4* Classical Spain & Andalucia

Accommodation

4 star Hotel Antequera

For our Seville, Granada and Classical Spain holiday we stay in the 4 star Hotel Antequera Hills in Antequera, which is within walking distance of the town centre.

The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, ideal for a refreshing swim after a day's sightseeing, and large gardens and terraces.

The well-appointed bedrooms are spacious and comfortable and have satellite TV, telephone, safety deposit box, mini bar and en-suite bathroom.

Accomodation at the hotel is on a HALF BOARD basis with breakfast and dinner included in the holiday price. Meals are taken in the hotel's restaurant and a glass of wine or mineral water are included with the evening dinners.

Please note that on certain peak dates or with high demand, we may use an alternative hotel of the same standard in this beautiful region of Andalucia.

Excursions & Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Spain

Our holiday begins with the flight to Malaga where you will be met and transferred to our hotel in Antequera.

Days 2 - 7

During our stay we have arranged a superb programme of four included excursions and sightseeing trips to enable you to discover the very best of Andalucia. There are also two days at leisure, when you can relax in the comfortable surroundings of our hotel, perhaps taking a dip in the pool, or take a leisurely walk into the centre of Antequera.

Included Visit to Cordoba

Cordoba was once the largest city in Europe. We take a walk through the well maintained, historical city centre and along the beautiful “Street of Flowers” to the 1,000 years old Mezquita, or Great Mosque of the Celiphs, which is the second largest in the world and has more than 850 marble pillars made of semi-precious stones. After the Moors were expelled from Spain, King Charles V then built a Catholic church actually inside the mosque - it really does have to be seen to be believed! After our tour you'll have plenty of time to explore the warren of colourful streets and shops surrounding the Mezquita in the old Jewish Quarter. We'll also visit a local wine "bodega" for a tasting of the local Andalucian wine before leaving Cordoba in the late afternoon and returning to Antequera.

Included Visit to Seville

Today’s included excursion takes us to Seville. On arrival we have a panoramic sightseeing coach tour which shows us some of the city’s main highlights including the Tobacco Factory, which was the setting for the first act of Bizet’s opera Carmen, the imposing 12th century Alcazar Royal Palace, the Plaza De Espana, the Tower of Gold and the magnificent Cathedral, the third largest in the world and which houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. After our tour the rest of the day is at leisure, giving you an ideal opportunity to perhaps stroll through the old Barrio Santa Cruz, the Jewish quarter which is located around the Cathedral, or take a sightseeing cruise on one of the river boats to see this beautiful city from a different perspective before we head back to Antequera.

Included Visit to Granada

This morning we travel further into the heart of Andalucia on our included excursion to Granada. The capital city of Andalucia, Granada is situated at the foot of the magnificent Sierra Nevada mountain range, with its snow-capped peaks which rise to a height of some 11,000 feet.

On arrival we have a sightseeing tour of the ‘must see’ attractions of this magnificent city including the Royal Chapel, where the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella are buried and the cathedral built on the site of the former mosque. After the sightseeing tour we visit the *Alhambra Palace and have a guided walk through its formal gardens and into the Alcazaba citadel and the Generalife. The rest of the day is then free to explore Granada at your own pace with its colourful Moorish Quarter, lots of fascinating shops, ice cream parlours and pavement cafes before returning to the hotel in time for dinner.

Included visit to Ronda

Today we drive across the Andalucian plains to Ronda, a picturesque clifftop town which is spectacularly situated 600 feet above the El Tajo gorge. The gorge is spanned by the 18th century Puente Nuovo Bridge, from where you can peer down to the river far below. Across the bridge, where an elegant cloistered 16th century convent is now an art museum, Old Ronda or ‘La Ciudad’, has cobbled streets lined with elegant town mansions. Ronda also has one of Spain’s oldest bullfighting rings, Plaza de Toros.

At leisure

Spend some more time relaxing and enjoying the facilities in the hotel or revisit the centre of Antequerra.

Day 8: Fly home

Today we transfer to Malaga airport to take the return flight to the UK.

Additional Information

* Please note that named entrance tickets to the Alhambra have to be booked by us no later than 10 weeks before the holiday departure date, as visitor numbers are strictly limited. We will need your passport details in order for us to secure your entrance ticket and you must also take your passport with you on the excursion. We regret that we are unable to pre-book entry tickets to the Alhambra on holiday bookings made with us within 10 weeks of the holiday departure date, nor are we able to purchase them on the day and therefore entry to the Alhambra Palace is not included on holidays booked with us less than 10 weeks before departure.

Do be aware that there is lots of uneven ground and numerous steps at the Alhambra Palace and Gardens and a visit inside may not be suitable for anyone with walking difficulties or for wheelchair users.

The transfer time from Malaga airport to the hotel is approximately one hour