Discover Spain

Upon arrival in Madrid, we will make our own way to our hotel. The Odyssey Program Leader will greet the group and the rest of the day is free until we meet again in the evening for our welcome dinner. (D)

Today we will have a full day as we take in the sights and sounds of Madrid. The capital of Spain, Madrid is a modern metropolis that has preserved its historic neighbourhoods and buildings, the perfect gateway to immerse ourselves in Spanish history. Among those we will visit today are Plaza Mayor, a major public square in the heart of Madrid; Mercado San Miguel, a covered marketplace established in 1916; and the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family in the city. (Please note that we will not be entering the palace.)

We will be exploring Museo del Prado, which holds artwork from artists such as Rembrandt, Rafael, and Hieronymous Bosch and Spanish painter Francisco Goya. We will also visit the Parque del Buen Retiro (“Park of the Pleasant Retreat”) which once belonged to the Spanish monarchy but is now a public park. (B)

We have no guided tours scheduled today so the day is free for us to enjoy! In the evening we will meet for dinner at a traditional tapas restaurant. (B,D)

Today we will head out of Madrid to the Valley of the Fallen in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a sombre and at times controversial monument commissioned by former military leader Francisco Franco. The Valley, completed in 1959, is composed of an underground crypt and basilica–the Basílica de la Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos (Basilica of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen), where the bodies of the people who died in the Spanish Civil War were laid to rest (Franco’s remains are here as well)–topped with a 152.4-metre-high (500 feet) cross. Through the years it became a site of protest against the Spanish dictator and a venue for Francoists paying their respects, until 2007 when the Spanish government banned all political events from being held here.

On our way back to Madrid, we will stop at Segovia to view the Roman aqueduct, one of the most well-preserved Roman monuments, and explore the medieval Alcazar, including its artillery museum and tower. (B)

We will travel south of Madrid to Aranjuez to visit the Aranjuez Palace, which once served as a Spanish royal residence, begun during the reign of Philip II and completed during the reign of Charles III.

We will then explore Toledo, which before Madrid served as the imperial capital. On this walking tour, we will enter the 13th century Toledo Cathedral, view the medieval Puente de San Martin linking the city to the west, built to complement the Puente de Alcantara in the east, which we will also visit; and visit the Puerta de Bisagra, the city gate of Toledo dating back to the 10th century. We will climb the road up to a famous viewpoint, the Mirador del Valle, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city.

From Toledo we will transfer to Consuegra to see the windmills, made famous as “giants” in Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote.

We will move on to Ciudad Real, where we will stay for the night. (B,D)

From Ciudad Real, we will travel to Cordoba and for a half-day tour of the main sights. We will view the Roman bridge of Cordoba, and visit the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba (Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba), originally a mid-6th century Visigothic church turned into a mosque during Cordoba’s Islamic era.

During the Reconquista of the 12th century, the Christian army entered Cordoba and celebrated the Holy Mass inside the mosque, converting the city and the mosque-cathedral back to the Catholic faith.

We will transfer to Seville, where we will be spending the night. (B,D)

Today we will be exploring Seville, founded as the Roman city Hispalis and now the capital of the Andalusia region. We will view the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site of Seville, the monumental complex in the heart of the city consisting of the Seville Cathedral with the Giralda minaret, the Alcázar (fortress), and the Archivo de Indias. The Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world with its Giralda tower standing at 96 meters. Once an Almohad mosque, it was turned into a Catholic Cathedral following the Reconquista in 1248 and now holds the remains of Juan of Aragon, son of Ferdinand and Isabella, and Christopher Columbus. The Alcázar (fortress) of Seville, imbued with Moorish influences, is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The Lonja, which became the Archivo de Indias (General Archive of the Indies), contains valuable documents illustrating the reach of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and in Asia. We will stroll through the grand Plaza de España and enter the bullring of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla, site of the famous Seville bullfights. (B)

Today is a free day for us to further explore Seville, or to simply rest. In the evening we will have dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D)

We will now journey to Granada, but en route we will stop at the mountaintop city of Ronda, which sits on top of the El Tajo gorge that separates Ronda’s 15th century new town from the old town that dates from Spain’s Islamic era. We will view Puente Nuevo and Puente Viejo, historic bridges that span the deep gorge. (B)

The city of Granada sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, and was once one of the most important cities of the Umayyad Caliphate in the Iberian Peninsula and, after the caliphate’s collapse, the centre of Jewish culture and scholarship. To learn more about Granada’s history, we will enter the Alhambra, the Arab citadel and palace, with its Generalife Gardens (subject to availability) and the Centro de la Memoria Sefardí.

The afternoon is free to be spent at our leisure. In the evening, we will enjoy a flamenco show while having dinner. (B,D)

Today we will travel from Granada to Murcia and have the afternoon free to spend at our leisure. (B)

From Murcia we will travel to Albacete in the historic La Mancha region, where we will have time to explore the city on our own. Albacete is more known as the transport hub of the region, but it also has two museums we can consider visiting: Museo Arqueológico (with a collection of Roman ivory) and Museo de la Cuchillería (museum of knives).

From Albacete we push on to Cuenca, where we will stay for the night. (B)

Cuenca was originally the Roman town of Conca which fell under Muslim (8th century) and Castilian (12th century) influence in later centuries. In the 19th century, the city expanded and became divided into the upper, old city of Cuenca and the more modern city in the lowlands close to the railway from Madrid. The old city was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996.

We will go on a half-day tour of the city and view the incredible Casas Colgantes (“Hanging Houses”) called as such as they appear suspended. We will also visit the Cuenca Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (also referred to as the “new” cathedral of Cuenca).

The remainder of the day is free. (B)

Today we will travel from Cuenca to Teruel, with a stop at Albarracin, which we will be able to explore on our own. The Spanish themselves voted Albarracin, with its medieval houses and picturesque fortifications, as the most beautiful town in Spain in 2018–definitely the perfect place to stop and admire the views.

The remainder of the day is free upon our arrival in Teruel. (B,D)

At Teruel we will have some free time to explore the city or simply relax and enjoy the tranquillity in this remote town, which remains the only provincial capital in peninsular Spain without a direct railway link to Madrid.

From Teruel we will travel to Valencia, where we will spend the night. (B,D)

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, with architecture ranging from the Roman era to the avant-garde, offering us plenty of places to see and explore. We will visit the Valencia Cathedral, which bears its history on the range of architectural styles and elements found in the building, and the lavishly designed Llotja de la Seda (“Silk Exchange”), a symbol of Valencia’s golden age in the 16th century, when it served as an important European cultural and commercial centre.

From Valencia we will journey on to Tortosa, where we will spend the night. (B)

Today we will head to Vilobi del Penedes, where we will visit a vineyard and winery for a tour and wine tasting.

From our little trip in the vineyard, we travel to Montserrat. The city is located at the foot of the striking multi-peaked mountain range of the same name (Montserrat in Catalan means “saw mountain”). We will be visiting the Santa Maria de Montserrat on the mountain to view the Virgin of Montserrat, one of the Black Madonnas of Europe. To reach the Benedictine abbey and basilica, we will be taking a cable car ride that will also give us a panoramic view of the city.

From Montserrat, we transfer to Barcelona for the night. (B,D)

Today will be spent exploring the vibrant city of Barcelona. We will be visiting the extraordinary Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and Barcelona’s triumphal arch Arc de Triomf. We will stroll through another Gaudi-designed space, the Parc Guell, and down tree-lined La Rambla. We will sample Barcelona’s gastronomic delights in the La Boqueria Market which dates back to the 13th century, and explore the historic Gothic Quarter. (B)

Today we will venture out of Barcelona to the ancient Catalan city of Girona, which we will have the opportunity to explore on our own. From Girona we travel to Figueres, hometown of surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Here we will visit the Dali Theatre and Museum, with free time to explore the town on our own before returning to Barcelona. (B)

Today is a free day in Barcelona, which we may spend relaxing or exploring the corners of the city we have yet to see. In the evening we will sit down for our farewell dinner. (B,D)

The end of breakfast also marks the end of the tour and our services. (B)