Once occupied by the Romans, sun drenched Andalusia possesses a distinctive way of life. Heavily influenced by its conquering invaders, the Spanish culture today is known throughout the world. Numerous holidays are celebrated with street parades, each town and village has its own patron saint, many famous painters and sculptors called Spain their home and their history is reflected in their cuisine. It is important to note that each region has its own culture distinguishing it from each other.
September 2021/2022:
Price per person in a double room with 4 participants.
Price per person in a double room with 5 participants.
Single room supplement.
October 2021/2022:
Price per person in a double room with 4 participants.
Price per person in a double room with 5 participants.
Single room supplement.
November 2021/2022:
Price per person in a double room with 4 participants.
Price per person in a double room with 5 participants.
Single room supplement.
Services included:
All transfers and round trips in an air-conditioned minibus
English speaking driver guide from / to Malaga airport
2 nights in a 4 **** hotel in Granada
3 nights in a 4 **** hotel in Seville
2 nights in a 4 **** hotel on the Costa del Sol
7 buffet breakfast
2 buffet dinners at the hotel on the Costa del Sol
All local tours with driver guide
Entrance fees: Granada Alhambra, Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral, Seville Cathedral
Visit a sherry bodega with sherry tasting
All taxes
All toll and road fees
Not included are:
Other meals, drinks and personal expenses
Undeclared services such as luggage carriers etc.
Flights
Other entrance fees
Optional programs
For information and reservations please contact Janice Snider.
Day 1: Arrival in Malaga and drive to Granada
Arrival in Malaga, gateway to the Costa del Sol. Our English speaking driver will be waiting to provide the drive to Granada. The trip leads first through the mountains of Malaga and the narrow valley of the Rio Guadalmedina via Antequera to Granada located at the confluence of four rivers. Overnight at the hotel
Day 2: Granada
We begin our visit of Granada at the Moorish fortress known as the Alhambra, one of the most famous buildings in the country (depending on the opening) or the old town. As in the 13th century, the Kingdom of Granada was created under the Nazarite, the founder Alhamar Ibs Nasr who decided to move his residence in the direct vicinity of the Citadel or Alcazaba. The fort was rebuilt and the construction to building the palace city was mainly completed by his successors Yusuf I and his son Mohammed V. The name Alhama comes from the word “red” and so the Alhambra is also known as the Red Castle. After visiting the Nasrid palace and other highlights of the Alhambra, we proceed to the stunning and tree lined gardens of the Generalife. In the afternoon you will have free time in the old town where you can pass the picturesque3 old town to the caravanserai, the Royal Chapel and the Cathedral. Subsequently, from a vantage point you will have a spectacular view over the extensive work within the underlying peaks of Sierra Nevada and the Arab quarter Albaycin. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Granada/Cordoba/Seville
This morning we drive from Granada to Cordoba for sightseeing where the glorious past is still alive. The past began in 152 BC when the Roman Praetor Claudio Marcelo selected a location for a patrician city and the capital of this part of the Roman Empire. The Islamic history of Cordoba in 711 starts with a month-long siege by al-Rumi Mugit, a general of Tarik. Several years later, the Umayyad Prince Abd al-Rahman I arrived in Cordoba and created al-Andalus as an independent state. From 912, Cordoba was the most splendid city of Europe at that time with more than 1,000 mosques and 800 houses. Already 700 years before London and Paris, the city had street lighting. Also here was the largest library in mediaeval Europe. The Castilian army of Ferdinand III finally conquered the city in 1236. During our city tour we will visit the mosque which was built on the foundations of a Visigoth basilica in 786 and where in 1523, the Catholic Monarchs built a cathedral above. Whomever enters the mosque, appears in an enchanted forest of 850 free-standing columns and red-white-painted arches. Cordoba with its magnificent patios (courtyards)and its masterpieces of Moorish architects, the former Mosque Mezquita resembles the tales of 1001 nights. Continue through the Jewish Quarter to many other highlights of the city. In the late afternoon arrival in Seville. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Visit Seville
Half day visit to Seville. Because of its magnificent Baroque facades and monuments, Seville has a reputation as the most beautiful city in Andalusia and is home of “Carmen”, “Don Juan” and the “Barber of Seville”. Many contrasts dominate the cityscape. History, modernity, progress and tradition reflect the image of this vibrant cultural metropolis. On your city tour you will see the gigantic Cathedral of Santa Maria, the third largest in Europe. The Bell Tower of Seville Cathedral known as the Giralda is next. Built as a minaret during the Almohad Dynasty, it was commissioned in 1171 by Caliph Abu Ya’qub Yusu and in 1176, the mosque was completed except for the minaret. The Giralda was registered in 1987 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Day 5: Day trip from Seville to Cadiz and Jerez
Day 6: Drive from Seville to Ronda and to the Costa del Sol
Day 7: Tour White Villages or Malaga
Day 8: Transfer to the airport