tried before. I still remember being offered a simple tapa of fresh bread, local cheese and marmalade in the village of Periana. I'll admit I wasn't convinced at first, but it turned out to be absolutely delicious. Since then, I've never been quite so quick to judge what arrives on the plate.

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A Favourite Stop – Bar El Campillo

If I had to choose one bar that captures the spirit of tapas in rural Andalucía, it would probably be Bar El Campillo, just outside the village of Riogordo.

At first glance, it isn't the sort of place you might expect to stop. It's attached to a petrol station, with a handful of tables outside and local farmers often enjoying a coffee or a quick tapa before heading back to work. It's the sort of place many people would drive straight past without giving it a second glance.

Step inside, though, and it's a different story.

The long counter is filled with tapas that change throughout the day. There might be cured meats and local cheeses, fresh salads, seafood, slow-cooked pork, homemade stews or one of the daily specials prepared that morning. You simply look along the counter, see what catches your eye and point to the dishes you'd like to try.

I've been stopping here for years, and one of the reasons I enjoy bringing people is that it always feels authentic. Attached to a petrol station, just outside Riogordo, it probably isn't where you'd expect to find one of my favourite places to stop for tapas. Yet Luis and Toni have created somewhere that's friendly, unpretentious and serves good, honest food prepared fresh each day for the people who live locally.

Like so many of the bars we visit, Bar El Campillo reminds me that some of the best places are often the ones you would never have found on your own.

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Looking Forward to Your First Tapas Stop

By the time you arrive in Andalucía, I hope you'll be looking forward to your first tapas stop as much as your first walk. They're both part of the experience.

Some days we'll stop in a busy village square, while on others, we'll find ourselves in a small bar that you'd probably never have discovered on your own. Wherever we are, the welcome is usually warm, the food freshly prepared, and there's always a good chance you'll try something for the first time.

If you've never tried tapas before, don't worry about ordering the "right" thing. I'll happily make a few suggestions, and before long you'll probably be pointing at something you've never heard of and wondering why you haven't tried it before.

That's one of the pleasures of walking in Andalucía. Every day brings something a little different, and sometimes the memories that stay with you longest are created around a table beneath a large sombrero, sharing good food after a morning on the trails.