Southern Spain has long been a destination so attractive that it’s been invaded time and again by various cultures for nearly 3,000 years. Andalucía — the large region in southernmost Spain — has held an allure and a whiff of the exotic for a long, long time. Nowhere does Europe come closer to Africa — physically and metaphorically. Much of its natural beauty, history, culture, and architecture span two continents, and it’s this unique blending that has long given the region its distinctive flavor. In particular, it’s the legacy of the Moors, whose 700-year presence in Spain remains etched in stone across the land, which has greatly created Andalucía’s exoticism.
This itinerary will encompass two of Spain’s grandest palaces — the stunning Alhambra in Granada and the Alcázar of Seville; the magnificent cathedral of Seville; the country town of old Moorish Ronda with its winding streets perfect for wandering and split in two by a fantastic gorge; the passions of flamenco music and dancing in the old quarter of Seville; the purebred Andalucián horses at the Andalucían School of Equestrian Art in Jerez de la Frontera, a city world-renowned for its sherry production; and the stunning Mezquita in beautiful Córdoba — originally an ancient mosque now overlaid with a Renaissance-era cathedral.
Another major draw is that Andalucía is popularly seen as the quintessential Spain. This is the home of nearly everything that is perceived of as stereotypically Spanish: flamenco, fragrant orange blossom,tapas, sherry, bullfighting . . . Come along with us and experience soulful Southern Spain!