Comprehensive Spain
From the Great Plateau to Costa Del Sol to Barcelona
Madrid – Cordoba - Seville – Granada – Costa Del Sol – Valencia – Barcelona Tour JT110

Day 1  Overnight flight to Madrid, Spain.

Day 2  Madrid. Arrive and transfer to our centrally located hotel. Sample our first taste of the Spanish way of life on a walking tour of the hotel vicinity. Our friendly guide will tell us about currency, customs, language and more.

Day 3  Madrid. We will enjoy a tour of the Capital City of Spain. See the Cervantes Memorial and Puerta del Sol. This is a city of magnificent museums of which the Prado is the center-piece. Masterpieces here include creations by Goya, El Greco, Velazquez, Murillo, Riber, Rubens and Titian. See priceless collections of goldsmiths art, enamels and coins. The Royal Palace is lavishly decorated and features 800 tapestries. The nearby botanical gardens feature 30,000 plants from all over the world. Wow! For schools who wish to spend an extra day we recommend a day trip to Toledo & Escorial (burial sight ((Pantheon)) for most Spanish Kings).

Day 4  Cordoba and Seville. Depart this morning for Cordoba. Our tour guide shows us the Aljama Mosque, built in 987 AD by the Moors. Visit the Jewish Quarter and then depart for the short 2 hour drive to Seville.

Day 5  Seville. Today we tour Seville. See La Giralda, and visit the largest Gothic Cathedral anywhere. Seville's magnificent Cathedral was a hundred years in construction. You will never forget it. Visit the Santa Cruz Quarter, Spanish Square and Maria Luisa Park. See the spot where the myth of Don Juan originated.

Day 6  Our motor coach delivers us south through pretty villages to Ronda. Ronda is of Celtic origin and it is here we see the Tajo with stunning panoramas of the valley and mountain ranges. This afternoon we continue to the sunny and ever popular Costa Del Sol. Arrive in Torremolinos, Benalmadena or Malaga.

Day 7  We have some free time to enjoy the wonderful beaches before traveling via the plains of La Mancha towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains into Moorish Granada. Granada was the last stronghold of the Moors. Here, they created an imposing monument to Moorish Culture. The Pink-Gold Palace of Alhambra is beautiful beyond belief. Together with the Generalife Gardens (summer palace of rich and powerful Caliphs) they stand as a jewel of mankind. The walls of Alhambra have seen the sly treachery of murderous plotters and heard the laughter and song of many of the Caliphs Harems. Listen to intriguing stories our guide will tell.

Day 8  After breakfast we tour the city and depart to the north. Stop in Murcia on the Segura River and Alicante before arriving in Valencia, famous for its oranges and warm sunny climate.

Day 9  Valencia will impress us. Founded in prehistoric time, Valencia is set among one of the most beautiful parts of Spain. Pomegranates, Lemons, Oranges, Palm trees and olive trees all flourish here. The Spanish hero, El Cid, liberated Valencia before his death. The Moors recaptured it only to lose it once more to James the Conqueror in the 13^th century. Today the city is full of fine ancient mansions with inner gardens and patios. Depart via the scenic coastline for the most cosmopolitan city in all of Europe, Barcelona.

Day 10  Barcelona is stunning. Founded in the second century BC it lies in a hilly ampitheater facing the Mediterranean. The Gothic quarter contains a cathedral and a series of beautiful medieval structures. The Palace of the Counts of Barcelona is interesting and the 12^th century cathedral is astounding. Of course we see the façade of the Church of the Sagrada Familia (by Gaudi). The city abounds in museums including the Beaux Arts of Catalonia (Roman Gothic exhibits) and the Archeological Museum. See over 800 of Picasso’s works at the Berengeur de Anguilar Palace Museum. See Pueblo Espanol, Episcopal Palace, Town Hall and Guell Park.

Day 11  Depart for the airport for the flight home.

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