Your Host: Camille Ostler

Day One
Board an evening flight from Salt Lake City with a connection to Seville.

Day Two
Welcome to Seville, Spain! Transfer to your hotel.

Day Three
After breakfast we will take a city tour throughout Seville. Next we will visit the Plaza de Espana and the Maria Luisa Park next to the Guadalquivir River. This enormous plaza is surrounded by balconies of a Neo-Moorish building.Next, visit the Catedral de Sevilla, the world’s largest Gothic cathedral. Full of art treasures and beautiful interiors, this chapel will be a highlight of your trip. Stop for lunch in the Barrio de Santa Cruz and have some time to explore this most charming place to visit in Seville with its maze of cobblestone roads.Finally, visit Real Alcazar. This is a fortress built in the 10th century and is the oldest royal palace in Europe that is still in use. It has a beautiful courtyard and showcases Islamic architecture with large arches and marble columns. The Alcazar gardens were used to film a set for the Game of Thrones. Movie fans will also recognize the Palace of the Kingdom of Naboo from Star Wars as well as some scenes from Lawrence of Arabia that were filmed here. The Spanish royal family still occupies the Real Alcazar as a royal residence. (B)

Day Four
Today we are off to Ronda, known as the birthplace of modern bullfighting. Our tour will start at Plaza de Toros, home to Spain’s oldest bullring. The Plaza de Toros has displays of famous Matadors, historic stables, a museum, and more!

Travel to Puente Nuevo (New Bridge). Built in 1788, it is the most iconic monument of Ronda due to its feat of engineering of stone masonry. The bridge offers beautiful views of the gorge and Rio Guadelevin. You can also walk along the trails near the bridge for gorgeous views of Puente Nuevo and the waterfalls.

We will  travel to Banos Arabes which are the best preserved Moorish Baths in Spain. Built in the 13th to 15th century, these thermal baths are similar to the Roman baths having a complex for cold, warm and hot baths. The ceiling even has star-shaped skylights! Tonight transfer to Nerja to check-in to your resort. (B)

Day Five
Today is a free day at the resort. Enjoy the pool and beautiful beach on the resort property. Every breakfast and dinner is included at the resort. (B, D)

Day Six
The Rock of Gibraltar is a British Colony that has been around for over 300 years. It guards over the Strait of Gibraltar, which is where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic, and where Africa aligns with Europe. We will visit the popular St. Michael’s Cave which was created by rain water slowly dissolving limestone rock to create large tunnels. Next we will see the famous Barbary apes that have views of the Spanish and Moroccan coastline. The tour ends by spending some time on the main street of town. Enjoy the colonial buildings and the different shops. (B, D)

Day Seven
This morning we will sightsee throughout Moorish Granada, with a highlight being the Alhambra atop of Assabica Hill. The Alhambra is a famous Islamic monument and is one of the best preserved palaces in the world. You will see incredible views of the town below and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Beautiful gardens surround the palace. Next eat lunch and explore the beautiful neighborhood of the Albaicin - a UnESCO-listed World Heritage site. The Albaicin, is part of the medieval Arabic quarter and has picturesque narrow streets.

We are off at the Capilla Real de Granada, which houses royal tombs. The interior features stained-glass windows and paintings by Alonso Cano. A highlight here is the treasure of artwork including Botticelli’s Christ on the mount of Olives painting and Rogier van der Weyden’s Pieta.

We will visit Granada’s Cathedral of Santa Maria which is the finest Renaissance church in Spain and was built by Queen Isabella as a monument and symbol of the victory of Chrsitian Spain over the Moors. (B, D)

Day Eight
Transfer to the Malaga airport for your return to Salt Lake City. Thank you for traveling with us, welcome home! (B)