DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN MALAGA Flight to Malaga. On arrival a coach will take you to your hotel. The four-star Puerta del Sol Hotel is ideally situated in undulating countryside near the village of Mijas, has a swimming pool and is set in its own grounds.
DAY 2 - RONDA This morning after breakfast we take the drive into the beautiful hills which form the stunning backdrop to the coast and then arrive in Ronda, widely acknowledged as one of the most spectacularly located cities in Spain. It is built on a ridge and split by a most impressive gorge below, and because of its almost impregnable position Ronda was one of the last Moorish bastions of power, only falling to the Christians in 1485. The two halves of the town are joined by a massive eighteenth century stone bridge. In the town itself, there is a palace to see which was once home to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella – paymasters of Columbus. With lots of good restaurants and tapas bars it is a splendid spot to spend a few hours exploring its classic maze of cobbled alleys, window grilles and dazzling whitewashed houses. We then arrive in Seville and our hotel for the
next three nights, the three star superior Don Paco. It is very well situated on the edge of the Old Town on one of Seville’s many squares, is fully air-conditioned and has a rooftop swimming pool.
DAY 3 - SEVILLE Seville defies words. It is simply one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with a history spanning the centuries and a wealth of monuments and buildings coupled with extensive peaceful parks with the serene River Guadalquivir flowing through the centre. It has its origins in Roman times: the Emperor
Hadrian, builder of the famous wall came from here. During the 8th Century that most fascinating of peoples, the Moors arrived, stayed for 500 years and left a unique legacy still in evidence today. However, if one event changed Seville, it was the discovery of the New World. Indeed Christopher Columbus is fittingly buried in the imposing Cathedral. Immense wealth poured in from the Empire and catapulted Seville into one of the largest, and certainly richest cities in Europe. Today Seville has a unique and captivating spirit:
the city of Figaro is here, the setting for the classic opera Carmen, and it’s the home of Flamenco, the origins of which are lost in the eons of time. In short, this is real Spain at its unspoilt best. After breakfast we have a tour of this fascinating
city, during which we will see the world’s largest Gothic Cathedral, the fantastic Alcazar - the fortified palace of the Moors with a richness of decoration which will astound you, the Tower of Gold, so named as it was used to store the plunder from the Americas, plus much more. During the afternoon you are free to explore Seville at your leisure, and if you wish, you could take a cruise on one of the many river boats.
DAY 4 - FREE DAY IN SEVILLE Today we have a free day. There are the ‘musts’ such as the Alcazar and the Cathedral but take time to wander around the Barrio Santa Cruz – the medieval Jewish quarter and the smart pedestrianised Sierpes full of beautiful shops selling high quality leather goods. The Maria Luisa Park is a beautiful display of colour where you can watch the locals relaxing.
DAY 5 - CORDOBA After breakfast we leave Seville arriving midmorning in Cordoba for our guided tour. Cordoba was the ancient capital of the Moors and is principally famous for a single building – The Mezquita – the grandest and
most beautiful mosque ever constructed in the Moorish World. It stands in the centre of the Old Town which was once home to a thriving Jewish community. Stay as long as you can, it is a building of extraordinary power and mystery. One can only wonder at the architectural brilliance of the builders all those hundreds of years ago, whilst northern Europe was immersed in the depths of the dark ages. Another feature of Cordoba is the immense
Roman bridge. We then continue our journey to the greatest city in Andalucia, Granada home to what can only be described as one of the world’s greatest buildings – the Alhambra Palace. We pass through some very arid countryside with a landscape of dried riverbeds, giving way to rolling olive groves. In the distance is the Sierra Nevada – the highest mountain range in Spain and snow-capped throughout the year, providing a spectacular backdrop. Our hotel for the next two nights is either the
four-star centrally-located Hotel Corona, in the heart of the city, or the four star well located Hotel Alixares, and actually opposite the Alhambra, both fully air-conditioned and ideal for a comfortable stay.
DAY 6 - GRANADA & THE ALHAMBRA Granada itself has one of the world’s most naturally dramatic locations, nestling below the snow-capped mountains soaring majestically to a height of 11,000 feet. It is the perfect setting for a perfect monument – the extraordinary Alhambra: so individual in its setting, so rich in its history and so perfect in its design. This was the high point in Moorish culture. It is not just a palace though, some of it is a fortress, and much is given over to some exquisite formal gardens full of roses and fountains, giving an incredible impression of peace and tranquillity. Today we will have a guided tour of this classic
building which for many people will be the highlight of the holiday, and you will have time to explore the city as you wish. Full of tiny unique shops, with seemingly every balcony sprouting flowers in a profusion of colour adding a finishing touch to the whole scene. There can be nothing better than taking a stroll through these streets, unchanged for centuries some of them so small, they were designed for mules with the pavements made of pebbles set into mortar. Granada also boasts some of the most distinctive
old bars in Spain, many of them lined with antique tiles where taking a drink and a few tapas can be an excuse for a unique experience.
DAY 7 - RETURN FLIGHT Today the coach will take us to Malaga airport at the appropriate time, transfer time approximately two hours, to take our return flight home after a really memorable tour.
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