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Click here to go to our:- Day Trips Overnight Excursions
If you like a little bit of history and plenty of beautiful scenery then this trip is for you. Our drive takes us in the direction of Granada. After coffe we head south through stunning countryside to the Tierras del Alhama and the historic spa town of Alhama de Granada.
The town’s impressive fortress was used by the Moors to defend the western side of the city of Granada against the Catholic Kings during the Reconquest. Alhama and other surrounding fortified towns were conquered before the onslaught and capture of Granada in 1492. Alhama de Granada is one of the most charming Granadino towns and its historical centre, its monuments, narrow streets and remnants of its Moorish past are a joy to explore.
The River Alhama runs through the gorge and just on the outskirts is the Balneario, the spa where hot water bubbles out of the rocks into pools before joining the gushing river alongside. The pools are always filled with visitors in bathing suits enjoying the soothing hot waters while being watched (and photographed) from the bridge above! We will try to arrange a visit inside the Balneario as well. We enjoy lunch in a delightful venta just outside town and head home through the stunning scenery and mountain roads of the old ‘bandit country’. We stop at the Venta Alfarnate said to be the oldest Inn in Andalucia that houses a cell where the captured bandits used to be kept! Lunch included.
Even if you have been here before, Ronda is a town that can always be enjoyed again and again especially if you have the time to wander and relax. Ronda is one of the oldest cities in Spain with archeological evidence dating back to the Neolithic Age. Through the centuries it became an important centre during the Moorish occupation and then during the Middle Ages and its architectural styles reflect this. Our day includes an interesting visit to Ronda la Vieja - located just outside Ronda to see the impressive Roman ruined town of Acinipo where there is also evidence of a Bronze Age settlement. On a large site on a plateau at 1000 mts. the Roman theatre dating from lst century bc is one of the best preserved in Spain and remains of baths and dwellings dating back to the 8thc bc have been excavated.
The Romans abandoned the city around the 4th century ad with the decline of the Roman Empire. In Ronda itself we have plenty of free time to explore the hidden corners in this historical and beautiful city. No lunch included as there are numerous restaurants, bars and picnic spots to choose from. Advice on the best things to see, the best views of El Tajo Gorge. Walking routes and town map are supplied. No lunch included
Our journey takes us north past the Iznajar Reservoir and through a landscape of rolling hillside and manicured olive groves. Set in the heart of Andalucia, Priego de Cordoba is one of the biggest and most important towns in the Subética Cordobesa.
The Barrio de la Villa is the original Moorish centre with pretty narrow streets packed tight with whitewashed houses and flower decked walls and balconies. The town is known for its majestic baroque churches, its Moorish castle and Carnicerias Reales (its slaughterhouse!) amongst other monuments, all of which can be visited. Priego was a wealthy town which is reflected in the rows of splendid Señorial houses that line the streets. The town’s most emblematic monument is the Fuente del Rey consisting of 3 pools and 139 fountains, this is a romantic and peaceful place, an ideal spot for a picnic. Lunch is not included as there are so many bars and restaurants and picnic spots to choose from in this picturesque town. On our return we stop at Rute and visit an Anis distillery. Advice on the best things to see, the best views, walking routes and town map supplied. No lunch included
Our day to Seville is perfect for those who wish to get to know the city in their own way. However, we include a traditional carriage ride from the Plaza de España to the city centre for a traditional welcome to this enchanting city.
The great city of Seville can be visited time and time again, there is so much to see and enjoy. There will be a short time at the Plaza de España from where carriages will take you to the city centre via the beautiful Maria Luisa Park. We plan to leave the carriages in the cathedral area if roadworks permit! (works are continuing for Seville’s underground at the moment). This is perfect for visiting the Alcazares Reales, the Barrio Santa Cruz, the Giralda and the famous Calle Serpes.
Everything is close at hand and if you wanted to go farther away from the centre, there is a Hop On Hop Off red bus that is good value and will take you all over the city! Your time in Seville is free for exploring and even taking a river trip for an hour if you wish. The river is close to the centre and it is at the Torre del Oro where we meet the coach for the return home. Advice on the best things to see, a couple of walking routes that will ensure you don’t miss a thing, the best views and town map supplied.
No lunch included
This is a longish day that takes us east of Granada city, north of the Sierra Nevada. We drive through a unique almost moonlike landscape that is home to the cave dwellings of the area. The route continues through to the Marquesado de Zenete, a fairly unknown region of Andalucia and here the small town of Calahorra is overlooked by Spain’s first Renaissance castle. Constructed in 1509 by the Marques de Zenete, it is in a fine condition and was designed by Italian architects who brought the marble from Italy. All that remains of an original Moorish fortress on the same site is the wall of which can be seen alongside.
The Catholic Kings gave the Marques the land and 8 surrounding villages in gratitude for help during the Reconquest. There is a lot of history and drama to this castle and a local man from the village opens up on Wednesdays to show visitors around. It is a bit of climb up to the castle with a mix of stony steps and gravel path. The coach cannot use the track so please bear this in mind if you are a bit unsteady on your feet.
The town itself is small and all on the level with old señorial houses with heavy doors and ornate grills and lovely castle views. Lunch will be taken locally and then we drive back to see the fascinating cave dwellings at Guadix. In the Barrio de las Cuevas there are more than 2000 cave homes, a cave-church and an interesting museum showing cave living through the ages. There is a mirador here too which involves many steps but no obligation to climb up to the top! Lunch included
An interesting day out that takes us north through the beautiful Natural Park of the Sierra Subbética to the ancient city of Cordoba where we have a panoramic tour on arrival with entrance to the Mezquita included. The majority of the sights are located in and around the central area and the narrow cobbled streets are so inviting and intriguing! Close to the Great Mosque is the Judería, the attractive Jewish quarter where you will find the 14th c synagogue, one of the oldest and most interesting Jewish monuments in Spain.
The stunning gardens of the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristiano is also close by as is the Puente Romano and the Calahorra tower, built in 1369 which can be visited. It’s worth a short stroll to the Plaza del Potro with its 16th c fountain that is mentioned in Don Quijote – and the nearby Pousada del Potro that almost certainly accommodated Cervantes when he visited Cordoba. In the afternoon we head south through the countryside that is dominated by the two important resources of this area, wine and olive oil. Montilla is home to the drink of the same name and we stop off at the Alvear Bodegas for an enjoyable tasting and tour.
For your free time in Cordoba there is advice on the best places to visit, walking routes and a city map. No lunch included
This trip is being planned at the moment but will be a special evening out with a drive around El Torcal and then an evening at the Wolf Park. There is a guided tour where will hear the wolves howling to each other. Included is barbecue on the terrace while watching the spectacular sunset over El Torcal. Dinner included
Details on the News and Calendar pages
Doñana National Park in Huelva is Spain’s largest wildlife reserve. We include a carriage ride in Seville and overnight is in the Atlantic resort of Matalascañas. There is time to stroll around the pilgrim town of El Rocio and the Palacio de Acebrón close by. Our adventurous 4x4 tour takes us along the beach, across the dunes and into the woodland in search of wildlife. All meals included
Cadiz is Spain’s oldest city with records going back at least 3000 years.
It has always been a town of seafarers and many journeys to the New World have started here.The British have laid siege to Cadiz over the centuries from Drake to Essex, the Battle of Trafalgar in 1804 and the Duke of Wellington saving it from Napeolon’s armies.
The huge dome of Cadiz cathedral dominates the skyline and dates from 1722 and this, together with the many other historical buildings reflecting the Gothic and Neo-classical styles make Cadiz a fascinating city to explore. It’s just a short ferry ride across the bay to the attractive town of Puerto Santa Maria and its traditional bodegas and fish restaurants that line the quayside. All meals except l lunch included
An enjoyable and relaxing drive through the stunning Alpujarran countryside and old Berber villages hugging the slopes of the
Sierra Nevada. Whitewashed villages, their typically colourful rugs, blankets and fabrics on sale everywhere. The villages are a maze of narrow streets and pretty plazas and we have an overnight stay in the Alpujarran town of Orgiva, at the bottom of the valley. We also visit the picturesque villages of Pampaneira, Bubión, Capileira, and the spa town of Lanjarón. All meals included
We drive via Seville to Huelva Province and visit the mining area of Rio Tinto. The abundant copper and iron ores and sulphide deposits in this region have been mined since prehistoric time. However, in the 19thcentury British companies bought up the ruined and disused mines and founded the Rio Tinto Co. Ltd. We visit the Mining Museum that is housed in buildings of the old English Hospital, a beautiful modernista building dating from 1927. On show is a complete mining history, from Roman time until the arrival of the English.
We also take a ride on the tourist train made of original mining wagons and pass travel through the deep red landscape and waters of the Rio Tinto Valley. On this trip we also visit the fabulous Grotto of Marvels in Aracena and it is said that a shepherd found the entrance to the cave in the early 20th century. Now attracting thousands of visitors a year the cave has 3 galleried levels, with stalagmites and stalactites, evocative limestone formations, an underground river and six large lakes. Our tour also includes a visit to the Roman town of Itálica, the birthplace of Trajan, Hadrian and Theodosus. The ruined town is more than ¾ buried beneath the ground but there is much to savour, including splendid mosaics and statues. All meals included
A relaxing two day journey up to Cordoba that includes a panoramic tour of this great city and entrance to the Mezquita. There is plenty of free time to explore the many interesting sights and on the second day we drive 8kms outside the city to Medina Azahara a palatial town built between 936 and 1010 to imitate one that had been built in Baghdad. It became the richest and most luxurious city the west had ever known.
On our way back to the coast we stop at the Alvear Bodegas for a tasting. All meals included
There is so much to see in this corner of Andalucia, and we have planned this 3 day journey that will include a visit to the pretty hilltop village of Arcos de la Frontera. We stay in Jerez itself with a bodega visit and free time to explore and wander this very traditional andalucian city. We take a cruise up the Guadalquivir from Sanlucar de Barrameda and have free time there afterwards. The cruise has two stops one to see the salt flats and the other on the Doñana Park side. On the final day (always a Saturday) we visit the Yeguada de la Cartuja (Carthusian Stud Farm) where the Equestrian World Games were held in 2002 and enjoy a show in the covered riding school and a very informative tour to see the mares and colts, the breeding centre, stables and harness rooms. This is the world’s most important stud for these horses and no visit to Jerez would be complete without something horsey! All meals included except lunch on second day.
The final details of this trip will be placed on the News and Calendar pages when they have been confirmed. Suffice it to say, Almeria is a province that deserves to be explored more than it is. Too far from the Costa del Sol for a short trip, we are planning to use the resort of Roquetas de Mar as our base for 3 nights and explore from there on a daily basis. Included is the City of Almeria, the port of Aguadulce, the National park area of Cabo de Gata, the inland desert areas and Mini-Hollywood, where many spaghetti westerns have been filmed as well as some epic movies. Our return journey could take us across to Guadix via the Puerta de la Ragua pass, the route across the eastern Sierra Nevada. There will be some wonderful scenery on this journey and we will visit and area that many of you have never experienced before. Route will be confirmed asap.
Further trips will be planned and details of these will be put on the News and Calendar pages.
Please see the Morocco Tours page for Moroccan journeys
Journeys to Madrid, Jaen, The White Villages, Tarifa and the Costa de la Luz, Extremadura and the Wolf Park are in the pipeline.