Travel Tip

You can fly into Madrid and use the excellent high-speed train network (AVE), with trains running to Córdoba.

Meet up with Pino & Caroline Nobile in the hotel reception in the afternoon to go on a guided walking tour of the historic town center.

At the end of the tour Sevilla Train station is connected to the high-speed train network (AVE) and Seville Airport is only a short taxi or bus ride from the city center.

Independent arrival in Córdoba. We start with a guided walking tour of the historic center. We will get an idea of why the city’s star shone so brightly in Roman and Moorish times. As a testimony to this, we enter the incredible and utterly unique Cathedral-Mosque, the city’s main place of worship from the 8th century to this day, and the oldest mosque in Spain. Welcome dinner in one of Córdoba’s excellent restaurants, the city being well-known in Andalucía for its cuisine.

Meals: Dinner

Walk: 2-3 hrs. - City walking tour

After breakfast we depart for the Medina Azahara archaeological site, a short distance from Córdoba where we see the reconstructed remains of a fabulous 10th century palace city that represented the brief apogee of Córdoba's power and sophistication. We then drive up into the Sierra Morena and hike to a forested area near a water source. After a picnic we return to Córdoba As we stroll to back we can the city skyline dominated by the Cathedral-Mosque from the old Roman bridge.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Walk: 1.5 hrs. / 5 km

We travel to a rocky hill top occupied by the hermitage of Virgen de la Sierra which, at 1267m altitude, gives us great views across the Sierra Subbetica Natural Park. The walk is largely descending, through holm oak woods and along the Río Bailón, taking us around 5 hours to reach the white village of Zuheros with its medieval castle keep that overlooks a vast sea of olive trees. At dinner in their village we enjoy a spread of dishes cooked with wonderful local extra virgin olive oil and learn a little about Spanish agriculture and rural life.

Meals: Breakfast / Packed lunch / Dinner

Walk: 5 hrs. / 13 km (feels like 16 km with total descent of 400m)

We pass Moorish period watchtowers and castles from the 13th-15th centuries when this was the Christian frontier with the Muslim sultanate of Granada. We will walk from one such castle, in the village of Moclín, on a delightful circular walk through the valley of the Rio Gollizno which we cross via a hanging bridge. As we climb back up to the town there are superb views of the castle walls and fortifications which, along with a picnic in the shade of pine trees, will reward us for our efforts. We now continue to Granada, home to the magnificent Alhambra Palaces (UNESCO).

Meals: Breakfast / Picnic lunch / Dinner

Walk: 4 hrs / 8 km (feels like 12 km)

We walk through the narrow streets of the old medieval town and into the area known as the Albayzin with its balconies, walls, stairways and hidden courtyards. We are gradually climbing to reach a vista point across the Darro river valley. From here we can see the magnificent Alhambra Palace, one of Europe’s most stunning monuments and perhaps the greatest surviving legacy from over eight centuries of the Moorish presence on the Iberian Peninsula. We now descend and cross the river and wind up a path to reach the Palace and go in with a guide. After a visit which lasts about 2 hours we make our way down through a forest into another neighborhood for a relaxing lunch. The afternoon is free for you to explore further independently.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Walk: 4 hrs. / City walking tour incl. Alhambra Palaces

N.B. Wear thick soled shoes for the cobbled streets!

We head east across Andalucía today and visit its geographic centre, the city of Antequera, and its imposing natural motif, the karst limestone plateau of El Torcal. Here wind, rain and erosion have wrought strange patterns in the pillars of rock, creating a myriad of sculptures and shapes. With a local guide we will do a circular walk (4.5km, 3 hours) through this unique landscape where we will see ammonites – a type of fossil which enables scientists to link the rock layer to specific geologic time periods. We are also likely to see many bird species as the area is categorised a “Special Zone for the Protection of Birds”. We end the day in Ronda.

Meals: Breakfast / Picnic Lunch / Dinner

Walk: 3 hrs. / 8 km circular walk over karst limestone moorland with a Park visitor center guide.

Known as “The Queen of the White Towns”, Ronda occupies a spectacular position with the two sides of the town straddling a deep chasm which plunges 130m to the Río Guadalevin below. From atop the gorge there are spectacular views over the surrounding hills and valleys that form the “Serranía de Ronda”, a term which is a diminutive of the word for mountain. Morning guided tour of the lovely old town of Ronda which is also home to Spain's second oldest bull ring, the Real Maestranza, followed by a walk into the gorge. Unwind at and enjoy some free time in the afternoon to further explore, shop and relax.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Walk: 4hrs. / 9km / (2 hrs City walking + 2 hrs hiking down and up the gorge +/-300m)

Scenic drive to Grazalema where our trail into the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park begins. We climb up steeply at first to admire sweeping views across the plains of the Cadiz province and the peaks of the Sierras. Our walk then descends more gradually and enters the narrow streets of Grazalema where we make a short stop to take in the atmosphere and beauty of this quintessential Pueblo Blanco (white town).

Meals: Breakfast / Picnic lunch / Dinner

Walk: 3 hrs / 6km (feels like10 km  with a short steep ascent and a gradual descent +/- 200m)

Jerez de la Frontera, a hidden gem and a charming Andalucian city, known for sherry wine and equestrian arts. We shall experience a delightful blend of authenticity as we wander around its orange-scented, cobbled streets and immerse ourselves in the lively atmosphere. In the Central Market vibrant stalls sell fresh produce, local cheeses, and aromatic spices. We can admire the impressive Gothic-Renaissance cathedral and wander around the lively Plaza del Arenal square surrounded by cafés, shops and a tinkling fountain. Now it is time to experience the majesty, grace and power of Andalusian horses at the Royal School as they practice their dressage. Sherry Tasting: You can’t visit Jerez without indulging in it! Sherry gets its distinct earthy aroma from the soil and the humid sea air where the Palomino grapes grow. We shall visit a traditional bodega, learn about the wine making process and then seek out a cozy tavern to eat in and pair the dishes with local wine.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Activities: Sherry Bodega winery & Royal Andalucian Equestrian School visits

We head to the Doñana UNESCO biosphere reserve near Sanlúcar de Barrameda. We explore Mount Algaida, one of the largest and most idyllic stone pine forests on the northeast coast of Cádiz. The coast here has rolling sand dunes, long sandy beaches and one of the largest marshy wetlands in Spain, providing a place to rest and nest on the migratory path of birds between Africa and Europe. After a picnic lunch we travel upstream alongside the Guadalquivir river to Seville. There will be free time to explore the streets of the old town. We take in a live performance of Flamenco dancing and singing before dinner.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Walk: 2 hrs/ / 5 km

Today is devoted to Sevilla, the region’s capital and one of Europe’s most captivating cities. Iberians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Visigoths had all left their mark before the Moors established their first capital here. After its conquest by the Castilians in 1248, it became a favoured residence of Spanish kings. We visit the Real Alcazar, still a royal family palace and one of the highlights of our guided walking tour. We will see gothic mansions, churches, convents, and the trading house of The Archive of the Indies which in its day was the epicentre of the trade with the Americas (which, when “discovered” by Columbus, were still thought to be the “Indies”). After exploring the Plaza de España we stop for tapas and then you are free to explore independently. Before dinner, we will take in a live performance of flamenco, that quintessentially Andalusian art, in a palatial residence dating from the 15th century where the colonnaded patio, its traditional handcraft tiling, the aroma of the flowers, and the trace of almost six centuries of history, create a unique atmosphere. 

Meals: Breakfast / Tapas / Dinner

Walk: 3 hrs. - City walking tour

Independent departure at your leisure from Seville. Seville airport is just a 20-minute taxi ride and there are good train links to Madrid.

Meals: Breakfast