Spanish Ole with Lisbon

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:   Arrival. Transfer to the hotel.
Welcome to Europe!!!.   On arrival at the airport we shall be waiting to transfer you to the hotel.  You can enjoy free time until your tour starts, information about the meeting place and start time can be found on the information boards in the hotel reception area. 

IMPORTANT - IF YOU REQUESTED ADDITIONAL NIGHTS on arrival at the hotel you will have your booking made but the guide of your trip will normally not arrive until the start of the included activities. YOUR TIME BEFORE THIS MOMENT IS THEREFORE FREE. At your hotel they can help you with all the information you need.  

NB:   The schedules you will find in this itinerary are approximate. The guide, depending on the situation and in order to improve the development of the circuit, may adjust the schedules.    

Total distance covered: 460 km.
 
Scenery:  Plains in Castile; spectacular mountain scenery crossing the Cantabrian Range. 
Note: If there are fewer than five travellers from Madrid to Leon, this section may be done by high-speed train. In this case, you will be offered transfer to the railway station, but the trip will be made without a guide (you will meet our main group from Galicia in Leon). In this case, the stop in Tordesillas would be cancelled.    

08.30 hrs. - Madrid - Departure -. (the time may change slightly depending on the hotels). We travel through Castilla y León, passing through the Guadarrama mountains and over the plains of Castile. 
10.45 hrs.- Tordesillas. - Arrival in this small town where in the 15th century the treaty was signed that divided America between Spain and Portugal.  Time for a coffee in its Plaza Mayor.    

11.45 hrs.- Tordesillas. Departure.   
13:30 hrs. -Leon.- Time for lunch and to stroll around this historic capital of Leon, which stands on the Way of St James. Its Gothic cathedral stands out with its magnificent stained glass windows. 

16:45 hrs. -León.- Departure -. Magnificent scenery on our trip to Asturias.  
18:30 hrs. .- Oviedo  - Arrival -. We include (sometimes, depending on the year, on the Tuesday morning) a one and a half hour tour of the city with a local guide. We will see the 9th-century cathedral, the Calatrava palace, the Campoamor theatre, and the Calle de la Rúa. Night in the capital of the Principality of Asturias. A city with a great atmosphere.

Total distance covered: 260 km.
 
Countryside:  Very beautiful scenery: mountains, views of the sea, little villages scattered along the way.   

08:30 hrs Oviedo -departure from the capital of Asturias. 
09:45 hrs.-Covadonga.  - Time to see the sanctuary pinned between mountains, the place where the Reconquista of Spain began. 

10:45 hrs.- Covadonga -departure. The green mountains blend with the sea. Beautiful scenery along the way. 
12:30 hrs.- Santillana.  -Arrival. Time in this beautiful mediaeval village, its stone streets, its blazoned houses, the Collegiate. Time to have a stroll and for lunch. In the vicinity we will see  (tickets included) the Museum of the Caves of Altamira , a reproduction of the fantastic rock paintings preserved here. 

16.00 hrs.- Santillana/Altamira-departure. 
16:30 hrs.- Santander –  Arrival in the regional capital, a maritime city with impressive views between mountains and beaches.  We include a  panoramic tour  of a little over 2 hours with a local guide to discover this elegant coastal city and its beautiful bay. During the tour, we will stroll around the Pereda Gardens, we will climb to the Centro Botín and reached the Cathedral Square. Then, in the bus, we will continue to the Magdalena Peninsular, the Sardinero Beaches, the Grand Casino, Piquío Gardens and climb to the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse for the beautiful views of the city and its spectacular cliffs.  

Arrival at a hotel at around 18:45 hrs   


NOTE:  On some high difficulty dates (especially in summer from May to mid September), some groups can be accommodated in Bilbao.

Total distance covered: 445 km.
 
Countryside:  Great views over the sea, mountains and green scenery.    

09.00 hrs.- Santander -departure. Magnificent scenery. Travel to the Basque Country.   
10:30 hrs.- Bilbao.  -Arrival, we are in the largest city of the Basque Country. On arrival, we include a  funicular ride up to the Artxanda viewpoint  for a great view of the whole city. After this, with a  local guide, we will make a short tour of the city:  the Guggenheim area, Old Quarter, Cathedral, etc.  at the end of the tour there will also be time to try one of the famous “pintxos” and have lunch.   

14:15 hrs – Bilbao. Departure- . We travel to la Rioja, and the lands known for their wines. 
15:45 hrs - Wine Culture Winery Museum.  - In the small town of Briones, we visit this fantastic museum/winery where we can discover the universe of wine, from the vine growing to the production of the wine itself with its rich historic legacy. We include a visit and a wine tasting. 

17.00 hrs - Wine Museum - Departure - 
17:30 hrs - Santo Domingo de la Calzada.  The picturesque historic town on the Way of St James. A hen lives in its cathedral, reminding us of an ancient legend.   

18:30 hrs- Santo Domingo de la Calzada -Departure- We travel to Aragón.  
21.00 hrs - Zaragoza  - Arrival - Accommodation.  Dinner included.

Total distance covered: 360 km.
  
Countryside:  Semi desert land in Aragon. Pleasant scenery in Catalonia.    

After breakfast, we make a  tour of Zaragoza with a local guide , lasting around two hours. On our visit, we will see the Pilar Basilica, the Cathedral; we will talk about the painter Goya and see some of his works and will also visit a Roman theatre, Renaissance palace and strolled past the Arab palace of the Aljafería. After this, free time to stroll and have lunch.   

14.00 hrs -Zaragoza. - Departure.   
16:30 hs - Monastery of Poblet. - Entrance and tour included  to this monastery surrounded by its walls, in a very beautiful site. This is one of the best preserved mediaeval monasteries in the world.   

17:30 hrs -Monastery of Poblet. - Departure. - We cross rich agricultural regions of central Catalonia. We go to the beautiful area where the Benedictine Abbey stands. We climb to the summit in a  small rack train  to admire the fantastic views.    

18:45 hrs -Monastery of Montserrat.  - Arrival. - Time to admire the views and visit the sanctuary where we find the Virgin of Montserrat, patron saint of Catalonia.  

19:45 hrs -Montserrat. - Departure (by road).  
20:45 hrs- Barcelona . - Arrival. 

Important note:  In the winter months, from November until March (included), due to the shorter days, we will not visit the Monastery of Poblet (in order to reach Montserrat in the daylight).

Highlights: Barcelona Guided tour lasting 3 hours; visit to “Poble Espanyol”, with admission included; transfer to Plaza de Cataluña and the Ramblas. 

09:00h.- Tour of the city with a local guide ( note: if the group has fewer than fifteen people, explanations can be given by our guide) who will tell us about this exciting city on the shores of the Mediterranean. We will visit the city’s historic central area with its Gothic neighborhood dating back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the area where the Olympic Games took place.  It will be possible to see and photograph La Sagrada Familia basilica; the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudí.  

Subsequently, we include the entry ticket to  “Poble Espanyol ” (meaning, Spanish Village), an open-air museum that combines the art, traditions, architecture, arts and crafts and folklore of each of the Spanish regions. Time for lunch. Free afternoon.   

18:30h.- Transfer  to Plaza de Cataluña and the Ramblas , the heart of the city, where there are many restaurants where you can dine. Return to hotel.

Total distance: 375km 
Highlights: Visit Peniscola, sightseeing of Valencia. Evening transfer.
Scenery: Picturesque towns on the Mediterranean coast.   

08:00h Barcelona – Departure for the Region of Valencia. 
10:45h Peñiscola – Our guide will tell you about this tiny walled city on the sea shore, which has an interesting history. We will visit the fishing harbour, the castle and the beach and spend some free time.

12:30h Peñiscola – Departure for Valencia. 
14:30 h Valencia – Arrival and time for lunch. In the afternoon, with a  local guide we will include a visit  to the third largest Spanish city that mixes the modern with the historical. We will  know its historic center, the fish market, the cathedral and also the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences.  The most important modern tourist site in the city. 


18:00h- Evening transfer to the Bullring area. In this area you will have time to dine in line with your preferences (Spanish, Indian, International, etc) . Return to hotel about 21.00 hrs.

Total distance: 536 km  
Scenery: Presence of the sea. Fertile orchards and semi -deserts. Mountains in Andalucia.   

08.30 hrs- Valencia – We set out for the Region of Alicante.
10.45 hrs- Alicante - Time to stroll in this active and very pleasant city by the sea.

14.00 hrs- Alicante departure- After lunch we go on our way to the Murcia region.
16.00 hrs- Caravaca  – Free time to visit this small town, considered a Holy City by the Roman Catholic Church. Its church holds a relic of Christ’s Cross. We include a ride up to the historic area on the tourist train .

17.00 hrs- Caravaca – We leave the city and pass through beautiful Andalusian scenery.  
20.30 hrs Granada –  Arrival at the end of the day.

Highlights: Visit to the Alhambra. Night transfer.

A full day in GRANADA and guided tour of the Alhambra and the Gardens of the Generalife (admission included). This is an important work built during the period when the Muslims ruled Granada. 
Free afternoon.

At the end of the day enjoy an  evening transfer to the Albaicín of Granada , a World Heritage site along with the Alhambra, where you can enjoy dinner in a restaurant  in the narrow winding streets of this captivating Medieval Moorish quarter. Return to hotel. Tonight you have the option to attend a flamenco dance show and the traditional neighborhood of Sac­ramonte.

Note: In the Alhmabra complex, the Nazari palaces allow a limited number of people in at a time. Sometimes your visit may be in the afternoon, depending on the timetables in which we are allowed in. In the highly improbable case of not being able to visit this area of the Alhambra, a visit to the Alcázares, which have similar architecture and features,  will be included in Seville

Total distance:  400 km 
Scenery: Mediterranean and mountain scenery.   

08:00h Granada – We set out for the Costa del Sol. 
10.00 hrs- Málaga - Arrival and time for a stroll in the historic centre with its cathedral and the Picasso Museum. 

11:30h.- We will leave Malaga and continue along the coastal motorway with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. 
12.30 hrs. - Arrival at Puerto Banus, in Marbella , a pretty high level recreational port. Time to stroll on the marina, with its cosmopolitan, luxurious atmosphere. 

15.00h Marbella – We leave for the mountains, which was once overrun by bandolliers. 
16.30 h Ronda – Arrival at the “White City”, located in a magnificent natural setting with its large gorge that divides it in two. Time to explore.

18:00h Ronda – Continuation to Seville.
20:00h Seville – Arrival at the end of the afternoon. 

Highlights:   Guided visit with local expert in Seville.  Boat trip along the river Guadalquivir.   Evening transfer.


After breakfast, a local expert guides you through a scenic visit of Sevilla (if the English-speaking group is fewer than fifteen people, the tour can be conducted in both English and Spanish). Lasting one hour and a half featuring the Cathedral and the Giralda, Plaza de España, the beautiful banks of the river Guadalquivir, the Golden Tower, the districts of Santa Cruz and Triana, the Maestranza Bullring, and Cartuja Island. After the tour, we will include a  boat trip along the river Guadalquivir , enjoying the panoramic views from the boat. Enjoy leisure time straight afterwards or the tours to the Cathedral or the Flamenco Show that will be offered  as optionals by your guide. 

At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area ( calle Alfonso XII) where many different restaurants can be found. You can choose your favorite cuisine: Indian, Halal, Chinese, Spanish, International and so on.  Return to the hotel.

Total distance: 495km  
Scenery: : Attractive landscapes of white villages, mountain ranges, castles en route. 
Note: In Portugal we must set our watches back one hour.   

08.30 hrs.- Seville- – departure-. We travel to the west of Andalusia. Pleasant landscapes en route.
 
10.00 hrs.- Rabida Monastery – We visit ( entrance included) this Franciscan monastery  where Christopher Columbus got help to start his journey. We will know the monastery.  After the monastery we will visit the Caravels Museum, an open air museum located in Palos de la Frontera, the port from where he embarked on his voyage, where there are replicas of the caravels with which Columbus left for the Americas.

12.15 hrs.- Palos de la Frontera. We leave Andalusia to set out for Portugal. We enter the Algarve region and continue between mountains towards the interior of the country.
  13.15 (14.15h. in Spain)- Mertola . We stop in this picturesque white city, old Muslim population. Its present church was once a mosque. Time for lunch.

14.45 hrs.- Mertola. Departure. We travel through the Alentejo region.
16.30 hrs. - Évora. – Arrival. To the capital of the Alentejo, one of the oldest cities in Portugal with its wide streets, its Renaissance policies and its cathedral, a city declared by Unesco World Heritage. We include entrance to the Chapel of the Bones built with 5000 skeletons.

18.30 hrs. - Évora. -departure. 
20.00 hrs. – Lisbon. Arrival.

Highlights-  Comprehensive tour of Lisbon. Night transfer to Restauradores Square.

09:00h. - Start of our  tour with a local guide  (explanations may be given by our guide if the group has fewer than 12 people). We visit traditional neighborhoods, which take in the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the fifteen century.  We shall look round the Monument to the Discoveries, Belem Tower and to the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. 
The afternoon is free so that you can explore this great city independently.


18:00h.- At the end of the afternoon, we include transportation to  Restauradores Square  , full of atmosphere with its bars and cafes from where you can take the "Elevador da Gloria" (not included) that brings you to the Upper district and its viewpoint of San Pedro with beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto. Return to hotel.

After breakfast, end of our services.