In Spain, the Holy Grail of Ham

• Europe. Meat products such as salami, sausage, fresh pâté and specialty hams such as prosciutto. Fruit such as apples and, from the Mediterranean, oranges. Reeves says he once stopped a man with a bag of live snails he'd brought from Italy -- a definite no-no.

• Africa. Bush meat, whose origin is often unknown to its carriers. "It could be warthog," says Reeves, or some other African-swine-fever-carrying critter. Also, tropical fruits such as guavas and mangoes.

• Asia. Fruits such as mangoes, lychees and longans, which look like big grapes. Most commercially canned meats can come in -- but only if the inspector can determine that the meat was cooked in the can after it was sealed. However, homemade pork and beef are sometimes put into cans and soldered shut, a look Reeves calls "very sophisticated."

• Caribbean, South and Central America. Fruits such as mangoes, guava and hog plums. Those fresh, red coffee berries can't come in either. Yams and root crops, as well as pork, often appear from the Caribbean and Central America.

• Canada. Citrus from other countries. Otherwise, you can bring anything across the border as long as it's Canadian in origin.

For more information on forbidden foodstuffs, check the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Web site, www.aphis.usda.gov/travel, or call 866-SAFGUARD.

-- Lisa Provence

DETAILS

GETTING THERE: Fly into either Madrid or Seville and explore the countryside from those points. US Airways, Spanair and other major carriers fly from Washington to Madrid for about $640 round trip. The flight to Seville, via Madrid or London, starts at about $1,050 round trip.

If you begin in Madrid and want to get to Jabugo, take a train to Seville ($53-$79) and rent a car. (Driving in and around Madrid is not for the faint of heart.) It's about 65 miles to the Jabugo area, and along the way, be sure to take in Cadiz and the sherry capital of Jerez de la Frontera (93 and 60 miles from Seville, respectively).

WHERE TO STAY: The Hotel Galaroza Sierra (Carretera Sevilla-Lisboa, telephone 011-34-959-12-3237), just down the road from Jabugo, has rural Spanish decor with white stucco walls and heavy wooden beams. Its Spartan rooms run around $42 per night in the off-season, and there are four apartments that sleep four for about $60.

In downtown Aracena, about 10 miles from Jabugo, the Hotel Los Castanos (5 Ave. de Huelva, 011-34-959-12-6300) seems luxurious by comparison. A suite is $65 off-season, $75 peak.

In Madrid, splurge at the Tryp Ambassador (Cuesta de Santo Domingo 5-7, 011-34-91-541-6700), the former palace of the Duke of Granada; rates are around $144. If you visit Cadiz, indulge in the Paradores Hotel Atlantico (9 Ave. Duque de Najera, 011-34-95-622-6905) for $100. All rooms have ocean views.

WHERE TO EAT: The best dining around Jabugo is in Aracena. Try Jose Vicente (53 Ave. of Andalusia) for its fresh (not cured) pork. Cafeteria Restaurante Montecruz (Playa de San Pedro) serves great cilantro soup. Stop into the Bar Tapas Sirlache to check out the local scene, including patrons who look like beret-wearing Picassos.

In Madrid, we swooned over the baby eels at La Torre del Oro at the Plaza Mayor. And don't forget to order the grilled snails and Catalan cuisine at La Huerta de Lleida (Cuesta de Santo Domingo 16). El Faro (15 San Felix) enjoys the reputation of the best restaurant in Cadiz, with its tapas menu that includes fried cheese and leeks, and shrimp fritters.

WHAT TO DO: See how jamón is made at one of the 16 companies that bear the Jabugo label. Sanchez Romero Carvajal (its hams are in such demand they're all pre-sold) and the Conservas Jabugo in Aracena offer tours; others were gracious when we showed up at their doors. Beware, no one speaks English in these places.

The region also offers other low-key diversions. The Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena has more than 400,000 acres of local terrain available for hiking, biking and fishing among cork trees, holm oaks and chestnut trees. In Aracena, the Cave of Marvels (Gruta de las Maravillas) has been attracting tourists for centuries, and the 13th-century ruins of El Castillo offer the best views in town.

INFORMATION: Tourist Office of Spain, 212-265-8822, www.okspain.org.

-- Lisa Provence