Granada and the Sierra De Cazorla
This brand-new tour combines two wonderful places: the extraordinary
city of Granada, the culminating glory of the Golden Age of Islamic
Spain (and much more …) on the one hand; the wild beauty of one
of Spain’s greatest Natural Parks on the other.
We start in Cazorla. Our base will be the recently restored 4-star Hotel
Sierra de Cazorla gloriously located on the edge of the Park and watched
over by the 11th-century Moorish castle of La Iruela, from where we
can travel out on foot or in specialist vehicles to explore even the
inaccessible corners of this spectacular region. A highlight promises
to be the possibility of seeing one of Europe’s rarest and most
beautiful mammals in all its glory: Capra Hispanica or the elusive Spanish
Ibex.
From Cazorla we move on to Granada. This is the scintillating jewel
in the crown of late-medieval Andalusia. Our three full days will allow
us time to do justice to the Moorish citadel and palaces of the Alhambra,
the splendid 16th and 17th heritage and one or two fascinating 20th-century
associations.
DAY 1: Flying into Malaga we take the motorway up into the Province
of Jaen and on to our hotel in the heart of the wonderful Natural Park
of the Sierra de Cazorla. This is a very special place surrounded by
vast olive groves and sheltering the source of the River Guadalquivir.
DAYS 2 & 3: During our two full days in the Park we shall be accompanied
by local experts in specialist vehicles and exploring sections of the
Park closed to casual visitors. The Park combines dramatic, often spectacular,
scenery with a wide range of wildlife, flora and fauna. It is the habitat
of the Spanish Ibex, a rare and beautiful beast, as well as many other
birds and mammals.
DAY 4: Leaving the Park our itinerary takes us first to the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites of Úbeda and Baeza. The churches and palaces of
these lovely cities exemplify the very best of Spanish renaissance architecture.
From here we drive down to our second destination: the amazing city
of Granada. We shall be staying with our great friends, the Garzon family,
in their legendary hotel in the Alhambra.
DAYS 5, 6 & 7: Granada is a city of many layers. It represents,
of course, the culmination of the Moorish occupation of the Iberian
Peninsula. But it is a lot more. As well as spending a day in the gardens
and palaces of the Alhambra, we shall visit the exquisite Royal Chapel
and the monumental cathedral, the Monasteries of La Cartuja and San
Jerónimo.
We shall also focus on two of Granada’s 20th-century personalities
and discuss their associations with the city in the Civil War: the composer
Manuel de Falla (we visit his house) and the ill-fated Federico García
Lorca (we visit his birthplace and his museum).
DAY 8: We drive to Málaga for our return flight.
THIS TOUR WILL DEPART: 8th November 2010
OUR HOTELS: The excellent 4-star Sierra
de Cazorla and the legendary Hotel América in the Alhambra
NUMBER IN PARTY: 12-16
THE PRICE OF THIS TOUR: £1475
(single supplement £150)