Spain Andalucía In a Parador

In Transit

AHI FlexAir passengers depart for Málaga, Spain. Please check your luggage from your gateway city to your arrival city. Your claim checks should have the following airport code: AGP.

Málaga, Spain | Antequera

Arrive at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport. Proceed through immigration to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing customs, AHI FlexAir passengers traveling on flights that qualify for the group arrival transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased seats on the group transfer should exit the baggage claim area and proceed to the Arrivals Hall, where an AHI Travel representative will meet you.

Transfer to Parador de Antequera. Please note, if you arrive before check-in time, your room may not be immediately available.

Tonight, at the parador, get acquainted with your fellow travelers at a Welcome Reception, and then gather for a Welcome Dinner.

Antequera

Discovery: Ancient Antequera.
Activity level: Moderate
Just outside the city, witness striking prehistoric architecture, the Menga and Viera dolmens. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016, these megalithic monuments are thought to have been built between 3500 and 3000 B.C. by farmers in the valley. Once inside, ponder the incredible labor and engineering skill required to construct these burial chambers, where large upright stones support roofs of enormous rock slabs.
Then, return to Antequera for a walking tour that reveals its roots as a cultural crossroads. Begin at the Alcazaba, the 14th-century Moorish fortress that once guarded the city. Admire the expansive vistas of Antequera’s red-tiled roofs and bell towers, surrounded by fertile farmlands with La Peña de los Enamorados, or Lovers’ Rock, in the distance. Next, visit El Carmen Church. Head into the old town, where the city’s heritage is reflected in architectural elements from the Roman, Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance and baroque eras.

Enjoy a lunch of traditional Andalucian dishes at a nearby restaurant.

Free Time: Continue to explore in the city or return to the parador.

Granada

Discovery: Granada & Palace City.
Activity level: Moderate
Take a scenic drive to Granada to visit the Alhambra, the stunning Moorish fortress and palace complex designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Majestically perched over the city and framed by the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Alhambra was built in the 13th and 14th centuries by the kings of the Nasrid dynasty who sought to create their own paradise on earth. As you walk amid the courtyards, fountains and arch-lined walkways, marvel at the beautifully filigreed and patterned carvings, inscribed with poems and quotations from the Koran. In the breathtaking Palacios Nazaríes, see the Court of the Myrtles, the Court of the Lions, the Hall of the Ambassadors and other chambers. Visit Alcazaba, the castle that guarded the palace, and stroll through the landscaped gardens of Generalife, the summer palace.

Within the walls of the Alhambra, relax over lunch at the restaurant of the Parador de Granada, formerly the 15th-century Convento de San Francisco.

Sevilla

Discovery: Sevilla.
Activity level: Moderate
Journey to Sevilla, southern Spain’s cultural heart, immortalized by Mozart, Bizet and Rossini. Get a broader perspective of this vibrant city along the Guadalquivir River on a panoramic/walking tour. With its sweeping, semi-circular façade and lovely canal, the magnificent Plaza de España was designed to dazzle visitors and exhibitors to the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition. Cross the pretty bridges, and you’ll note colorful ceramic decorative touches all around you, including 48 tiled alcoves representing the Spanish provinces. Then visit the astounding Cathedral of Sevilla, the world’s largest Gothic building and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Inside, marvelous treasures abound, including the main chapel’s glittering gold altarpiece with scenes from the life of Christ; the 18th-century intricate silver altar; and the unique tomb of Christopher Columbus.
Visit the grand Real Alcázar, originally a 10th-century Moorish palace, which became a Spanish royal residence in the 14th century and is still in use today. In El Arenal, see the centuries-old bullring, the Plaza de Toros de la Maenstranza, and the 13th-century Moorish Torre del Oro, a defensive watchtower over the river. Conclude with a walk through the charming Barrio de Santa Cruz, where bougainvillea spill over the balconies and narrow lanes lead to shady squares, fountains and more.

Free Time: Find a nice spot for lunch on your own before returning to Antequera.

This evening, dine with your fellow travelers at the parador.

Ronda

Discovery: Ronda.
Activity level: Moderate
Spectacularly set on the edge of El Tajo Gorge high above the open countryside, Ronda is a showstopper and the largest of Andalucía’s pueblos blancos, or white towns. An 18th-century bridge spanning the gorge links the two sections of the town. Step inside the Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor, a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, baroque and Moorish elements. Then delve into the intensely dramatic world of bullfighting at the Plaza de Toros, inaugurated in 1785. Stand in the famed sandstone arena, and discover more about this iconic Spanish tradition at the museum onsite. Cap off your Ronda visit with an unforgettable view over El Tajo from the terrace and gardens of Casa de San Juan Bosco.

Discovery: Bodega Joaquín Fernández.
Activity level: Mild
Sit with a glass of wine and take in the gorgeous scenery at Finca Los Frutales, the vineyard of this organic winery. Your visit includes a tasting of the bodega’s wines and lunch.

Córdoba

Discovery: Córdoba.
Activity level: Moderate
Explore La Mezquita, Córdoba’s great mosque-cathedral, an exceptionally beautiful complex containing the finest examples of Moorish architecture in Spain. The original mosque was built in the eighth century by Abd al-Rahman, who established an emirate in Córdoba. Additions by subsequent emirs enhanced its grandeur and size, and in its heyday, it was one of the most prominent sacred sites in the Islamic world. After Córdoba was recaptured by the Spanish, a cathedral was built inside the complex walls in the 16th century. La Mezquita’s most spellbinding feature is the superb hall with 856 columns made from marble, granite, jasper and onyx connected by two layers of red-and-white-striped arches. Afterward, see the imposing Roman bridge that stretches across the Guadalquivir River, and take a stroll through the Jewish quarter, an atmospheric neighborhood of winding streets and whitewashed houses.

Free Time: Make your own plans for lunch and exploration in Córdoba.

This evening, dine on traditional dishes at a restaurant in Antequera.

Antequera

Enrichment: Contemporary Spain. With insights from a local expert, understand the current events and issues affecting life in Spain.

Free Time: Choose to spend your last day at leisure in Antequera, or join one of today’s Elective Activities. Your Travel Director will be available to offer suggestions on sightseeing, shopping and dining in Andalucía.
• Málaga.
Activity level: Moderate
Take a complimentary shuttle to the city of Málaga for time to explore on your own. Spend the day visiting the wonderful Picasso Museum in the city of his birth, or discover historic landmarks like the 16th-century Malaga Cathedral, before returning by shuttle to Antequera.
No additional charge.
• Torcal & Olive Oil Experience.
Activity level: Moderate
Learn about the varieties of olive oils produced at a fourth-generation, family-owned olive mill, El Molino del Hortelano. Enjoy a tasting of their olive oil varieties and sit down for a special Andalucían brunch prepared with their creations. Then, drive through El Torcal de Antequera nature park, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site that includes the Antequera dolmens, and stop for a coffee break among the limestone rock formations.
Available at an additional cost; Maximum of 15 participants.

Tonight, celebrate your time together in the south of Spain at a Farewell Reception and Dinner in the parador. During a special performance, delight in the passion and precision of flamenco, Spain’s renowned art form.

In Transit

After breakfast, transfer to the Málaga airport for the return flight to your gateway city.