Exploring some of Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage listed sites by car and rail
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Among its many functions, UNESCO works to promote understanding and appreciation for the value of each civilisation and culture. The World Heritage List is a list of properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value, of which Spain has 40. This itinerary visits a selection of these significant sites, including the old town of Avila, the old city of Salamanca, the old city of Caceres, the archaeological ensemble of Merida and the historic centre of Cordoba.
DAY 01 MADRID
Arrival in Madrid where you will make your way to your hotel in the heart of the city centre. Madrid's main attractions include three internationally famous art galleries, a royal palace, grand public squares and many museums filled with the treasures of Spain's history. Overnight Madrid.
DAY 02 MADRID - AVILA - SALAMANCA
Breakfast. Pick up your hire car and drive westward out of Madrid in the direction of Salamanca. On the way be sure to visit Son Lorenzo de El Escorial, the imposing Palace / Monastery built by Philip II. Stop for lunch at the Parador just inside the walled city of Avila, then a leisurely run in to Salamanca. Overnight Salamanca.
DAY 03 SALAMANCA
Breakfast.This morning you have a half day tour of historical Salamanca with an official local guide. Salamanca is a wonderful University town, with great traditions and a magnificent old quarter. Overnight Salamanca.
DAY 04 SALAMANCA – CACERES
Breakfast.Drive south from Salamanca to historic Caceres passing some interesting medieval towns on the way. Your journey takes you via Bejar and Hervas, both worth a visit, then on to Plasencia and perhaps lunch at the Parador. Caceres has a superb, historic old quarter incorporating many noble houses of the 16th century and winding cobbled streets. The city has been declared Patrimony of Mankind by UNESCO. Overnight Caceres.
DAY 05 CACERES
Breakfast.A full day at leisure for sightseeing. Perhaps visit the Church of Santa Maria which faces the Palacio Episcopal. This Gothic - Renaissance church has a beautiful cedarwood reredos and a 15th century crucifix - the Black Christ 'Cristo Negro'. Overnight Caceres.
DAY 06 CACERES – MERIDA
Breakfast.Departure for Merida. This interesting town founded by the Romans has impressive ruins located in its centre which are well worth seeing. The Roman ruins include a large Amphitheatre and many interesting mosaic floors of the original houses of the settlement. Dinner in the dining room of the Parador, to sample local specialties such as truffles and gazpachos. Overnight Merida.
DAY 07 MERIDA – ZAFRA – CORDOBA
Breakfast.Head south towards pretty Zafra, capital of Tierra de Barros and an important agricultural centre. Continue on your journey southeast towards Cordoba. On arrival, drop off your hire car and taxi to your manor house. You will spend the next two nights enjoying this historic city. Overnight Cordoba.
DAY 08 CORDOBA
Breakfast.This morning you have a Fully Escorted tour of Cordoba, including the Alcazar the los Reyes Cristianos, the palace - fortress of the Catholic Monarchs built in the 14th century. Your tour will also include the city’s great Mosque and a stroll through the atmospheric Jewish quarter. Free afternoon. Overnight Cordoba.
DAY 09 CORDOBA – MADRID
Breakfast.Take a taxi to the train station to board the AVE high speed train north to Madrid, a journey of just 1.5hrs. Arrival and head to your hotel for a final night in the capital. Overnight.
DAY 10 MADRID
Breakfast. Farewell the city as you check-out of your hotel and depart Madrid for your next destination…
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.