Payment of bespoke trip to Spain | 26th of December 2023 – 4th of January 2024 | 3 and 4 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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26th of December: from Granada to Córdoba via Antequera to hike the UNESCO Nature Reserve of el Torcal and to visit the UNESCO site of the dolmens
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9am: be met by your private driver by the reception desk of your hotel in Granada and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the UNESCO nature reserve of El Torcal de Antequera.
10:30am: upon arrival to the UNESCO nature reserve of El Torcal de Antequera, meet your personal guide there and start a guided hike through the reserve. El Torcal de Antequera features some of the most spectacular karst landscapes in Europe.
The shaping of this unique landscape started around 150 million years ago when this whole area was safely tucked under the Tethys Sea. One day, the seabed was pushed upwards by a massive tectonic shift, which created a series of mountains, some of them up to 1300 meters high above sea level.
The following millions of years, the erosion from rain and wind slowly turned this part of the world into some of the most impressive limestone landscapes on the European continent.
12pm: after the hike, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the UNESCO site of the Dolmens of Antequera.
12:30pm: upon arrival to the UNESCO site of the Dolmens of Antequera, meet your personal local expert again to start a tour of the site, which treasures some of the best preserved and most important megalithic monuments in Europe.
It is the number, size, weight and volume of the stone blocks transported and assembled in the basin of Antequera, using rudimentary technology, and the architectural characteristics of the monuments formed by these megaliths, what makes the Antequera Dolmens one of the most important engineering and architectural works of European Prehistory. Antequera Dolmens Site provides an exceptional insight into the funerary and ritual practices of a highly organized prehistoric society of the Neolithic and Bronze Age in the Iberian Peninsula.
2pm: end of your private tour of the UNESCO sites of the dolmens and private transfer to Antequera old town for lunch at leisure.
2:05pm: arrival to Antequera old town and lunch at leisure there. We will give you recommendations of places to eat in the city and will book a table for you if you wish.
3:30pm: end of lunch and private transfer to Córdoba train station.
4:45pm: arrival to Córdoba train station on time to drop James off before the train to Madrid at 5:33pm. Katherine, Jim and Abigail continue on to their hotel in Córdoba.
5:15pm: arrival to your hotel in Córdoba and end of services for the day. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Cordoba in your free time and also of places to eat. We will also book tables in restaurants for you if you like (as long as credit/debit cards are not needed to complete the reservation in which case we will send you instructions on how to book yourselves).
5:33pm (James only): departure of his train from Córdoba to Madrid.
7:26pm (James only): arrival of his train to Madrid from Córdoba. Private transportation services and/or accommodation can be booked for him if needed.
Overnight in Cordoba: 2 dreamer’s rooms (one of them for single use) at hotel Palacio del Bailio (5*) (rooms only)
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27th of December: discovery journey of Cordoba old town including the great Mosque Cathedral
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2:30m: be met by your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to go on a 4h discovery journey of the historical center of the city.
A UNESCO site since 1994, Córdoba is an inspirational city, which during the Middle Ages, saw a peaceful interaction between the three great Mediterranean cultures. Jews, Muslims and Christians coexisted then in the city turning it into a unique intellectual hub that gave birth to very renowned philosophers, poets, scientists and doctors. This also resulted in the construction of unique buildings of remarkable historical significance.
During your private walking tour, you’ll learn about the period of maximum intellectual splendor of the city and you will see beautiful examples of architecture and urban planning that will allow you to recreate all the grandeur of this era, which has the Great Mosque – Cathedral, the synagogue, the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew and the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs as its most representative constructions.
The Great Mosque-Cathedral is probably the most thought-provoking building in Spain and your personal local host will uncover all its beauty and complexity for you. You will understand its origins, its different enlargements and the role that the building has played in the culture and social fabric of the city throughout the centuries.
The synagogue will allow you to understand the very important Jewish – Sephardic community that Córdoba once had and how much it embraced Hispanic-Muslim decorative arts in its places of devotion.
In the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew you will be explained about the transformations that the Jewish quarter of Córdoba suffered after the pogrom of 1391 and how it was repopulated with Christians, who were also very heavily influenced by Hispanic-Muslim decorative arts.
The Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs will be your last stop. This is a fortification treasuring Roman and Visigothic remains that became an important royal residence in the Hispanic-Muslim and Christian times. Your tour of this landmark will be a journey through the history of the city and also through probably the most beautiful gardens that one can find in Córdoba.
6:30pm: end of your tour at the impressive Roman Bridge of the city and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Cordoba: 2 dreamer’s rooms (one of them for single use) at hotel Palacio del Bailio (5*) (rooms only)
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28th of December: day at leisure in Cordoba
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All day: enjoy your day at leisure in Córdoba maybe following our recommendations.
Overnight in Cordoba: 2 dreamer’s rooms (one of them for single use) at hotel Palacio del Bailio (5*) (rooms only)
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29th of December: from Cordoba to Seville stopping along the way to visit a premium olive oil producer with the corresponding olive oil tastings there
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9:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation in Cordoba and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the olive grove and pressing facilities of a selected olive oil producer.
11am: upon arrival to the olive grove, be welcomed by your personal host from the company to enjoy a private tour of the olive grove and of the production facilities. Along the tour you will learn about their trees, the particular types of olives they work with and the very modern extraction methods that they use to produce some of the best olive oil in Andalusia. After your introductory tour you will enjoy a comprehensive professional tasting of different types of olive oil from different olives and using different techniques.
1pm: end of the visit to the olive oil manufacturer and private transfer to your hotel in Seville.
1:45pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville: 2 premium double rooms (one of them for single use) at hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla (room only)
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30th of December: walking tour of Seville’s most impressive World Heritage Sites: the Alcazar or Moorish palace and the Cathedral
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10am: be met by your personal local guide at your hotel in Seville to start a private walking tour that will take you to visit its impressive World Heritages Sites: the Alcazar or Moorish palace, the Cathedral with its Giralda tower and the medieval Jewish quarter.
You will start your discovery journey by visiting the Alcazar, which is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles. The Alcazar has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum splendor in Seville. Another essential part of the Alcazar is the famous house of Trade, which once hosted the offices from where all the commerce with the New World was managed. After enjoying these inner areas, you will be taken to the gardens, which are an exquisite sample of European landscaping from the 16th until the 20th centuries.
Then you will be taken to visit the Cathedral, which is the largest gothic temple in the World and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was built on a vast extension of land where previously a Mosque had been erected. An important part of the Mosque was preserved and it is now a part of the Cathedral. This makes it a unique construction featuring styles as diverse as Hispanic-Muslim, Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque. A most important part of the Cathedral is its bell tower known as la Giralda, which is a perfectly preserved Hispanic-Muslim minaret from the period when a Mosque occupied the grounds where the Cathedral stands today. During your tour you will be taken to the top in order to enjoy the wonderful views of Seville that one can admire from there.
To finish the tour you will visit the quarter of Santa Cruz, with its countless quaint corners, narrow streets, cozy squares, houses of traditional Southern Spanish architecture and Moorish urban planning. It is in this quarter where an important part of the Jewish Sephardic community of Seville lived in the medieval times and you will learn about what life in the quarter was like then and how it has evolved until becoming what it is today.
1:30pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville: 2 premium double rooms (one of them for single use) at hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla (room only)
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31st of December: cycling tour of Seville to explore the areas beyond the old town
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10am: be met by your personal local host at your hotel in Seville and start a short walk that will take you through the winding streets of the old town to collect your bikes and helmets for your family bike tour of the city.
Once equipped with your bikes and helmets, start a private bike tour of Seville aimed at getting a wider perspective of its architecture, size, history, character and green areas too.
The iconic Guadalquivir river has shaped a very flat landscape in South West Spain that is ideal to explore by bike. The city of Seville is in the heart of this SouthWestern area and it features more than 160km of cycle lanes. This allows cyclists to pedal through its history, beauty, character and charm in a safe and pleasant way.
You will start your adventure by cycling along the city walls, understanding at the same time the system of gates that the city featured in the Muslim times. Then you will cross the river to discover the grounds where the famous 1992 Seville World Expo was held.
In this area, you will also take a stop at the unique Monastery of La Cartuja, which later became an important ceramics factory and finally a museum of Contemporary Art. Because of this it features an extraordinary mix of religious, industrial and modern architecture styles.
After this, it will be time to explore the beautiful park of María Luisa, taking stops to enjoy the beauty of its many colorful constructions dating from the 1920s, being Plaza de España the most iconic, significant and beautiful one.
Finally, you will make your way back to the old town along the most beautiful avenue of the city, which is lined up with buildings designed by architects from different countries for the city’s 1929 Iberian-American exhibition.
1:30pm: after your ride, drop off your bikes and enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
Overnight in Seville: 2 premium double rooms (one of them for single use) at hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla (room only)
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1st of January: late morning transfer from Seville to the coastal town of Cadiz
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10:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation in Seville and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Cadiz.
12pm: arrival to your hotel in Cadiz and end of services for the day. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Cadiz in your free time and also of places to eat. We will also book tables in restaurants for you if you like (as long as credit/debit cards are not needed to complete the reservation in which case we will send you instructions on how to book yourselves).
Overnight in Cadiz: own arrangements
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2nd of January: Cadiz culture and history tour
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your hotel in Cadiz to start a private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on the foundation of the city by the Phoenicians 3000 years ago and on the period when the city held the monopoly of all trade with America, formerly established in Seville.
You will start this tour seeing incredibly well preserved evidence of the Phoenician past of the city. This will allow you to understand who the Phoenicians were, where they came from, why they based themselves in Cadiz 3000 years ago and the impact that their arrival had in the present history, culture, gastronomy and wines of Southern Spain.
Later, you will travel forward in time to the 18th century, when the city held the monopoly of all trade with the Americas, formerly established in Seville. The bourgeoisie that settled down in Cádiz in this period transformed the city completely into a refined and cosmopolitan colonial hub. These new inhabitants of the city brought to Cádiz not only gold, silver, mahogany and other precious materials but also new ideas that transformed the mentality of the city and later of the whole of Spain.
Along this second part of the tour you will visit some selected buildings that will reveal the wealth, refinement and change of mentality that the city enjoyed in this colonial period.
12:30pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Cadiz: own arrangements
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3rd of January: day trip from Cadiz to the natural park of the straits of Gibraltar for a hike there, to visit the archaeological site of Baelo Claudia, to have lunch on the Atlantic coast and to visit the whitewashed town of Vejer de la Frontera
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8:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the hamlet of Betis in the heart of the natural park of the straits of Gibraltar.
10am: upon arrival to Betis start a hike to the summit of the sierras of Saint Bartholomew. You will walk through a forest of Mediterranean pines that slowly will become less and less dense, giving way to different lower Mediterranean bush and allowing for breath-taking views of Southernmost Spain, Northernmost Africa, the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
11am: arrival to the summit and small mid-morning picnic to celebrate the simply spectacular views and the achievement of having made it to the top of this mountain range.
11:15am: start of your walk down to the bottom of the mountain range, enjoying the different views of this unique reserve in Southern Europe.
12:15pm: arrival to the bottom of the mountain range and private transfer to the archaeological Roman site of Baelo Claudia.
12:30pm: arrival to Baelo Claudia and private walking tour of the site aimed at understanding the very important Roman settlement that it once was. This was thanks to a particular local industry that produced a fermented fish sauce, called Garum, that was an absolute delicacy for the Roman empire. You will be explained how this sauce was produced and the industrial configuration that this Roman city had.
1:30pm: end of the walk through Baelo Claudia and private transfer to a coastal family restaurant for lunch.
1:45pm: arrival to the restaurant and lunch there.
3:15pm: end of lunch and private transfer to the hilltop whitewashed village of Vejer de la Frontera.
4pm: arrival to Vejer de la Frontera and private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Moorish architecture and chic-bohemian halo. In Vejer you will also learn about some particular local customs that are still in full swing thanks to the participation of the local community.
5:15pm: private transfer from Vejer back to your accommodation in Cadiz.
6pm: arrival to your hotel in Cadiz and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Cadiz: own arrangements
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4th of January: high-speed train from Cadiz to Madrid (Abigail changes trains in Cordoba to travel back to Granada)
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1:15pm: be transferred by taxi (1 large or 2 regular ones) from your hotel in Cadiz to Cadiz train station. Your hotel can arrange this for you.
1:30pm: arrival to Cadiz train station on time to take your high-speed train to Madrid.
2:02pm: departure of your high-speed train to Madrid.
4:30pm: arrival of your train to Córdoba train station and Abigail gets off to join another train going to Granada.
6:39pm: arrival of your train to Madrid and end of trip.
8:08pm: departure of Abigail’s train from Cordoba to Granada.
9:57pm: arrival of Abigail’s train to Granada.
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Pricing
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The cost of this trip for a private group of 3 people (4 people on the 26th of December until Jamie’s arrival to Madrid is 10050 Euros.
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This price includes
– 6 nights accommodation as per mentioned above
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver.
– All private tours and travel experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for the guided tours.
– High-speed train tickets (1st class seats) to travel from Córdoba to Madrid (Jamie on the 26th), from Cadiz to Madrid (Jim and Katherine on the 4th) and from Cadiz to Cordoba (Abigail on the 4th).
– Regular train ticket (one class only in these trains) for Abigail to travel from Cordoba to Granada on the 4th.
– Private visit to a premium olive oil producer with the corresponding tastings there on the 29th of December.
– Bike and helmet rental for your Seville bike tour.
– Light mid morning picnic atop the sierras of San Bartolomé during your day trip to the straits of Gibraltar.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat during your free time in each of the places you will visit.
– 24h guardian angel service throughout your trip for any emergencies you may have.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Your international flights.
– Any meals. During your day trip to the straits of Gibraltar, your guide will take you to a selected local restaurant for lunch but the cost of lunch is not included.
– Anything else not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
– Any taxi rides.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this bespoke trip at this price we require full payment via credit/debit card no later than the 5th of December 2024 at 11:59pm (Madrid time).
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your trip more than 5 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 50% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the other 50%.
– If you cancel your trip 5 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the activities / services included in the trip.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our US guests buy their travel insurance through Medjet.
