Palace Tours 12000 Biscayne Blvd. #107 Miami FL 33181 USA 800-724-5120 / 786-408-0610 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 North of Spain - Escorted Coach Tour (Small Group / English Only) Explore the beauty and culture of northern Spain on this eight day/ seven night journey from Barcelona to Madrid. Visit stunning mountainous landscapes, historical pilgrimage sites, and quaint coastal towns. This tour also includes a visit to the renowned Guggenheim Bilbao, accommodation in each location, and delectable Spanish cuisine. Itinerary Day 1 - Sunday: From the Mediterranean to the Bay of Biscay Today you begin your trip through northern Spain, starting in the beautiful city of Barcelona (8:00 am). Here you will depart for Zaragoza, a famous pilgrimage site, before continuing on to San Sebastian. This resort town on the Bay of Biscay is known for its coastal scenery and world-class food. Enjoy dinner and overnight in San Sebastian. Day 2 - Monday: Explore Historic Towns This morning you head to Bilbao, home to the famous Guggenheim Museum. Enjoy a short tour of the city before continuing to Santillana del Mar. This town is considered a National Monument due to its wealth of historic buildings. Continue to Santander for dinner and overnight. Day 3 - Tuesday: Mountainous Landscapes and Holy Shrines Leave Santander by way of Picos de Europa mountains. This will provide you with a breath-taking view of the rocky northern Spanish landscape. Arrive in Covadonga and enjoy free time, during which you can visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga. Your final stop of the day is Oviedo. Dinner and overnight accommodation in Oviedo. Day 4 - Wednesday: Gijon and Galicia North of Spain - Escorted Coach Tour (Small Group / English Only)(© www.palacetours.com) 1/10 Today you head to Gijon, a city that is the second capital of the Asturias region. Here enjoy a short tour before proceeding to Luarca, Ribadeo, and Lugo. These areas are part of the region of Galicia in north-west Spain. Dinner and overnight accommodations in Lugo. Day 5 - Thursday: Ports, Villages, and Seaside Cliffs This morning travel to La Coruna and experience a short tour of this busy port city. In the afternoon, you have the option of an excursion to the Rias Altas through Pontedeume, Betanzos, and other typical Spanish villages. The Rias Atlas provide stunning of the northern Spanish coastline. Enjoy dinner and overnight accommodation in La Coruna. Day 6 - Friday: Experience Santiago de Compostela Today you will experience the legendary pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy a tour that includes the Plaza del Obradoiro, the Cathedral, and other sights. In the afternoon you will have leisure time to explore the city. Dinner and overnight accommodation in Santiago de Compostela. Day 7 - Saturday: Spanish Fjords and Portuguese Cities This morning head to the Rias Bajas (Spanish Fjords), passing the beautiful landscapes of La Toja island, Ria de Arosa, and Pontevedra. You have the option of an excursion to Santa Tecla and Valenca do Minho across the Portuguese border. Continue to Vigo for dinner and overnight accommodation. Day 8 - Sunday: Fond Farewells in Madrid Today you will travel through the Galician Mountains and Castilian region to end your journey in Madrid. You have the option to take this portion of the trip by train instead of bus. Finish your tour with fond memories of beautiful coastline, North of Spain - Escorted Coach Tour (Small Group / English Only)(© www.palacetours.com) 2/10 legendary cities, and delicious cuisine. Destination Information A Coruna A Coruña or La Coruña is the second largest city in Galicia in northwestern Spain, second only in size to the port of Vigo in Pontevedra Province. The city is the capital of A Coruña Province. It had been the province capital from 1833 to 1982 before that role was taken over by Santiago de Compostela. A Coruña is a busy port located on a promontory in the entrance of an estuary in a large gulf on the Atlantic Ocean. It provides a distribution point for agricultural goods from the region. Although much of the heavy industry is based on the shipyards and metalworks of the neighbouring city of Ferrol, there is an oil refinery in A Coruña itself. Barcelona Barcelona is the capital and of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona today is an important cultural center and a major tourist destination with a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned architectural works include the iconic Barcelona Pavilion designed by Mies van der Rohe; the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família by Antoni Gaudí; and the work of Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter") is the center of the old city of Barcelona where many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Barcelona is home to 68 municipal parks, with the 45 urban parks alone covering 10% of the city. Bilbao Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay. The city has recently undergone major urban renewal, in order to move away from the region's industrial history and instead focus on tourism and services. The developments are centered around the new metro system by Sir Norman Foster and, most of all, the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum by Frank Gehry. Other new landmarks include the Santiago Calatrava- designed Zubizuri Bridge and the Euskalduna Palace, a cultural center, further downstream. The city also acts as home for the Fine Arts Museum recognized as one of Spain's finest art museums and recently refurbished and the Maritime Museum on the Nervión's banks, which recently hosted the RMS Titanic exhibition. Covadonga Covadonga is a small village in the heart of Spain's mountains. Legend has it that when the Moors invaded in the year 722, Christian soldiers made their stand in the caves. With the help of prayer to a statue of the Virgin Mary, and the natural defenses of the caves, the Moorish commander was slain and the army fled. The cave now serves as a shrine to the Virgin, with a chapel open to visitors. Gijón North of Spain - Escorted Coach Tour (Small Group / English Only)(© www.palacetours.com) 3/10 Gijón is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in Asturias. Gijón keeps its Roman past alive through the actions taken in the Campa de Torres Archaeological Site, one of the main fortified settlements of the north of Spain (before 490 B.C.), and especially in the restored baths complex at Campo Valdés, a public building which dates from the end of the 1st century A.D. Gijón was occupied continuously during the Middle Ages, evident by the Romanesque churches which date from the 12th and 13th centuries. The process of industrialization begun in the mid-19th century changed the city into the industrial center of Asturias, with its leading El Musel Port, shipyards and many manufacturing installations. Lugo Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 97,635 in 2010, which makes is the fourth most populated city in Galicia. Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The culture of Madrid was dominated by its religious and royal history, evident by enormous, monolithic cathedrals and churches, although nowadays Madrid is just as much a cosmopolitan city as Berlin or London, full of new architecture, life style and nightlife. Madrid is best known for its great cultural and artistic heritage, and is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. Best known is the "Golden Triangle of Art," located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three museums, the Prado Museum, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, and the Reina Sofia Museum, which is home to Pablo Picasso's Guernica. Oviedo Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It has an interesting old town with various monuments listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, such as the 9th century Cámara Santa de Oviedo. Oviedo's old town, or "Casco Antiguo," is home to many beautifully restored buildings and squares. Some of the most outstanding are the Velarde Palace which hosts part of the Art Museum, the Town Hall, the Plaza del Fontan, the Palace of Torero and the Palace of Camposagrado. Pontevedra Pontevedra is a Spanish city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. An ancient town and medieval port, Pontevedra has been described as a "definitive old Galician town". Sights include the pilgrim chapel in the Praza da Peregrina, the historic Zona Monumental (old city), the Praza de Leña, the market, and the Alameda, a promenade along the river. Pontevedra has a large pedestrian center which, together with a number of parks and public squares, makes the city quite pleasant for strolling. In recent years most historical buildings and streets have been either re-built or revamped, providing for a well preserved urban landscape. San Sebastián San Sebastián (Donostia in the Basque language) is a bustling summer resort city surrounded by verdant mountains in the Basque country of Northern Spain, where the Belle Epoque lives on. The area attracts tourists with its three lovely beaches: Ondaretta, Playa de Gros, and Playa de la Concha. To complement the beaches, San Sebastian's charming old quarter abounds with cafés, bars, clubs, and restaurants where you can try their world-renowned tapas. Tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously, as other attractions include the Baroque Church of Santa Maria, the Gothic Church of San Vicente, and the Museo de San Telemo.