Andalusia & Moorish Heritage: Seville, Cordoba, Granada & Ronda

Today you explore the glorious monuments of Seville with your guide. You visit its immense Gothic cathedral, the largest in the world, home to the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and climb the Giralda, its elegant Moorish bell tower, for sweeping views over the city. You wander the Real Alcazar, an exquisite royal palace of intricate Moorish and Mudejar craftsmanship, with dreamlike tiled halls and lush gardens of fountains and orange trees. You lose yourself in the whitewashed lanes and hidden patios of the Santa Cruz quarter and admire the tiled splendour of the vast Plaza de Espana. The beauty and romance of Seville are intoxicating. As the day ends, you gather for a special evening, feeling the raw passion of live flamenco over an Andalusian dinner in an intimate tablao. Rest well, for tomorrow you continue to explore beautiful Seville.

Today you enjoy more of Seville and its surroundings at a relaxed pace. You might visit the striking Metropol Parasol, the vast Torre del Oro on the river, and the atmospheric Triana quarter across the Guadalquivir, the traditional home of flamenco and ceramics. In the morning you may take an excursion to the remarkable Roman ruins of Italica just outside the city, one of the oldest Roman towns in Spain, with its beautiful mosaics and vast amphitheatre. There is time to browse the markets, relax in a sunlit plaza and savour tapas. The beauty, history and relaxed atmosphere of Seville are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, having deepened your love of the city. This evening is yours to enjoy Andalusian cuisine. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Cordoba and its great Mezquita.

Today you journey to Cordoba, once the greatest city in Europe and capital of a brilliant Moorish caliphate, where you are transferred to your hotel in the old town. With your guide you step into the Mezquita, one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world, standing amid its mesmerising forest of over eight hundred columns and double red-and-white horseshoe arches, at the heart of which a Christian cathedral was later raised, a breathtaking fusion of cultures. You wander the flower-filled lanes and whitewashed patios of the old Jewish quarter, the Juderia, visit a traditional courtyard, and cross the Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir for a beautiful view. The beauty and history of Cordoba are astonishing. As the day ends, you settle into the atmospheric old town. This evening, savour Cordoban cuisine such as salmorejo. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Granada and the Alhambra.

Today you journey to Granada, cradled beneath the snow-capped Sierra Nevada, the last stronghold of Moorish Spain, where you are transferred to your hotel. With reserved tickets you visit the incomparable Alhambra, one of the most beautiful buildings ever made. You explore the Nasrid Palaces, where filigree stucco, honeycomb ceilings, reflecting pools and delicate arches create an atmosphere of impossible refinement, and wander the paradisal gardens of the Generalife, with fountains, cypresses and roses framing views of the city. The beauty is breathtaking. As evening falls you climb into the atmospheric Albaicin, the old Moorish quarter, for a first glimpse of the floodlit palace against the mountains. This evening, enjoy tapas in Granada, where they still come free with a drink. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the Albaicin and Sacromonte at leisure.

Today you explore the atmospheric old quarters of Granada. You wander the steep, winding lanes of the Albaicin, the old Moorish quarter of whitewashed houses, hidden carmenes and flower-filled patios, taking in the timeless views across to the Alhambra. You explore the gypsy caves of Sacromonte, carved into the hillside, the cradle of a raw, intimate style of flamenco known as zambra, and browse the bustling Alcaiceria, the old silk market, for Moorish-inspired crafts. You climb again to the Mirador de San Nicolas for the sublime view of the Alhambra against the Sierra Nevada. The atmosphere, history and beauty are captivating. As the day ends, you savour more of Granada's famous free tapas. This evening is yours to enjoy the city. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Ronda and the white villages.

Today you journey through the beautiful Andalusian countryside, past olive groves, vineyards and dazzling white villages clinging to the hillsides, to Ronda, one of the most spectacular towns in Spain, perched dramatically astride a deep gorge. Along the way you may stop in one or two of the pueblos blancos, the whitewashed mountain villages bright with flowers, wandering their narrow lanes. In Ronda you stand on the Puente Nuevo, the great stone bridge spanning the plunging El Tajo gorge, gazing at the breathtaking views, and wander the atmospheric old town with its palaces and one of the oldest bullrings in Spain. The drama and beauty are spectacular. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel, perhaps on the edge of the gorge. This evening, savour Andalusian cuisine and mountain wine. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning in beautiful Ronda, perhaps a last look over the gorge or a stroll through the old town, you are transferred to Malaga airport for your onward departure. You leave having immersed yourself in the Moorish heart of Andalusia, Seville's cathedral, Alcazar and flamenco, Cordoba's mesmerising Mezquita, the incomparable Alhambra of Granada, and the dramatic town of Ronda and the white villages, all steeped in eight centuries of layered history. The images stay vivid long after you land, the Giralda rising above Seville, the forest of arches in the Mezquita, the floodlit Alhambra against the Sierra Nevada, and the great bridge of Ronda above its gorge. Andalusia offers history, beauty, passion and warmth in extraordinary abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this most beautiful and romantic corner of Spain.