Jewels of Spain
Jewels of Spain
Jewels of Spain
15 Days
Visiting: Alicante, L'Albir, Murcia, Aguilas, Salobreña, Málaga
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TTSPJ
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Trip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$2414 including Flights from the UKNB: Prices correct on 01-Jun-2024 but subject to change.
Tour Overview
Bookended by the Gothic cathedrals and tapas bars of Valencia to the north, and the ornate palaces and gardens of Granada’s Alhambra to the south, this 15-day tour covers culture, cities and coast. As we travel through the provinces of Valencia, Murcia and Andalucia, we see the architectural landscape change from crumbling fortified cities to whitewashed Mediterranean towns - with a fill of Roman ruins, quaint mountain villages and plenty of golden beaches in between.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1
Location: Alicante
Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Valencia or Alicante. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel in Albir.
Day 2 : Days 2-4
Location: L'Albir
Located on a quiet stretch of the sun-washed Costa Blanca, the small town of Albir has classic Spanish ‘wish you were here’ good looks. Over the next three days we head out on two included excursions, with plenty of free time to stroll down to the beach or relax.
The first included excursion is to the Valencian village of Guadalest - a terracotta-roofed village that clings to the mountainside beneath a precariously perched white tower. A taste of traditional rural life, we explore cobbled streets, pretty squares and duck into artisan shops.
The second included excursion takes us to Valencia, with a straw-coloured sweep of beach, modernist architecture and a historic quarter peppered with Roman, Arabic, Gothic and art nouveau buildings. Plus, a 7km green park that snakes through the city.
Flanked by two city gates, our guided tour takes us to the old town and into a maze of narrow streets, museums and boutiques. We visit the Gothic Valencia Cathedral, UNESCO-listed Silk Exchange and art nouveau Mercado Colon - where wine bars and pinchos plates sit beneath the cathedral-esque arches and powder-green iron rafters.
Day 5
Location: L'Albir, Murcia
Today we leave the Costa Blanca and drive south to Águilas in the province of Murcia. On the way we stop at the city of the same name. Built by the Moors in the 9th century, over 500 years of Islamic rule has left its architectural mark on the city. With an old town that rivals bigger Spanish cities but minus the crowds, we take a guided tour past Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque buildings - including the city’s elaborate centrepiece, the Cathedral of Murcia.
After lunch in a local restaurant, we continue to our seafront hotel just outside Águilas - an ancient Roman port known for its baths, 18th-century castle, and rocky seabed providing crystal-clear conditions for snorkellers and scuba divers.
Day 4 : Days 6-10
Location: Aguilas
Striking the balance between city and beach (there are 36 on this stretch of coast, including a wide stretch of golden sand next to the hotel), over the following five days we explore with three included excursions.
Our first is an orientation walk around Águilas to get our bearings. The second takes us inland to Lorca - an ancient sun-faded city at the foot of the Sierra del Caño. A former frontier city that separated Muslim and Christian Spain, Lorca’s past reads like a historical hymn sheet of Visigoth and Moor battlegrounds, Roman ruins, 9th-century castles, 15th-century synagogues and Renaissance cathedrals. It’s little wonder Lorca is known as the ‘City of 100 Coats of Arms’.
Another full-day excursion backtracks along the coast to Cartagena, a sandcastle-coloured ancient city wrapped around a deep blue harbour. Originally a Roman military port in the 3rd century BC, we visit the town’s archaeological masterpiece - the Roman amphitheatre unearthed in 1988, and the Castillo de la Concepción - a 12th-century Moorish fort built on the site of a Roman temple.
There’s also an optional full-day trip to Caravaca de la Cruz - a historic city where convents, Catholic churches and religious relics grace the hillside. Designated by Pope John Paul II as one of only five Holy Cities in the world, it’s an important pilgrimage site for Christians.
Day 11
Location: Salobreña
Crossing over from Murcia into Andalucia, we start to see the architectural landscape change - with sand-coloured Moorish towns giving way to whitewashed Mediterranean villages.
On our way to our hotel near Salobreña we stop at Mojácar - a white hilltop village dotted with pastel shutters and fuchsia bougainvillea, and Sorbas - a mountaintop town built on a flat plateau where stone houses hug the edge of a steep ravine. After lunch at a local restaurant in Sorbas, we continue to Salobreña. We stay a few miles away in a clifftop hotel with stunning views across the Mediterranean.
Day 6 : Days 12-14
Location: Salobreña
The next three days are a mix of free time and included excursions. The first is an orientation walk of Salobreña. Known as the ‘Jewel of the Costa Tropical’, Salobreña stretches out in a sea of blinding white buildings and sugar cane plantations up to a weathered Moorish fort. Both the views and the steep streets of Salobreña are breathtaking.
The second included trip is to the Lecrin Valley - an area of outstanding natural beauty home to quaint white hamlets, woven farmland and meandering blue rivers. The valley has over 300 species of wildflower and is especially beautiful in the spring, when the almond trees are in blossom and the distant peaks of the Sierra Nevada are still capped with snow.
Our final excursion is to Granada. A stronghold of the Moorish empire at the foot of the snow and gravel marbled Sierra Nevada, the grip of the Spanish Moors is everywhere in the old city. Not least in its crowning glory, the UNESCO-listed Alhambra Palace - considered to be the finest example of Moorish architecture in Europe. We take a guided tour of the sprawling hilltop complex which houses palaces, gardens, viaducts and fortresses.
Day 15
Location: Málaga
We transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
What's Included
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14 nights in hotels
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International flights. Prices are based on return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow or Gatwick.
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Titan tour manager
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Excursion to Guadalest
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Guided city tour of Valencia
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41 meals: 14 breakfasts (days 2-15) 13 lunches (days 2-14) 14 dinners (days 1-14)undefined excursions and visits
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Orientation walks of Águilas and Salobreña
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Walking tour of Murcia, including cathedral
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Sightseeing tour of Lorca
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Full-day excursion to Cartagena
Check out our Q&As
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Do I have to pay a Single Supplement?
In most cases a single supplement will apply. If the price for a Single room for sole occupancy is not shown, please ask our team for details and we will be able to check the details for you.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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How long has the tour company been trading?
We've been taking our customers across the world on escorted tours for more than 40 years
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Our commitment to sustainable travel is part of our ethos. We love exploring the world and hope that, alongside our customers, we can be part of a bigger change in respecting the people and wildlife on our planet and minimising the impact we have on our environment.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
With some COVID-19 rules and restrictions still in place there are a few details that you need to know. This information is subject to change. It’s your responsibility to monitor changes and ensure you fulfil all relevant criteria for travel. Rest assured that we’re on hand to help and answer any questions you might have.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
You’ll receive your Final holiday documents via email approximately 14 days prior to your departure.
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Low Deposit
Barrhead Travel requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 98 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of barrhead travel charges.
Up to 98 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 97 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.
At 28 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions
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