South of Spain Tour

Seville is an elegant city of boulevards and palaces from the time when Spain was ruled by Arabic leaders, known as the Moors. This is a city that is alive with color and culture, from the paradise of the Alcázar palace water gardens to the 19th-century majesty of the Old Tobacco Factory, where Bizet’s Carmen was set. Take an afternoon stroll or siesta before heading out into the long evening—a flamenco show with tapas is what we’d recommend.

Cordoba is one of Spain’s oldest cities, once the seat of the mighty Umayyad Caliphate of al-Andalus from 711 AD until 1031 AD, when it was recaptured by Castille—as reflected in the Mezquita, a combination of mosque and cathedral. Walk through the mosque’s forest of 856 onyx and marble columns, before reaching the Romanesque cathedral that the Castilians built right in the middle—this is a place that has to be seen to be believed.

Head southeast to Granada, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Walk through the Arab quarter of this hilly city, where restaurants sit on cobbled staircases and orange trees grow in tiny plazas. At the top of the city, you’ll find the Alhambra, known to the Moors as the “Pearl set among Emeralds”. Explore 1,200 years of extensions to the palace, from Roman ruins to one of Spain’s most inspiring structures.

Sat on the southern coast of Andalucia, Malaga is the perfect place to end your Southern Spain Tour. Enjoy something a bit more modern than the Alhambra from Malaga’s most beloved son: Pablo Picasso. Set in a converted palace, explore the famous Blue Period and the modern classics of this genius and Spanish icon. End an evening with a meal of Mediterranean langoustines and white Rioja wine, enjoying one last taste of Spain’s spirited south.