SPANISH ADVENTURE - EXPLORERS AND
CONQUISTADORS ITINERARY:
Day 1 – Arrive Madrid, capital of Spain
Tour begins: The Westin Palace, Madrid at 6:00 PM. You’ll be
met upon arrival at Madrid’s Barajas Airport for an included
transfer to your palatial hotel, The Westin Palace, Madrid, set
right in the center of this historic capital city. Settle in for
an overnight stay and join us for a welcome dinner tonight.
Meals D
Day 2 – Take a walk through history in Toledo
Not far from Madrid sits the magical hilltop town of Toledo,
once the ancient capital of Spain, a favorite riverfront setting
for the painter El Greco and today a national landmark. It’s not
just its history that will inspire visions of 16th-century life.
It’s also a great place to explore, with narrow streets that
twist and turn past great eye-popping, jaw-dropping Gothic
buildings and bakeries that tempt your sweet tooth with brightly
decorated marzipan confections that look too good to eat – well
almost! Spend the morning walking through the pages of history,
before hopping aboard a fast train in Madrid for a ride to
Seville. Meals BLD
Day 3 – Dance the flamenco and dine on tapas
Some say that Seville is the romantic heart of Andalucía,
where images of castanet-clicking gypsies, flower-filled
balconies, flamenco dancers, prancing horses, and colorful
fiestas come alive. That’s a pretty accurate description of the
cultural traditions you’ll experience during your stay, giving
you a real taste of what it is like to live in Andalucía. We’ll
give you an overview of Seville’s enchanting city neighborhoods
on a sightseeing excursion that takes you past tiny squares,
whitewashed houses decked with cascading flowers, Moorish towers
and Gothic cathedrals. Then it’s all aboard a horse-drawn
carriage for a ride down cobblestone streets to the Cathedral –
the largest in Spain – listed in the Guinness Book of Records
for being so big! Be sure to look up to see the Giralda, the
308-foot-high minaret built by the Moors way back in 1184. But
there’s another claim to fame that you might want to know about
this Gothic church – in addition to being the burial sight of
Spanish kings Alfonso X and Ferdinand III, it is also the
alleged tomb of the great explorer Christopher Columbus, who
discovered the New World for Spain in 1492. The word flamenco
actually denotes a way of life in southern Spain, but you’ll
discover its more familiar meaning when you take a flamenco
dance class with a local expert. Dinner tonight introduces
another favorite Spanish pastime as you take a tapas tour,
sampling a variety of tasty Andalucían specialties as you go
from one tapas restaurant to the next along the ancient streets
of Old Seville. Meals BD
Day 4 – Meet those amazing Andalucían horses
You don’t have to be a horse lover to get excited about
today’s visit to one of the most famous equestrian schools in
all of Spain, but we’re pretty sure you’ll be impressed by all
that you see. Located in Jerez de la Frontera, famous for its
locally produced sherry, this school trains some of the most
beautiful horses in the world to dance, mesmerizing audiences
with spinning pirouettes, high-kicking caprioles and more.
You’ll be able to meet these dancing horses up-close in the
stables, watch them perform their amazing choreographed steps
during a show and view memorabilia of their renowned exploits in
the museum. Enjoy free time to explore Seville on your own this
afternoon and evening; there are parks to explore, colorful
squares to discover, monuments to admire and great outdoor cafés
which satisfy everyone’s appetite for fun. Meals BL
Day 5 – Go inside La Mezquita
Centuries of Moorish rule left a permanent imprint on towns
like Córdoba and Granada, two of the very places you’ll visit
today. Your first stop is Córdoba, once the grandest and most
important city in all of Europe, and renowned as a center of
advanced learning in art, architecture and science in the 10th
century. The Moors chose this city as their capital in 711 AD,
building their dazzling monument, La Mezquita, to stand as
testimony to their powerful achievements. After the city fell to
the Spanish King Ferdinand, this world-renowned mosque was
reborn as a Roman Catholic Church. Discover the town’s ancient
sights on a guided walking tour, followed by free time to
explore on your own. Granada is your final destination this
afternoon. The last city to fall from Moorish power, Granada is
wonderland of cultural and scenic treasures, and sits
majestically under the shadow of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada
mountains. Meals BD
Day 6 – Explore a real-life Moorish palace
Moorish rulers lived in Granada for more than seven
centuries before surrendering it to Spanish monarchs in 1492.
But before they relinquished their beloved Arab kingdom, they
built one of the most magnificent palaces on the Continent, the
Alhambra. Take a guided tour with a local expert this morning,
going inside the Royal Palace, always a highlight of any visit,
and strolling through the fountain-filled gardens of the
Generalife. Your royal journey continues during lunch at a
historic hilltop castle in nearby Jaen, home to olive trees by
the thousand, restored Arab baths and ornate churches. Have you
ever heard of the legendary, albeit somewhat delusional,
conquistador Don Quixote? You’ll hear the story of his
adventurous exploits as we drive to Consuegra en route to
Madrid, showing you where Don Quixote jousted with windmills
that he presumed were giant invaders! Spend the next two nights
in Madrid, where more Spanish adventures await. Meals BL
Day 7 – See treasures in museums, palaces & stadiums
Once you see the different treasures of Spain’s capital
city, you’ll probably agree that Madrid is also the capital of
cool. Your day starts with a guided visit to the Museo del Prado,
just a short walk from your hotel. With more than 7,000
paintings from all over the world, the museum offers art for
every style and taste. Look for works by Spain’s most famous
painters: El Greco, who loved to paint the sights of Toledo;
Francisco de Goya, whose work includes the grotesque “black
paintings”; and the incomparable Diego Velazquez, whose use of
light in his paintings is amazing. A city sightseeing tour
brings you to the Royal Palace for a look inside and to the
Plaza Mayor, bustling with cafés and shops. Soccer fans will
cherish a visit to the 75,000-seat Real Madrid stadium, hosting
games of international proportions. Say adios to Spain at our
farewell dinner tonight, highlighted by an electrifying “night
lights” drive through Madrid. Meals BD
Day 8 – Journey home
Tour ends: Madrid, Spain. A transfer from The Westin Palace,
Madrid to Madrid’s Barajas Airport is included. Allow a minimum
of 2 1⁄2 hours for flight check-in. Meals B
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