13-Nights Spain and Portugal - Land Journey

Madrid

The capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid is located on the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. Because of its central location and high altitude, the climate of Madrid is characterized by warm dry summers and cool winters. Madrid is a city of great monuments. Among its highlights are the medieval center dating back to the Habsburg Empire and the Prado Museum. Madrid is not just a cultural destination. It is also a lively metropolis with many pubs, cafes, discotheques and nightclubs open late into the night.

Lisbon

Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.

Seville

Seville is one place most beloved by visitors to Spain. Although today Moorish influence is architectonically most evident - Andalusia was occupied by Moors for about 800 years - it has been a cultural center long before. Seville was home of famous and infamous figures of history, the legendary "Don Juan" started from here to conquer the hearts of women across all Europe, while Columbus started from a port close to Seville to discover a new world. Prosper Merimée's "Carmen", who couldn't make her decision between the officer Don José and the bullfighter Escamillo, can still be watched today in opera houses. Seville is the very heart of Andalusian culture and the center of bullfighting and Flamenco music. Take it easy and interrupt sightseeing from time to time to have a few "tapas", those typical "small spanish dishes", and a glass of Sherry wine in one of the many bars in this city.

Marbella

Marbella which formerly was just a small Andalusian fishing-village turned into one of the most exciting holiday resorts along the Mediterranean coast, one of the favourite places of the rich and beautiful and all those who wish they were. This center of the Jet-Set and Show Business offers beautiful boulevards, parks and gardens, as well as those romantic narrow lanes in the best Moorish or Andalusian tradition that make Marbella's unmistakable personality. Great beaches, great climate, and a unique offer in sports, gastronomy and entertainment. A visit to Marbella is a guarantee for unforgetable exclusive holidays.

Porto

Porto (Oporto), Portugal's second largest city, is full of interest, and the district it heads offers the visitor plenty to see. Along the coast, there are resorts like the cosmopolitan beach of Espinho, busy ports like Matosinhos, with splendid seafood, or traditional fishing towns like Póvoa de Varzim, and there is also an animated casino. Charming Amarante has 17th century mansions overlooking the river and is famous for a sweet egg pastries called "papos de anjo" (angel bellies). In Vila Nova de Gaia, there are lodges where Port wine is blended and aged and where tasting are offered, or visitors may take a river cruise along the Douro. The whole district is filled with prosperous towns, but there are also many calm roads with wonderful views over the river and a rugged and still unspoilt coastline.

Cordoba

Today's Cordoba is as impressive and surprising as its past. In the 11th century it was one of the most important capitals in Europe. People of the most different cultures and religions - Jews, Muslims and Christians - have lived peacefully together, and important philosophers, scientists and artists emerged from here. Cordoba has interesting aspects, including its great monuments - the world-famous Mezquita, the Moorish mosque - and museums. Cordoba is as a lively town in the best Andalusian tradition, a town of Flamenco and bullfighting, and one of the most attractive destinations in southern Spain. The Great Mosque, which took up Roman architectural traditions, made use of columns from older buildings around, and added the Muslim sentiment of the abstract and the limitless room. The double arches are representative for the architecture dominating North Africa. Another splendid example of Muslim inheritance in Spain is the old Ummawiyy castle, Alcázar. The main attraction here are the gardens, lavish, extensive, and with water in a central role.

Granada

Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Andalusia, Spain. Granada has been inhabited by many empires for 2,500 years from the Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and the Moors. Remainder of each reigning era is prominent in Granada’s cultural and architectural influences. Imprints of the past can be found in Albaicin, an old Arabic quarter paved with cobble stoned streets, ogee arches, voussoirs, and decorative tile work. When the sun sets, Alhambra is at its most beautiful and radiant complimenting Byzantine courtyards and muqarna details. Homes also reflect the Mediterranean and Renaissance elegance long past. Present-day Granada attracts visitors by recapturing the past and evoking the co-existence of different cultures.