The Moors in Spain

Day 1 | Tuesday 17 March
Arrival
Following individual travel arrangements to Madrid, we meet tour leader and tour manager in the hotel early this evening. After an introductory talk on the Moors in Spain we then head out for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Madrid (D)

Day 2 | Wednesday 18 March
Toledo
We travel the short distance from Madrid to the beautiful city of Toledo today. One of Spain’s oldest cities, Toledo occupies a rugged promontory above the Tagus River which once gave it strategic advantage and now offers exceptional views across the surrounding landscape. The city is a fusion of Moorish, Christian and Jewish influences and our visit includes the 10th-century Mesquita del Cristo de la Luz, a small but beautifully preserved mosque and the Sinagoga del Transito with its Islamic inspired architecture. In the 14th-century Iglesia di Santo Tomé, which incorporates elements of the former mosque on which it was built, we will see El Greco’s monumental masterpiece, The Burial of the Count Orgaz, dedicated to the church’s benefactor. There is time to explore this lovely and accessible city before we return to Madrid. Overnight Madrid (B)

Day 3 | Thursday 19 March
Madrid
Madrid’s excellent archaeological museum is our first destination this morning where our visit will focus on archaeological and ethnographic finds from the Iberian Peninsula. After a break for lunch we collect our bags and make a transfer to Seville. Arriving in Seville, we check in to our hotel and there is time to relax before we meet for a talk followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Seville (B, D)

Day 4 | Friday 20 March
Seville
Seville is the quintessential Andalucían city, and we begin our visit this morning at the magnificent cathedral, the largest gothic church in the world. Work commenced on the cathedral in 1402 and was completed in just over a century – a monumental achievement given its size and splendour. Our guided tour includes the Chancel, Royal Chapel and the treasury, where we can see works by Goya and Murillo. Little remains of the original 12thcentury mosque on the site apart from the lovely Patio de los Naranjos – the traditional ablutions area for the mosque – and the 12th-century Giralda, a beautiful 98-metre-high minaret which offers excellent views from the top. We also visit the Torre del Oro, the 12th-century “tower of gold” which was part of the Moorish city wall and controlled shipping on the Guadalquivir. After a break for lunch, we visit the stunning Real Alcázar. Dating from the 14th century and built in pure Mudéjar style, the Alcázar is still used as a residence when the Royal family visit Seville. Our tour includes the beautiful gardens which adjoin the complex. This evening we attend a performance of flamenco with drinks to follow at the intimate Casa de la Memoria. Overnight Seville (B)

Day 5 | Saturday 21 March
Jerez de la Frontera
Today we take a coach to Jerez de la Frontera, a town which once sat on the border between Moorish and Christian regions on the Iberian Peninsula and gave its name to the superb, fortified wine produced here. We begin our visit at a local winery or bodega, where we sample the famous Jerez or sherry, a smooth tipple which has little in common with its English namesake, before making our way to the town centre. Here we tour the Alcázar, an 11th-century fortress which retains many of its original Islamic architectural elements including a mosque and baths. We then continue to Vejer, one of the stunning white hilltop villages of the region, perched above the Barbate River. We’ll enjoy lunch at a panoramic terraced restaurant with time to wander the cobbled streets of the town before returning to Seville in the late afternoon. Overnight Seville (B, L)

Day 6 | Sunday 22 March
Mudéjar Sevilla
Following the Reconquista, when the Christians took the Iberian Peninsula back from the Moors, they often chose to occupy rather than destroy the existing Moorish structures which so complemented the climate and landscape. Adapting them to their use or building new structures which combined the Moorish and the Gothic, this new style of architecture was called Mudéjar, after the less than complimentary name given to Moors who had remained in Spain following the reconquest. While the Real Alcázar is one of the most important examples of this style, this morning our relaxed walking tour takes us past more of Seville’s fine Mudéjar buildings. We also visit the Museo de Bellas Artes, a fine art museum which holds an excellent collection from the golden age of Sevillian painting. After a break for lunch, we continue to the Casa de Pilatos, a palatial residence still belonging to one of Spain’s aristocratic families, where our guided tour takes us through this beautifully preserved 16th-century building which combines Gothic, Mudéjar and Italian Renaissance features. Returning to our hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Seville (B)

Day 7 | Monday 23 March
Basilippo & Carmona
We depart Seville today and join our coach for Córdoba, stopping en route at Basilippo, a family-owned producer of fine virgin olive oil where we enjoy a short tour and tasting before continuing on to Carmona. We’ll explore this small, picturesque town overlooking the Corbones River and climb the imposing Puerta de Sevilla, a fortified Roman gateway with Carthaginian and Moorish elements, for a wonderful view of the surrounding area. After a break for lunch, we rejoin our coach and continue to Córdoba. On arrival at the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Córdoba (B)

Day 8 | Tuesday 24 March
Córdoba
In the morning we enjoy a leisurely walk through Roman Spain’s once largest city, Córdoba, whose period of greatest glory was under the caliphate of the Moors. After a break for lunch, we’ll visit the beautiful mezquita, or mosque, constructed around 780 CE on the ruins of an old Visigothic church, dates from this period. Our guided walking tour takes us through the mosque itself as well as the surrounding areas in Córdoba’s historic centre. We also visit the 14th-century Alcázar, an imposing fortress whose external appearance belies its more welcoming interior and beautiful, terraced gardens before continuing to the synagogue, one of only three in Spain to survive the Jewish expulsion of 1492 and one of the best preserved in Spain. Tonight we head out for dinner at Ermita de la Candelaria, a beautifully restored former 15th-century monastery which now offers an exceptional regional menu using locally sourced products. Overnight Córdoba (B, D)

Day 9 | Wednesday 25 March
Medina Azahara
This morning we head northwest of the city to Medina Azahara, the site of a once sumptuous palatine city built by caliph Abd al-Rahman III in the 10th century. At its peak the site extended over three terraces, and in addition to the palace buildings included a zoo, an aviary, numerous baths, and a weapons factory. Sacked by Berber invaders in 1010 and then abandoned, excavations only began on the site in 1910. Today we can see parts of the palace and mosque and a section of reconstructed gardens, and visit the world-class and award-winning museum. Returning to Córdoba the afternoon is at leisure and you may like to visit the plant-filled patios of the Palacio Viana, or simply explore the city. We meet back at the hotel in the early evening for a talk and your tour leader and manager will have suggestions for activities this evening. Overnight Córdoba (B)

Day 10 | Thursday 26 March
Antequera
Departing Córdoba this morning we travel to Granada via the town of Antequera at the foot of the dramatic Sierra de El Torcal. While much of the town’s late Gothic and Baroque architecture reflects its time of greatest success from the 16th -18th centuries, we start much earlier with a visit to the Menga, Viera, and El Romeral dolmens – astonishing megalithic burial chambers dating back 6,000 years to the Neolithic and Bronze age. We also visit the imposing Alcazaba, a 14th-century Moorish fortress which dominates the town from its hilltop position, ideal for repelling repeated attacks from Spanish troops before the Reconquista. After a break for lunch, we rejoin our coach and continue to Granada where there is time to relax before we meet for a pre-dinner drink, followed by a light dinner in our hotel. Overnight Granada (B, D)

Day 11 | Friday 27 March
Alhambra
The jewel in Granada’s crown is indisputably its beautiful Alhambra, the palace fortress of the Nasrid sultans, rulers of the last Spanish Moorish kingdoms. Our tour today takes us through the serene 14th-century Palacios Nazaríes as well as the Alcazaba, the earliest part of the fortress around which the Palacio was built. We will also make our way to the Generalife, the summer palace of the Sultans with its series of patios, enclosed gardens, and waterways. In the afternoon we’ll explore the Cathedral and Royal Chapel, a monumental complex built in flamboyant late Gothic style containing the mausoleums of the early Catholic monarchs. We round off the day with a wine tasting with tapas at the stylish Gar Anat Hotel. Overnight Granada (B, WT)

Day 12 | Saturday 28 March
Granada
This morning our relaxed walking tour takes us through the Albaicín, one of the oldest districts in Granada and the place to which the Moors remaining in Granada retreated after the Reconquista. It is now a beguiling mix of narrow cobbled streets, courtyards, restaurants, and small shops and remains Spain’s largest and most characteristic surviving Moorish barrio, or neighbourhood. We visit El Bañuelo, the well-preserved 11th-century Arab hammam or baths, one of the few that survived demolition by the conquering Christians who questioned the morality of public bathing, as well as the Aljibe del Rey, an enormous cistern which furnished water to the Moorish city. The afternoon and evening are at leisure to explore and enjoy this fascinating city. Overnight Granada (B)

Day 13 | Sunday 29 March
Las Alpujarras
Today we head out of the city towards the Sierra Nevada, the mountain range whose snowy peaks form an impressive backdrop to the city of Granada. Our destination are the foothills, or Alpujarras, a very Moorish name and a region to which the Moors retreated to avoid conversion when they were ousted from Granada in the 15th century. The narrow cobbled streets of these whitewashed rural villages, or Pueblos Blancos, are similar to ones you would see in Morocco. We stop at several Pueblos, enjoy a short walk in the countryside and visit a local workshop where they make jarapas – traditional rugs woven from textile scraps for which this region is famous. Before returning to our hotel, we enjoy a farewell dinner in a Moorish restaurant. Overnight Granada (B, D)

Day 14 | Monday 30 March
Departure
The tour ends this morning after breakfast. Please consult your individual travel documents for your ongoing journey. (B)