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The expanse of olive groves stretching from Granada to Cordoba is astounding. And just outside Cordoba are vineyards that produce prized Pedro Ximenez grapes. Tasting great olive oils and solera-method wines in this unspoiled landscape is part of the magic of this trip. Ditto the Alhambra and the Mezquita, the patios and plazas, and the teahouses and tapas bars of these two quintessential Andalusian capitals.
The trip includes:
- 6 nights in boutique hotels in the charming historic quarters of both Granada and Cordoba (double occupancy);
- Advance tickets to the Alhambra palaces, fortress, and gardens;
- Guided half-day walk through the Albaycín (Granada’s ancient Moorish quarter with its tea houses, open market, herbalists, and ceramics shops);
- Tasting of fine olive oils, local artisanal cheeses, jamón ibérico and prized cured meats from the Sierra Nevada with the proprietor of Granada’s top gourmet shop;
- Wine stroll and refined version of the classic tapeo with a sommelier in Granada;
- Guided half-day walk through the hidden squares and flower-filled patios of Cordoba, plus entrance to the Mezquita (Cordoba’s stunning mosque-cathedral);
- Two not-for-tourists tapeos featuring stops at neighborhood bars that reveal the best of casual local tapas of both Granada and Cordoba;
- Near Granada: An excursion into the countryside for a hands-on cooking class in a private home amidst kitchen gardens and fruit trees;
- Granada to Cordoba: A drive through the groves and whitewashed villages of olive country, with a stop at press to learn and taste;
- Near Cordoba: Sample solera-method Montilla-Moriles wines in the region;
- Ground transportation for the countryside cooking class; olive country drive from Granada to Cordoba; and the winery visit;
- Six breakfasts, five lunches and three dinners (including selected wines and gratuities);
- Personalized insider history, culture, and restaurant tips, so you can make the most of your free time.
Tour dates:
Available year-round upon request, except during Easter week.
Price:
$4595 per person, double occupancy.
Granada and Cordoba offer intriguing contrasts. Granada sparkles in its spectacular setting under the Sierra Nevada. Cordoba, the capital of Moorish Spain at its height, is moodier, with an air of lost grandeur that makes finding its hidden plazas and flower-filled patios a delight.
Here are Spain’s most important monuments from the time of the Moorish dynasties – the Mezquita or mosque, now a cathedral, in Cordoba and the Alhambra palaces and gardens in Granada – gems from a period of flourishing philosophical and scientific advances and strategic confluence of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures.
But here, too, are the low-key charms of Andalusia… starting with tapas – the best in Spain.
You’ll also have the chance to explore the region’s culinary depth beyond tapas, and we think you’ll be inspired – you’ll notice Arab and Sephardic influences, and the ingredients here are varied and superb: olives, nuts and fruit trees, meats cured in the high Sierra, avocadoes and tropical fruits from the coast, solera-method wines. You’ll learn about this still relatively undiscovered cuisine in a rustic regional cooking class in a private country home, an evening of tastings with the proprietor of the city’s top gourmet shop, and in visits to an olive press and a winery in the countryside between Granada and Cordoba.
A six-night, seven-day plan for getting to the heart of Andalusia. Boutique hotels, tickets to the Alhambra in Granada and the Mezquita in Cordoba, expert guiding through the Albaycín (Granada’s historic Moorish quarter) and historic Cordoba. Excellent tapas and a little cooking. Plus some free time for soaking up the spirit of the south, whether you do that in a hot tub at a hammam, a café in a flower-filled square, or browsing local shops for ceramics and guitars.
The trip price covers double occupancy accommodations, all the meals, touring and transport as outlined.
(You will not need or want car in Granada or Cordoba, so if this program is part of a larger driving trip, we’ll recommend garages to park in during your time in the cities, and can create a self-guided tour for the Granada-Cordoba route.)
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