ROMANTIC ANDALUCIA
08 DAY SELF DRIVE TOUR & ACCOMMODATION IN TRADITIONAL CORTIJOS
The region of Andalucia is home to some of Spain's most emblematic cities: Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. The great Alhambra in Granada is in fact the most visited monument in the country. However, outside its celebrated cities, Andalucia also offers the visitor beautiful whitewashed villages, rugged mountain landscapes, lovely beaches and National Parks.
An ideal way to travel around Andalucía is to drive your own car and explore the culture, traditions and splendid landscapes of this diverse and fascinating region - at your own pace.
All accommodations selected for this romantic getaway have privileged rural locations, calm and cosy atmospheres, elegance and charm.
DAY 01 GRANADA
Arrival in Granada and make your way to your hotel in the heart of the city centre. You will spend the next two nights in this emblematic Moorish city, exploring its atmospheric Arab quarter and the great Alhambra. This afternoon, you are met at your hotel for a special guided tour of the Albaycin (Arab quarter). Your local guide will show you how this medieval Islamic city has kept its identity into the modern age, explaining its history and character in anecdotal style. As you walk through its cat's cradle of twisting alleyways you will come across stunning views of the city, the majestic Alhambra palaces and, beyond, the often snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Your tour will include stops in local bars for some tapas or a visit to a traditional Arab tetería (teahouse). Overnight.
DAY 02 GRANADA
This morning you are picked up from your hotel for a fully escorted Alhambra and Gardens tour. The beauty of Granada is encapsulated in the legendary palace of Alhambra, the last bastion of the Moors in Spain. It was built under Ismail I, Yusuf I and Muhammad V, caliphs when the Nasrid dynasty ruled Granada. After the tour, a free afternoon at leisure. Overnight.
DAYS 03 & 04 GRANADA - IZNAJAR (90KM)
Pick up your hire car from the train station office. After visiting the beautiful cultural heritage of Granada, a lovely drive takes you close to Lake Iznajar in the heart of rural Andalucia. Cortijo La Haza is surrounded by olive trees and set in a peaceful location amongst the rolling hills of the Subbética Natural Park. This 250 year old recently restored traditional Cortijo farmhouse, has a lovely terrace and garden with outdoor pool and great views. All nicely decorated rooms have private ensuite facilities. Cortijo La Haza is ideally placed for easy access to the motorway network; meaning that a day excursion can be made to Córdoba (90 minutes). Overnight(s).
DAYS 05 & 06 IZNAJAR - BENAOJAN (144KM)
A nice drive takes you via the historical city of Antequera and the Naturepark El Torcal to Ronda. Ronda is the Queen of the White Towns. Its main feature is the immense Tajo or Chasm - a geological cleft in the rock that plunges about 100m deep. The beautiful surrounding green hills of the Sierra de Ronda are dotted with white villages like Benaoján. Here you find Molino del Santo, a charming watermill converted into a romantic hotel. This lovely property with outdoor swimming pool and green gardens is situated along a stream. There are numerous day trips you can make from here to explore its surroundings like the naturepark of Grazalema, famous for its flora. Overnight(s).
DAY 07 BENAOJAN - SEVILLA (122KM)
Depart Benaojan and on to Sevilla, on arrival, you will drop off your hire car at the train station office and taxi to your hotel. You will spend the next two nights in Sevilla, capital of Andalucia - an energetic city with charming, tiny cobbled streets and beautiful, colourfully tiled patios. Tonight, head out to explore the lovely Santa Cruz quarter, which was once a Jewish ghetto. Today it is filled with outdoor restaurants and lively tapas bars. Overnight.
DAY 08 SEVILLA
A full day to explore the city at your leisure, including the Cathedral which actually occupies the site of a great Mosque built by the Almohads in the late 12th century. La Giralda, its minaret and the Patio de los Naranjos are a legacy of this Moorish structure. The Reales Alcazares was built in the 14th century by Pedro I who ordered the construction of a royal residence within the Palaces which had been built by the city's Almohad. Perhaps spend a lazy afternoon in the lovely Maria Luisa Park.
DAY 09 SEVILLA
Farewell the city as you continue on to your next destination, either by air or by rail...
END OF ITINERARY!
- Spain
- Tours
- Great Train Journeys
- Paradores
- Rustic and Rural
- Hotels
- Apartments
Land of Contrasts
Appropriately called the 'Bull's Hide' by Roman geographer Strabo in 29-27BC, the landmass of Spain with its 505,000 sq. km, provides the traveller with an opportunity to experience the great diversity within its borders, bounded by sea, except for Portugal to the west and France to the north-east.
Iberia has charmed travellers for centuries, but it was not until the early19th century that the first romantics brought Spain into world recognition. Richard Ford along with many others of his time, describing the country as a 'land of miracles, anomalies and contradictions'.
Spain today embodies all of the contrasts of yesteryear. With its rich and varied culture and language, Spain's 17 autonomous regions offer many unexpected architectural, geographical, cultural, gastronomic and climatic differences; all contributing to the many delights and pleasures of the visitor.
Once Spain was one of the most powerful nations on earth with far flung dominions wielding great influence on world political and commercial affairs. The Spain of today is an energetic member of the European Community with a population of 45 million and a universally appreciated culture, individuality and language.
Download our 2012 brochure!
Tours
Ranging from short Fully Escorted coach tours to Private itineraries with your own driver, we have a tour to suit your time frame and budget. Here are a few examples of some of our most popular touring options...
| Self Drive Tours: | A GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE IN NORTHERN SPAIN -- ROMANTIC ANDALUCIA -- WORLD HERITAGE ENCOUNTER |
| Fully Escorted Tours: | ANDALUCIA AND MEDITERRANEAN COAST -- ANDALUCIA AND MOROCCO -- ANDALUCIA AND TOLEDO -- CASTILLA, PORTUGAL AND ANDALUCIA -- GREEN SPAIN -- NORTH OF SPAIN -- SALAMANCA AND PORTUGAL |
| Small Group Tours: | GOURMET SPAIN |
| Tours with Private driver: | SEVILLA AND THE WHITE VILLAGES OF ANDALUCIA -- SEVILLA, CORDOBA AND GRANADA |
| Walking Tours: | EL CAMINO DEL NORTE -- EL CAMINO PRIMITIVO -- SHORT BREAK PICOS DE EUROPA -- THE ALPUJARRAS - MOORISH SPLENDOUR -- WALKING THE PICOS DE EUROPA |
| Unique Spain: | BARCELONA AND ORGANIC WINE IN THE PENEDÈS -- BARCELONA AND THE MEDIEVAL VILLAGES OF CATALONIA -- A GOURMET'S GRANADA -- BARCELONA AND THE GENIUS OF DALI -- GRANADA -ORIGINS OF FLAMENCO -- SEVILLA AND THE PUEBLOS BLANCOS - A CULINARY ENCOUNTER -- THE MOORISH LEGACY IN GRANADA |
The Great Train Journeys of Spain
IBERTOURS is the sole GSA in Australia and New Zealand for the Great Train Journeys of Spain. These marvellous journeys attend to the needs of the traveller who is keen to savour the travel delights of yesteryear and who is enticed by the notion of a special journey by rail.
"El Transcantabrico" explores the rugged mountains and seascape of the northern coast in an 08 day gastronomic adventure. There are 2 very special and itineraries to select.
The "Espreso de la Robla" takes one on an enjoyable 4 day regional rail experience between Bilbao and Leon, as well as Gijon and Santiago de Compostela.
The legendary "Al Andalus" returns in 2012 in a luxurious 6 day adventure through historical Andalucia, from Sevilla to Sevilla, visiting Cordoba, Granada and Jerez along the way.
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EL EXPRESO DE LA ROBLA | EL TRANSCANTABRICO - 8 DAY JOURNEY AL ANDALUS
Unique Historic Accommodation
IBERTOURS TRAVEL is the Official Representative of Paradores in Australia and New Zealand.
The concept of utilising these unique establishments as selected accommodation for tourism goes back to 1926, when the royal tourist commissioner, the Marques of Vega-Inclan, sought Royal Approval for the extraordinarily far sighted idea of setting up State run Paradores as lodgings for nature lovers and hunters around the country.
Rustic and Rural Spain with Rusticae
Rusticae is a network of boutique properties and guesthouses that are often old farms, mills and homes, transformed into small hotels. Rusticae has currently has over 160 hotels spread across Spain, Portugal, France and Argentina divided into two main types of accommodation, Metropoli and Tradition.
The Metropoli range incorporates a selection of small, boutique hotels inside major cities including Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, Palma de Mallorca and Bilbao.
The Tradition range is the most extensive and has a wide selection of hotels and manor houses located in small villages in the countryside.
There are around 140 of these properties in Spain alone and each possesses its own individual charm and style, reflecting the history and traditions of the region and its people.
Spanish Hotels
Stopovers can include 2 and 3 night packages in all major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and San Sebastian, plus many other smaller regional cities such as Granada, Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela and so on... In fact, with our extensive experience and contacts we can develop stopover packages for almost any city or town in the Iberian Triangle, for any length of time, to suit your requirements. Here are some examples...
View a selection of hotels by region:
Northern Spain and the Pyrenees / Madrid and Surrounds / Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha / Valencia / Andalucia / Balearic Islands /Canary Islands
Apartments
If you are planning a stay of 3 nights or more, why not consider an apartment? Live like the locals do in the centre of one of Spain's vibrant and emblematic cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and others. Ideal for an extended stay, an apartment gives you the freedom and choice to shop with the locals at the market and cook up your own Spanish fusion! All we need to know is how many people, what city and when and we can find one perfect for you! Just ask us to add an apartment to your creative itinerary.