Back Roads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas
Back Roads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas 2017 15-Day Land Tour{TRIPOperatedBy}
Extend your trip
Pre-Trip Porto: Northern Portugal’s Romanesque Gem
Post-Trip Bilbao & Spain’s Northern Coast
Your Day-to-Day Itinerary Overseas Adventure Travel
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Included in Your Price
»» International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements
»» All land transportation
»» Accommodations for 14 nights
»» 30 meals—14 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 10 dinners (including 1 Home-Hosted Dinner)
»» 19 small group activities
»» Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader
»» Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
»» 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next O.A.T. trip—an average of $294
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. What This Trip is Like
Pacing »» Lodgings in Lisbon and Madrid are hotel- »» 6 locations in 15 days standard, with a variety of amenities and private baths Physical requirements »» Not appropriate for travelers using Cuisine wheelchairs or other mobility aids »» Meals will be based on the local cuisine
»» Must be able to walk 2-3 miles unassisted each day and participate in 3-5 hours of daily physical activities, including walks along cobblestoned streets and up several steps and steep hills
»» We reserve the right for Trip Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience
Climate »» Spain and Portugal enjoy a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cool winters
»» Daytime temperatures in July and August often reach above 90°F
Terrain & Transportation »» Travel over some rugged paths and cobblestoned streets, as well as bumpy, unpaved roads, both by bus and on foot
»» Travel via private, air-conditioned bus
»» Several overland drives of 5-6 hours
Accommodations & Facilities »» Most nights are in paradores and pousadas, government-owned restored historic inns with comfortable rooms and private baths
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Back Roads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas 2017
Extend your trip
Pre-Trip Porto: Northern Portugal’s Romanesque Gem
Post-Trip Bilbao & Spain’s Northern Coast
From a Roman colony and centuries of Moorish rule to the great explorers of the Age of Discovery, the Iberian Peninsula is home to extraordinary beauty and untold remnants of a tumultuous past. We’ll chart our own course for discovery in these ancient lands while staying in intimate Portuguese pousadas and Spanish paradores, restored historic inns—from castles and convents to manor homes and monaster- ies—that evoke the glory of an earlier era. You’ll also dine with a Spanish family in their home, sip Portuguese wine at an 18th-century wine estate, and learn about the history of bullfighting at a ranch in Ronda, a medieval town perched high above a plunging gorge. Discover royal cities, hilltop citadels, and ancient olive groves on a journey deep into the lands of conquerors and conquistadores.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Detailed Itinerary
An important word about your adventure
In some regions of Spain and Portugal, the overall quality of travel services is not what you would find in the United States. To get the most of your trip, you should have a healthy sense of curiosity, an adventurous spirit, and a flexible attitude about the unpredictable nature of travel in this part of the world. This trip is designed for people who want a different kind of travel experience. It emphasizes active exploration and close cultural contact over deluxe accommodations. We seek out unusual experiences, in out-of-the-way places where ordinary tours don’t go. To fully enjoy this trip, you should be in good health and enjoy an active lifestyle. Part of the adventure is that changing circumstances may make it impossible for us to follow this trip itinerary exactly. The sequence of places visited may vary. When we are forced to make variations, we make every attempt to use facilities that are equivalent in quality.
DAY 1 Depart U.S. optional Porto: Northern Portugal’s Romanesque You depart today on your overnight flight Gem extension. This evening, our group will from the U.S. to Lisbon, Portugal. gather for dinner at a local restaurant. Dinner DAY 2 Arrive Lisbon, Portugal After an overnight flight, arrive at the airport DAY 3 Explore Lisbon • Visit Sintra in Lisbon, where an O.A.T. representative After breakfast, we set out for a discovery will greet you. After a brief orientation walk of Lisbon. Spread out on seven low hills to gain familiarity with our surroundings, overlooking the Tagus River, the legendary we’ll enjoy a Welcome Drink and a briefing Portuguese capital has lured traders and about our upcoming discoveries at our hotel. settlers for more than 20 centuries. We’ll also meet those who traveled on our
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. In the late 15th century, the port of Lisbon DAY 4 Rural Portugal was the staging point for Portuguese explo- Today, we’ll journey south of the city to a rations that would usher in the great Age region of farmland and fields and focus on of Discovery—and make Lisbon the richest some of Portugal’s popular rural traditions. European capital until the 19th century. Our discoveries include a visit to a traditional Highlights of our panoramic city tour include artisanal cheese producer to learn about Belém, a neighborhood that is home to a Azeitão cheese, a velvety local specialty made variety of cafés, museums, gardens, and from raw sheep’s milk. Then, after lunch at parks, as well as two UNESCO World Heritage a local restaurant, we’ll learn about another Sites dating from the early 16th century: longstanding Portuguese tradition: azulejos. Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery. At Introduced to Iberia by Moors, these blue Jerónimos, which was built as a monument or multi-colored ceramic tiles decorate to celebrate Portuguese voyages around the everything from church walls and palaces to world, we’ll visit the monastery’s church, the façades of most Portuguese homes. We’ll whose lower choir is the resting place of also gain insight into the ancient art form of Vasco da Gama. Jerónimos is considered azulejos by trying our hand at painting some a jewel of Manueline architecture (named of the tiles. after King Manuel I), a flamboyant building style that glorifies Portugal’s seafaring We return to our hotel in Lisbon in the after- past. In Belém, we’ll also view Lisbon’s noon. Dinner is on your own this evening. iconic Monument to the Discoveries, where Breakfast, Lunch Portugal’s intrepid explorers are immortal- ized in sculpture. Then, we’ll drive through Baixa, an area in the heart of Lisbon that was DAY 5 Overland to Évora destroyed and completely rebuilt after the After breakfast, we depart Lisbon and Great Earthquake of 1755. Baixa now features journey through the unspoiled wine-growing broad squares and avenues flanked by shops, region of Alentejo province on our way to cafés, and elegant Neo-Classical buildings. Évora. Our route is through gently rolling Later, we’ll leave the city’s environs to visit terrain, which is dotted with vineyards, Sintra, a village situated within a fairytale cork trees, olive groves—even prehistoric landscape of lush forests, turreted palaces, monuments. To break up our journey, we’ll and castle ruins. Our discoveries include stop in Arraiolos, a small village near Évora Pena Palace, a lavish 19th-century hilltop that is renowned throughout the world castle built on the ruins of an ancient for its hand-embroidered wool carpets monastery. After a walking tour through and tapestries. Here, we’ll learn about the the palatial gardens of this UNESCO World centuries-old rug-making techniques. Heritage Site, we’ll head to a local restaurant Then, we’ll learn about Portuguese wine at for dinner and a private performance of a traditional 18th-century monte (a typical Portugal’s traditional melancholic style of Alentejo farming estate), where we’ll tour music known as fado. the vineyard, winery, and cellars. We’ll also get to sample a few of the estate’s wines and Breakfast, Dinner enjoy an included lunch.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Later this afternoon, we’ll arrive in Évora afternoon is yours to stroll along the cobbled and enjoy an included dinner at our historic streets of the town that many of the 15th- pousada. century Portuguese kings once called home.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner This evening, we’ll gather together to learn some of the secrets of Portuguese cuisine during a cooking lesson, followed by an DAY 6 Explore Évora • included dinner. Portuguese cooking lesson Breakfast, Dinner This morning features a walking tour of Évora, an ancient hilltop town with Roman and Moorish roots that is a UNESCO World DAY 7 Roman ruins of Mérida • Heritage Site. Our stroll within Evora’s Overland to Carmona, Spain medieval walls will reveal a series of white- Crossing into Spain today, we enter washed houses adorned with wrought-iron Extremadura, an autonomous Spanish prov- balconies. We’ll also see the influence of ince known as the homeland of such famous Rome at the ruins of the Temple of Diana, 16th-century conquistadores as Pizarro and whose 14 exquisite Corinthian columns Cortés. As we traverse this vast and sparsely date back to the second and third centuries. populated farming region we will likely see Next to the Roman temple is the equally views of storks nesting in ancient steeples imposing Évora Cathedral, a rose granite and medieval towns dotting the plain. monument blending Romanesque and Gothic Although Extremadura once marked the architecture, with some of its most ancient boundary between Moorish and Christian sections dating from the beginning of the Spain, the capital of the region, Mérida, 13th century. fell under Moorish, Christian, and even Near Évora’s main square is the Church of Portuguese control throughout its storied St. Francis, home to a macabre bone chapel history. It is better known, however, as one (Capela dos Ossos) which welcomes visitors of the most famous Roman capitals on the with the eerie message: “We bones in here Iberian Peninsula, and it displays this heri- wait for yours to join us.” Inside, thousands tage in some of the best-preserved Roman of skeletons and skulls have been carefully ruins in all of Europe. Today, we’ll explore arranged along the chapel walls, ceilings, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mérida, and columns—put there by three Franciscan including its 6,000-seat Roman theater and monks in the early 16th century who wanted the adjoining amphitheater, where gladiators wealthy residents of Évora to reflect on the once battled to the death against animals transience of material things and inevitabil- imported from Asia and Africa and confined ity of death. in the large, cross-shaped pit we’ll see at center stage. During lunch on your own, you may wish to pick up a regional specialty like smoky After lunch on your own, we continue our paio sausage or Serpa cheese to go along journey to the charming Andalusian town of with freshly baked bread for a simple and Carmona, arriving in time for an included delicious meal. Then, the remainder of the dinner.
Breakfast, Dinner
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 8 Carmona • Optional Seville tour DAY 9 Overland to Ronda Spend the day exploring Carmona on your Today we journey south from Carmona to own, or join an optional tour to Seville, Ronda, admiring views of several of the the romantic Spanish city renowned for region’s famous “white villages” along the bullfighting, theflamenco , and Don Juan. way. Nestled into mountainsides or set atop This optional tour reveals several of Seville’s dramatic gorges, Andalusia’s Pueblos Blancos highlights, including its picturesque white- are a series of picturesque whitewashed hill washed homes, 2000-year-old plazas, and towns and quaint villages that also offer a maze of cobbled streets in neighborhoods glimpse of Spanish life and culture during like the Barrio de Santa Cruz. We’ll also medieval times. Our destination, Ronda, is explore the Seville Cathedral, one of the actually one of the largest—and most spec- largest and most impressive churches in tacular—of Andalusia’s white hill towns. But the world. Built in the 15th century at the to Spaniards, Ronda is far more famous as site of a 12th century mosque, the massive being the birthplace of modern bullfighting. Cathedral is also home to the golden Retablo Before our arrival Ronda, we’ll stop at a bull Mayor, the largest altarpiece in the world— ranch owned by a famous bullfighter to learn and is the reputed burial place of Christopher about this way of life and the breeding of Columbus. toros. Then, we’ll enjoy a traditional lunch.
Travelers staying in Carmona will also enjoy We arrive in Ronda in the afternoon, where exploring this picturesque walled town with you will have free time to explore and its Roman-era streets at their own pace. relax before dinner at our parador, Ronda’s You’ll want to see the Seville Gate and its historic town hall. double Moorish arch, which leads to the Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner narrow streets, whitewashed walls, and Renaissance mansions of Old Town. Cozy Plaza San Fernando is home to a series of DAY 10 Explore Ronda • elegant 17th-century homes; and the nearby Home-Hosted Dinner Roman Necropolis contains the relics of more than 900 families that lived in and Few places are able to boast a more dramatic around Carmona some 2,000 years ago. setting than Ronda, one of the oldest cities in Spain and a one-time stronghold for This evening, our small group will gather legendary Andalusian bandits from the 18th for an included dinner featuring authentic to early 20th centuries. Ronda is divided by tapas—an essential part of Spanish life—at a 360-foot-deep ravine—El Tajo—which a local restaurant. is spanned by three bridges, including the newer Puente Nuevo, a graceful 18th-century Please note: If Day 8 falls on a Sunday, we will stone structure high above the Guadalevín visit the walled fortress of El Alcázar instead of River. On one side of the 210-foot-wide the Seville Cathedral. gorge are the narrow medieval streets of Breakfast, Dinner Ronda’s Moorish Old Town, known as La Ciudad; on the other, the more recent El Mercadillo quarter, which was constructed after the Christian Reconquest of 1485. Homes clinging precariously to the cliff faces
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. of El Tajo add even more to Ronda’s dramatic founded as a Roman colony, Córdoba reached beauty. Our full-day walking tour will focus its peak as an Islamic capital in the tenth on Ronda’s walled Old Town, where we’ll century, rising to become the largest (and wander through its labyrinth of medieval arguably, most multicultural) city in Western streets, flanked by Moorish whitewashed Europe. Today, Córdoba is known primarily homes with wrought-iron balconies. for the Mezquita, its mesmerizing eighth- century mosque and one of the world’s We’ll have an included lunch during our greatest Islamic buildings. But what makes tour, and also enjoy the spectacular views this mosque truly unusual is Capilla Mayor, of the canyon from atop the Puente Nuevo a Gothic Christian church built in the center Bridge, with the valleys and hills shim- of the mosque in the 16th century by Charles mering in the distance. Just don’t get too V. Today, mass is still celebrated here daily. close—in his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, We’ll explore the Mezquita and witness its Ernest Hemingway describes how prisoners architectural magnificence. Then we take a were tossed alive from this very spot into the horse-drawn carriage ride in Córdoba before deep gorge below during the bitter Spanish continuing on to Úbeda. Civil War. Hemingway also famously wrote about bullfighting, and Ronda is home to Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy an included dinner one of Spain’s oldest bullrings. Built in 1785, at our parador, conveniently situated in the the Plaza de Toros is where cavalry training town’s Renaissance-era main square, a consisting of spearing bulls from horseback UNESCO World Heritage Site. developed into the more “sporting” form of Breakfast, Dinner confronting the bull on foot. The father of this modern form of bullfighting was Ronda native Francisco Romero, and his grandson DAY 12 Explore Úbeda Pedro is widely considered the most famous Spanish bullfighter of all time (the matador After breakfast, we’ll discover another is said to have killed almost 6,000 bulls here highlight of the region—olive oil. Situated during his long career). Pedro Romero is also in Jaén province on a plateau between the immortalized by Hemingway in his novel The Guadalquivir and Guadalimar rivers, Úbeda Sun Also Rises. After lunch, you’ll have some is bordered on all sides by numerous olive time at leisure. groves that produce some of the world’s best olive oil. We’ll learn about the olive This evening, we’ll split into smaller groups oil production process—from harvesting to to enjoy some authentic Andalusian hospi- bottling—beginning with a walk through a tality during a Home-Hosted Dinner. stand of olive trees, followed by a discovery of traditional and modern olive-oil produc- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner tion at one of the many local mills where we’ll sample some of the flavorful Esencial DAY 11 Visit Córdoba • Journey to Úbeda Olive extra virgin olive oil. After that, we’ll enjoy a traditional lunch with locals engaged After breakfast at our parador, we’ll depart in the olive-oil industry. Ronda and journey to Úbeda. En route, we’ll enjoy lunch on our own before a visit to the city of Córdoba. While it was originally
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. We then return to Úbeda, an ancient provin- DAY 14 Explore Madrid • cial city often referred to as the “Florence Optional Segovia tour of Andalusia.” At Casco Antiguo (Old Town), Contrast Spain’s former capital city with we’ll wander the narrow cobblestone streets its modern one as we explore Madrid this lined with Renaissance-era palaces, stately morning. Highlights include stops at bus- mansions, and tile-roofed whitewashed tling Plaza de España; the opulent Palacio homes, centered around the Gothic church Real (Royal Palace); and Templo de Debod, Iglesia de San Pablo. Afterwards, dinner this an ancient Egyptian temple given to Spain in evening is on your own. 1968. Breakfast, Lunch Lunch is on your own followed by an after- noon at leisure. Or, you may wish to join our optional tour to the beautiful medieval town DAY 13 Overland to Madrid of Segovia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site • Explore Toledo that is home to an ancient Roman aqueduct Today, we depart Úbeda for Madrid, stopping and the famous hilltop castle of Alcazar. en route to explore Toledo. After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll arrive in Toledo, Dinner is on your own this evening. former Spanish capital—still capital of Breakfast the autonomous province of Castile-La Mancha—and a beautifully preserved medieval gem. Perched on a hill overlooking DAY 15 Madrid the Tagus River in the heart of Spain, Toledo After breakfast, enjoy a day at leisure in was known as the “city of three cultures” for Madrid. You may wish to join your Trip its harmonious blend of Christian, Jewish, Leader on a discovery walking tour of the and Muslim cultures from the 11th to the city, or strike out on your own to mingle 13th centuries. with the madrileños along the lively boule- We’ll embark on an afternoon walking vards and plazas, browse one of the city’s tour of this 2,000-year-old UNESCO World renowned museums, such as the Prado; or Heritage Site, which Don Quixote author discover why the Spanish say, “De Madrid Miguel Cervantes described as the “glory of al cielo” (Madrid is the next best thing to Spain and light of her cities.” (Please note: heaven) in one of the city’s lovely parks. If the cathedral is closed, we will only be able to This evening, our small group will celebrate view its exterior). We’ll also see the Church of our two weeks of Iberian discoveries during Santo Tomé. a festive Farewell Dinner accompanied by a Upon arrival at our hotel in Madrid in the flamenco performance at a local restaurant. early evening, dinner is on your own. Breakfast, Dinner Breakfast, Lunch
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 16 Return to U.S. or begin post-trip extension After breakfast, we depart for the airport for our return flights home, or fly to Bilbao to begin our post-trip extension to Bilbao & Spain’s Northern Coast.
Breakfast
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Pre-trip Porto: Northern Portugal’s Romanesque Gem
Included in Your Price
»» Accommodations for 5 nights in Porto
»» 10 meals—5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners
»» 6 small group activities
»» Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader
»» Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
»» All transfers
Itinerary, Pre-Trip Extension
From the time of the Romans and the Celts, Northern Portugal has been a hotbed of rich culture and robust vintages. Discover the role of vineyards in Porto’s history during visits to a family farm and a wine cellar, stroll the lanes of the Ribeira neighborhood and get to know this ancient gem from many angles.
DAY 1 Depart U.S. provided vessels for Henry the Navigator and Depart the U.S. today on your overnight others. By the 18th century, it was not the flight to Porto, Portugal. sailors but their cargo making waves: Britain became a partner in exporting the local port wine throughout Europe. During our stay, DAY 2 Arrive Porto both the maritime tradition and wine legacy Arriving in Porto, an O.A.T. representative will be on display. will assist us to our hotel. Porto, an outpost This evening, we enjoy a Welcome Drink of the Roman Empire in the fourth century, together before an included dinner of is one of Europe’s oldest continuously Portuguese cuisine. inhabited cities. In the 14th and 15th cen- turies, Porto was crucial to the Portuguese Dinner spirit of exploration, as the city’s shipyards
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 3 Explore Porto role in the nation’s origins. In the 10th Get to know Portugal’s second-largest city century, a castle was built to defend the today on a walking tour. Later, we visit the local monastery from attacks by Muslim and Ribeira, the oldest part of the city. With Norman raiders. Expanded over the next medieval streets overlooking the river, the century, it was the royal residence until the Ribeira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dawn of the 13th century. Remarkably, local boasting 2,000 years of history. We enjoy authorities considered tearing it down in the lunch together here. 19th century, but wiser minds prevailed and we visit the restored and preserved castle The afternoon and evening are at leisure. today. Perhaps you’ll try local specialties like the Francesinha, the “little French” sandwich— Then, our optional tour brings us to Braga, which is hardly little at all. Inspired by the settled since the Roman era, and one of the Monte Cristo sandwich, the Portuguese world’s oldest Catholic archdioceses. Its version includes sliced meats in a sandwich heart is the sweeping Praça da República, topped with melted cheese and served with first laid out in the Middle Ages. With its beer sauce. Locals will argue about who arch-filled arcade, water fountain, and makes it best, and your Trip Leader is sure cobbled plaza, it is an elegant glimpse into to have a suggestion or two. past eras, even while still beloved by locals today. Breakfast, Lunch Our tour concludes with a tasting of vinho verde—“green wine.” Alluding to the wine’s DAY 4 Explore Douro River young age and not its color, vinho verde may region • Visit wine farm be white, red, or rosé. We’ll sample these youthful wines before returning to Porto this This morning, we follow the Douro River to afternoon. wine country, where the first vintages were produced in the third century A.D. We’ll stop Or, enjoy a day at leisure for discoveries on to visit a family-owned quinta (port wine your own. We meet again for dinner this farm) in Regua, where we learn about how evening at a local restaurant. port is made and also enjoy a tasting. Breakfast, Dinner After an included lunch, we return to Porto, where dinner is on your own this evening. DAY 6 Explore Gaia • Gaia wine-tasting Breakfast, Lunch Today we discover Gaia in the Douro wine region, one of the oldest protected wine DAY 5 Optional Minho region tour regions in the world. We begin with a panoramic tour of the city, where a sea of Discover the Minho region during an op- red rooftops appears to float on hillsides tional tour today. From its Roman-era roots, above the Douro River. Gaia is best known Minho has had its own flavor, with Celtic hill for its wine caves, where port wine is aged. forts and ruins still dotting the landscape. Port has been a staple of the local economy Our discoveries here begin in Guimarães, since 1703, when the British first began known as the “cradle of Portugal” for its importing it from Portugal, and rules for its
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. official classification have helped maintain high standards since the mid-18th century. In fact, the Douro River Valley is recognized as the world’s first legally demarcated wine region. We’ll visit one of the famed wine cellars for a tasting. Then, we enjoy an included lunch and return to Porto.
Dinner is on your own this evening.
Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 7 Transfer to Lisbon We bid farewell to Porto today and travel overland to Lisbon to begin our Back Roads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas adventure.
Breakfast
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. optional tours on Pre-trip
Minho region (Day 5 $125 per person)
Discover the Minho region during an op- tional tour today. Our discoveries here begin in Guimarães, settled in the 9th century by a Portuguese warrior trying to wrest control of the region, and known ever since as the “cradle of Portugal” for its role in the na- tion’s origins. In the 10th century, a castle was built to defend the local monastery from attacks by Muslim and Norman raiders. Expanded over the next century, it was the royal residence until the dawn of the 13th century. Remarkably, local authorities con- sidered tearing it down in the 19th century, but wiser minds prevailed and we visit the restored and preserved castle today. Then, we visit Braga, settled since the Roman era, and one of the world’s oldest Catholic arch- dioceses. Its heart is the sweeping Praça da República, first laid out in the Middle Ages, and now outlined with restaurants including the Vianna Cafém, established in 1858. With its arch-filled arcade, water fountain, and cobbled plaza, it is an elegant glimpse into past eras, even while still beloved by locals today. Our tour concludes with a tasting of the young wines known as vinho verde before returning to Porto this afternoon.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Post-trip Bilbao & Spain’s Northern Coast
Included in Your Price
»» Airfare from Madrid to Bilbao »» Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters »» Accommodations for 3 nights in Bilbao, 2 nights in Santander, and 2 nights in »» All transfers Oviedo
»» 13 meals—7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 2 dinners
»» 6 small group activities
»» Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader
Itinerary, Post-Trip Extension
Journey from the Basque gem of Bilbao to historic Santander on the Bay of Biscay to Oviedo, the heart of Asturias. With included tours, visits to medieval villages, and more, enjoy a rich array of perspectives on three of Northern Spain’s most fascinating cities.
DAY 1 Fly to Bilbao • Explore Bilbao Peninsula, overseeing the Bay of Biscay, This morning, we fly to Bilbao, the heart of Bilbao retains a maritime flavor, as well as a Basque country. The largest city in Basque strong affiliation with Basque identity. Country, with a million citizens, Bilbao is After we settle into the hotel, enjoy a Bilbao one of the five biggest urban areas in Spain. city tour. We’ll make our way through the Now famous for its Guggenheim Museum, “Seven Streets,” the Old Town of Bilbao, designed by the architect Frank Gehry, Bilbao witnessing the 19th century el Arenal has been an important commercial center bridge, the Saint Nicholas Church, and the since the 14th century, when it began trading Ribera Market, the largest covered market iron. (Shakespeare references swords made in Europe. Continuing on to the Ensanche, of Basque iron as “bilboes” in Merry Wives a newer part of the city from its expansion of Windsor.) With its locale on the Iberian
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. at the dawn at the 20th century, we see and continues on to Laguardia. Occupied Flemish-style Chavarri Palace, which an- roughly since the Bronze Age, Laguardia chors Moyua, the public square. became a walled village in the 13th century. The four original entrance gates still stand, We enjoy an included dinner together this and beneath the old streets run a network evening. of tunnels carved out in the Middle Ages to Dinner help defend the locals in times of siege, but which became re-purposed as wine cellars in later years. After an included lunch on this DAY 2 Discover San Sebastian optional tour, we return to Bilbao for the balance of the day at leisure and dinner on This morning, we discover nearby San your own. Sebastian. The “Pearl of the Ocean” on the Bay of Biscay, San Sebastian is a magnet Breakfast for Spain’s sophisticated travelers, who come for the world-famous film festival, fine dining, and resorts. Strolling through DAY 4 Visit Castro Urdiales Parte Vieja, the Old Town, we’ll see the 1774 • Explore Santander Church of Santa Maria del Coro, with its This morning, we travel overland to twin towers framing an altar-like entrance, Santander, pausing en route to discover and cross Constitution Square, the arcaded Castro Urdiales. On the Bay of Biscay, Castro plaza at the heart of the city. Once the home Urdiales blends the modern with elements of bullfighting competitions, watched from from the Middle Ages, from its Gothic Santa numbered balconies, Constitution Square is María de la Asunción church to its castle. It’s still home to many of San Sebastian’s most best known for fishing, especially of ancho- important celebrations. vies, and for its lovely beaches. The Puebla After an included lunch here, we return to Vieja (Old Town) is near the water and boasts Bilbao. Perhaps you’ll use time to stroll over the city’s first lighthouse. This morning we to the Guggenheim. Depending on the angle, get to know the city on an included tour. the museum looks like metal waves crash- This afternoon, we arrive in Santander in ing upon one another or a stylized flower time for an included late lunch. Santander unfolding. Made of titanium, glass, and has been an important trading port since limestone, the Frank Gehry’s masterpiece the middle of the 18th century, when ships was praised by architect Philip Johnson as sailed from here not only to the rest of “the greatest building of our time.” Europe but to the Americas. Its beaches Breakfast, Lunch have made it a draw for sun-worshippers for more than a century, including members of the royal family who built a palace here. DAY 3 Bilbao at leisure • Optional Backed by verdant hills and mountain peaks, Winery & Laguardia tour Santander offers dramatic vistas in all directions, as we’ll see on our included tour Enjoy time at leisure with lunch on your this afternoon. own today. Or join our optional tour that begins at a winery in the Rioja wine region Breakfast, Lunch
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 5 Visit Santillana del Mar • Mary. Illuminated by votives and guarded by San Vicente de la Barquera massive marble lions, the chapel is one of the region’s most treasured cultural sites. After breakfast, we visit Santillana del Mar, known as The Town of Three Lies. Its name After an included lunch, we continue translates to the “Saint’s flat by the sea” onward, arriving in Oviedo midafternoon. but, as the local joke goes, it is not saintly, Oviedo has been occupied since the 8th flat, or on the sea. We’ll enjoy a stroll century and the capital of Asturias since the through this small village, with its medieval 18th. We’ll have time to settle into the hotel lanes and dwellings intermingled with before free time for dinner on your own. “newer” structures from the 18th and 19th centuries. We’ll see the casonas (old houses) Breakfast, Lunch typical of the 16th and 17th century, with stonework and stucco meeting under ref rooftops. DAY 7 Explore Oviedo We explore Oviedo on an included tour Then we depart for San Vicente de la today. The city’s monuments and struc- Barquera. Underneath the gaze of the snow- tures offer a view across the centuries, capped Picos de Europa mountain range, the from the medieval City Wall to the 16th- fishing village of San Vincente de la Barquera century viaduct, the elegant 18th-century is known as much for its historic flavor. La Reconquista Hotel, and the 19th-century With a medieval castle, a church completed Campoamor Theater. in the 16th century, and many bridges, it is a feast for the eyes, as we discover during our After lunch on your own, the balance of the visit. But the palate is also rewarded here, in day is at leisure for your own discoveries a city famed for seafood. The most beloved until we gather once more for a Farewell local dish is sorropotún, a hearty stew of Dinner together. potatoes, bonito fish, tomato, and pimiento Breakfast, Dinner peppers. Perhaps we’ll sample some local specialties during lunch at a local restaurant before returning to our hotel. Dinner tonight DAY 8 Return to U.S. is on your own.
Breakfast, Lunch Breakfast
DAY 6 Transfer to Oviedo • Visit Covadonga Today we get to know Asturias, the au- tonomous principality now enclosed within Spain, but which was once an independent kingdom. We begin in Covadonga, home to the tomb of the first kings of Asturias, and a cave chapel that honors the Virgin
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. optional tours on Post-trip
Winery & Laguardia tour (Day 3 $85 per person)
On this optional tour, we discover wine culture old and new, beginning at a bodega (winery) in the Rioja wine region. This area produces some of Spain’s most notable vintages, some of them bottled at wineries that feature striking architecture.
Then, we continue on to Laguardia. Occupied roughly since the Bronze age, Laguardia became a walled village in the 13th century. The four original entrance gates still stand, and beneath the old streets run a network of tunnels carved out in the Middle Ages to help defend the locals in times of siege, but which became re-purposed as wine cellars in later years. Cars cannot be driven within the walled city because the tunnels lessen the weight-bearing ability of the road. This optional tour includes lunch at a local restaurant in Laguardia.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925.