Portillo's Andalucia

In this episode, Michael visits the ancient city of Cordoba which sits 100 miles from Malaga, and the Costa del Sol in the north of Andalucía.

As well as being the second biggest city in the region, it's also one of Michael's favourites and is a place he likes more with every visit. For Michael, Cordoba tells a story of the mixtures and layers of civilisations that have influenced what it is to be Andalucian today: Roman, Muslim, and Christian.

Michael crosses the river on a Roman bridge before entering Cordoba's Mesquita, a stunning building considered to be one of the world's greatest Islamic buildings, which is also now home to a huge Catholic cathedral. Cordoba is also one of the hottest cities in Europe and Michael visits a family keeping their courtyard cool and beautiful by using a Roman technique: six hundred pot plants all being watered every day reduces the courtyard's temperature by an astonishing seven degrees centigrade.

For lunch, Michael helps cook in a restaurant that draws on the city's history, serving up dishes which have their roots in the cultures that shaped it. The area surrounding the city is home to 70 million olive trees which produce a staggering 80% of Spain's olive oil and nearly 30% of the world's. As Michael discovers, the increasingly hot and dry summers are hitting oil production, but he meets a farmer going back in time in the hope of solution.

On his return to Cordoba, Michael goes in search of a snack and finds what could be Spain's biggest tortilla, made from 30 eggs and seven kilos of potatoes.

In this episode, Michael is in Huelva on the border with Portugal. Lesser known to the Brits, Huelva attracts holidaying Spaniards in their droves, coming to enjoy its quieter beaches and reputation for quality food.

Michael starts in the town of Isla Cristina, home to the busiest fishing port in Andalucía and famous for its sought-after white prawns. Here he gets a lesson in the ancient art of net mending and tours the bustling market with Ramon, on the hunt for fish for his restaurant and Michael's lunch.

Next he stops off in Huelva city, where he follows in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus visiting the monastery where Columbus lived as he prepared for his journey to the Americas. Michael continues his journey heading inland to the spectacular mines of the Rio Tinto and discovers the strange the Bella Vista estate. Built by the British mining company in the 19th century, it brings a touch of Victorian Surrey to Spain.

Continuing into the province Michael arrives in the town of Aracena and then underground to the stunning Grutas de Marbellas. He learns how these spectacular caves, formed millions of years ago, lay undiscovered for centuries despite having the town built on top.

After a night in a converted convent Michael ends his trip discovering the secrets of Jamon Iberico, the region's famous aged ham. With brothers Domingo and Manolo, Michael encounters the wild pigs that hunt for the acorns that give them their incredible taste, and travels through the aging cellars surrounded by thousands of ham legs, before getting a lesson from a professional ham carver.

In this episode, Michael ventures to Andalucía's wild Atlantic coast, to explore Europe's oldest inhabited city, Cádiz, before heading inland to the world capital of sherry: Jerez. His visit coincides with two major festivals: the finale of the annual Tall Ships race and the annual sherry grape harvest festival.

Michael's journey begins aboard an 80-metre long tall ship, the Cuauhtemoc, owned by the Mexican navy and used to train its officer cadets, where he learns how the ships are rigged, before taking part in an exercise to hoist the mainsail by responding to a series of whistles.

For lunch he joins local historian and guide Pilar for some classic Cádiz tapas: Tortillitas de Camerones, shrimp fritters, and Chicharrones de Cadiz, razor thin slices of pork belly. Michael learns that Cádiz was founded by the Phoenicians 3000 years ago when the city was divided by a channel, and that an ancient dry dock has been discovered where the channel once ran.

In the thousands of years since, the city has been a major Roman port, the origins of Columbus's second voyage to the Americas, and one of the richest cities in Spain with a monopoly on trade with the New World in the 18th century. Michael's hotel for the night is in the former sumptuous mansion of one of those 18th century traders, with fine views over the Gulf of Cádiz.

His second day begins with a trip to Jerez where he takes part in the grand final of the city's sherry tasting competition before learning why Jerez is also the centre of one of the region's most iconic art forms: flamenco guitar. Michael then visits a sherry-bodegas in the heart of the city, home to 25,000 barrels of sherry wine. He learns why these towering storage spaces, known as Cathedral Bodegas, have been designed to age sherry in constant temperatures and humidity, during the fierce Andalusian summers.

His journey ends in Spain's largest tidal wetland where, for thousands of years, artisanal salt producers have harvested sea-salt, rich in minerals, from the salt marshes. He visits the last remaining artisanal salt-producer, and helps harvest the most refined sea-salt from the water's surface, known as flor de sal (flower of salt) which isn't used for cooking but as a "finisher" to boost the flavour of the food before it is served.

Michael's journey ends with him tasting local tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and flor de sal, and hearing how this family business hopes to keep the tradition alive well into the future.

Michael finishes his tour in Sevilla where he visits the city cathedral, meeting up with his friend Adolfo, in search of an iconic Spanish hat. On day two he tries his hand at Phoenician glasswork, before meeting Rocio, one of Spain's few female bullfighters. He then travels home to the town of Carmona where he throws a homecoming party with his friends.