Spain is a treasure chest filled with enchantment and riches that few foreigners ever discover. Our tour is focused on bringing you closer to the “real life” in Spain, away from the large bustling cities and into an assortment of medieval villages and larger towns of major historical and cultural interest that were influenced over the centuries by the numerous inhabitants of Spain including the Celti-berians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Sephardic Jews and Christians. On this adventure we will focus on three areas: Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), the Communities of Burgos, and La Rioja located in central and northeast Spain. Our destinations we will lead us through an amazing variation in countryside, from immense stretches of grain fields to breathtaking mountains and rolling hills covered with seemingly endless vineyards.
Each night we will meet before dinner for an enlightening discussion about what we will see and do the following day. As we travel from place to place, we will share new adventures that include the rich history, culture, gastronomy, wines, artisans and a festival that have been woven together through the centuries creating a magical experience.
So, let´s begin our journey….
Day 1 (D):
Arrival at Barajas Airport in Madrid and transfer to the hotel in Alcalá de Henares, translated as “Citadel by the river Henares”, located close to the Barajas Airport and only 22 miles northeast of Madrid. The medieval historical center with its 17th century buildings and lovely cobbled stone streets and arcades was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1998. Tonight we are staying at a beautiful hotel in the plaza next to the University of Alcalá, the second oldest university in Spain founded in 1293. Miguel Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, was born in Alcalá de Henares. Each year the King of Spain presents the most prestigious award in the Spanish-speaking world, the Cervantes Prize, an award for lifetime achievement in literature, at the University of Alcalá. We will have an afternoon tour of the medieval center, followed by a group orientation with wine and tapas and a delicious dinner at a local family owned restaurant.
Day 2 (B,L,D):
After breakfast at the hotel in Alcalá de Henares we will head off to the very beautiful National Park of the Hayedo de Tejera Negra or as we call them in Spanish, Los Pueblos de Arquitectura Negra (Villages of Black Architecture). The villages started in the 1200s are located in a huge valley within the national park and are constructed entirely from black slate using oak trees for the internal structure. In the enchanting village of Campillo de Ranas we are going to see a remarkable museum in one of the beautiful villages that was created by a local man, Juan Andres Roizo, who has a very large interest in historical architecture. The miniature creations that he handcrafted out of slate, wood and metals, include a bread bakery, flour mill, and forge. just to mention a few of his works of art. Large museums and other villages often commission his accurate and detailed work. From Campillo we will travel by coach to the village of Majaelrayo where we stop for some delicious tapas and drinks at a local establishment. Or if weather permits you may prefer the one hour walk to Majaelrayo which provides an intimate look at the beautiful countryside of this historical area. Continuing by coach from Majaelrayo you experience some very impressive mountainous terrain as we make our way to our typical lunch for the region that awaits us on the other side of the mountain in a small medieval village. After lunch we will head north to Aranda de Duero, one of the famous areas in Spain known for its red wines with the Domination of Origin "Ribero de Duero". We will visit the Portico of Sta. Maria la Real with an official guide and later we are going to visit a remarkable centuries old bodega (winery) that lies 56 steps (12 meters or 38.4 feet) below ground. In fact, below the entire medieval town of Aranda de Duero there is a network of tunnels that for over a century served as bodegas. Our travels will take us to the new bodega and hotel in El Vid built by this family where we will feast on awesome tapas for dinner and drink some excellent wine from their bodega.
Day 3 (B,L,D):
After breakfast, we will move further north to a beautiful half-timbered village, Peñaranda de Duero, which today has a population of 580. With our official guide we will take a step back in time as we visit the remarkable Palace of the Counts of Miranda from the 16th century. The intricate wooden and stucco carved door and window frames and the Mudéjar ceilings within each room are stunning. After a short coffee and rest stop break, we head up to the 10th century Castle of Peñaranda de Duero that overlooks the village built as part of a defensive line between the Christian Kingdom of Castille and the Moors of Al-Andalus. Onto Caleruega, whose name was derived from the Latin word ¨cabis¨ that means lime. The village was first recognized in 1062. The year 2016 marks the 800th year celebration of the founding the Order of the Dominicans started here in 1216 by Domingo de Guzmán. We have a guided tour of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Guzman and the cloister in the Convent. Off we head to the village of Lerma, topped by the commanding Ducal Palace, which is considered to be one of the best historic artistic sites from the 17th century in Spain. Our incredible regional lunch of roasted lamb will be prepared in a typical "asador" in an original brick and stucco wood-burning oven.
After lunch we will head to Quintanilla del Agua to experience an incredible construction project of a life sized medieval village made out of recycled materials by artist Felix Yáñez. Our last stop for the day and our lodging for the next two nights is in the very beautiful village of Covarrubias, called the ¨cradle of Castilla¨ that was declared a Historic and Artistic site in 1965 by the Spanish Government. We will check into our family run hotel and then you will have the opportunity to wander around the enchanted stone-paved streets of the village before we enjoy a dinner prepared at the hotel by our excellent owner/chef who will also prepare our incredible breakfast.
Day 4 (B,L,D):
After breakfast we will meet our official guide and tour this beautiful little medieval village including La Colegiata de San Cosme y San Damían and later climb the Tower of Fernán Gómez. A number of Norwegian visitors come here because in 1262 Princess Cristina of Norway was buried in the cloister of the Collegiata Church. You will find out why! Lunch will be at a restaurant in Covarrubias owned and operated by the same family for five generations. You will enjoy a real treat in this historic place. After lunch, we will set off by coach for Yecla and a very unique experience, walking between two stone mountains above a stream (optional and weather permitting of course). Traffic moves through one of the stone mountains. Onward we go to the very small medieval village of Santo Domingo de Silos that has an incredibly well preserved 1000 year old Romanesque cloister within the Benedictine Monastery of Silos. Our official guide will take us through the cloister and old pharmacy where monks prepared medications from herbs centuries ago. You will have some free time to just wander around the monastery and small village before we meet to hear the famous Benedictine monks sing the Gregorian Chants. We then return to our hotel and dinner in Covarrubias.
Day 5 (B,L,D):
After breakfast we will stop at the Cathedral of Burgos for an official guided tour. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cathedral, known for its huge size and distinctive architecture, is on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that winds throughout northern Spain on its way to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Our adventures now head to the area of La Rioja, an area of Spain not only known for its fabulous wines, but also its Roman dominance and dolmens. We have a typical regional lunch waiting for us in in the medieval village of Briones that sits on a hill and overlooks acres and acres of beautiful vineyards. After lunch we have a very special tour of the unique Bodega R. López Heredia in the medieval village of Haro, the wine capital of La Rioja. We step back in time to 1877 and see how the family owned business is still making wine the same way it did when the winery was started almost 140 years ago! We will receive a gift of a bottle of reserve wine, presented in an old fashioned tin canister and of course do some wine tasting at the end of the tour with some tapas provided. We continue now to Abalos, another enchanting 16th century village where we will lodge for the next two nights at a restored nobleman's large manor house that is now a beautiful small hotel owned and operated by a lovely local couple who are also excellent chefs. Dinner will be at the hotel and it is always fabulous!
Day 6 (B,L,D):
After breakfast we are off to Navarrete, a village along the Camino de Santiago. We will visit with Antonio Naharro who has worked for over 60 years handcrafting pottery and is a legend. Another unique experience! We proceed to the extremely beautiful medieval village of Laguardia that actually lies in the Alava region (part of the Basque country). With our official guide we will visit an incredible stone carved and painted portico in the Church of Santa Maria and then you will have a chance to climb the defense tower! Lunch will be in Rivas de Tereso at a locally renowned asador. You can sit back and enjoy the lovely views of the vineyards below, and weather permitting we may dine outside. After lunch we will visit the close-by town of San Vicente de Sonsierra, a lovely village dating back to the Romans, with a commanding view of the Ebro River below. We will walk up the narrow streets to reach the castle/church originally built in 1194 that overlooks the Ebro River and partake in a breathtaking view of the valley below, filled with vineyards. We return to our hotel in Abalos where a delicious dinner of unlimited homemade tapas and three different wines from the bodega of the hotel owner awaits us!
Day 7 (B,L,D):
After breakfast we check out of the hotel and head out to begin our last day with the highlight of our adventures: the unique and glorious festival in Anguiano. The festival is based on a Celtic celebration of harvest. Eight young male dancers from the village will twirl down the steps of the church and continue dancing for two kilometers to the Hermitage for a short mass to thank the Virgin Magdalena for the crops they gathered. Making it more impressive-they are dancing backwards and going uphill!! Later we watch them twirl down the very steep river stone paved street! It is more than impressive! After all of the excitement, we will have a wonderful lunch at the nearby village of Badarán before heading back to Alcalá de Henares where we will celebrate with a farewell dinner.
Day 8(B):
After breakfast at the hotel, your arranged transportation returns you to the Barajas Airport.
If you would like to extend your time in Spain or you have any questions please contact Patricia Ross at pross@intriguingdiscoveries.com.
This tour is limited to only 20 participants. Sign up now by clicking on the registration link below.
¡Hasta luego!
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The all-inclusive land price* will be established at the time the tour is scheduled. Price includes:
• Transfers to/from Barajas Airport
• Lodging (double occupancy) with private bath, hairdryers and Wi-Fi
• Breakfast daily, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners (B,L,D)
• Snacks and drinks at rest stops each day
• Transport by modern coach
• Radio headsets during guided tours
• Personal attention by the tour director during your travels
• Licensed English speaking local guides
• All entrance fees to the sites visited
• Welcome package with detailed write-ups and maps, water bottle and luggage tags
• Taxes and services fees
*Land price is exclusive of travel expenses to/from tour point of departure. _____________________________________________________________________
DEPOSIT, PAYMENT AND REGISTRATION: $625.00 per person ($750.00 single occupancy) deposit is required at the time of booking, plus the passenger’s full name as it appears on their passport. Full payment is due no later than two months (60 days) prior to departure. Registration and all payments will be made via our secure administrative site which is accessible from the link below.
Registration: Tour not currently scheduled.
Note that all who register will receive more information and updates before the trip.