Spectacular Gardens and Gaudí Tour 2025

Arrive into Granada and make your way to your hotel…Check in time is 2 pm

Sercotel Palacio de los Gamboa

Plaza de Gamboa, s/n esquina, C. Escudo del Carmen, 18009 Granada, Spain

Located in an old two-story palace that distributes its 68 rooms around two beautiful patios. Around us, the Cathedral, the Albaicín or the Monastery of San Jerónimo. Sercotel Palacio de los Gamboa features a charming Andalusian courtyard with a fountain and colorful glass roof. Your Classic Rooms are air-conditioned and feature elegant, classic-style décor. Each room has satellite TV and a mini-bar. The spacious bathrooms include a hairdryer and toiletries. Free wifi.

https://www.sercotelhoteles.com/es/hotel-sercotel-palacio-de-los-gamboa

We meet later on this evening to enjoy a Welcome Dinner.

Please Note that you might want to arrive a pre tour night so you are rested and ready to go for the tour…if you do want a pre tour night, please request this on the registration form asap to secure it.

One of the most beautiful gems of architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens started as far back as the 13th Century by the Nasrites. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabel) conquered the city of Granada. The summer palace is called Generalife. The Generalife is the most charming corner of the Alhambra, thanks to its gardens, ponds and fast-flowing water. In fact, the name of the main courtyard is the Patio de la Acequia – Courtyard of the Water Channel – in reference to the water which coursed through the villa before supplying the Alhambra below. It stands at the foot of Spain’s highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada. The Alhambra (Arabic root meaning ‘red’ or ‘crimson’) and Generalife both became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

Did you know? The word “Generalife” has been translated as “garden of paradise“, “orchard” or “garden of feasts“.

https://www.alhambra.org/en/alhambra-information.html

Then back to our hotel for the rest of the day and evening on your own.

Breakfast included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Pack up this evening, check safe and power adaptors you may have used.

Cordoba’s hour of greatest glory was when it became the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus, and this was when work began on the Great Mosque, or “Mezquita” in 785, which – after several centuries of additions and enlargements – became one of the largest in all of Islam. When the city was reconquered by the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city were so awed by its beauty that they left it standing, building their cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns, and creating the extraordinary church-mosque we see today. The Mezquita de Cordoba is most notable for its giant arches and its forest of over 856 (of an original 1,293) columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were taken from the Roman temple which had previously occupied the site and other destroyed Roman buildings. The Mezquita also features richly gilded prayer niches. But the Mezquita’s most interesting feature is certainly the mihrab, a domed shrine of Byzantine mosaics built by Al Hakam II (961-76). It once housed the Koran and relics of Muhammad. In front of the Mihrab is the Maksoureh, a kind of anteroom for the caliph and his court; its mosaics and plasterwork make it a masterpiece of Islamic art.https://mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es/en/

As well as the unique mosque-cathedral, Cordoba’s treasures include the Alcazar, or Royal House, built by the Christians in 1328. The Alcazar served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. From 1490 to 1821 the Inquisition operated from here. Today the castle’s gardens are among the most beautiful in Andalucía and also take time to enjoy the Roman mosaics…they are truly special. In a hall which housed the former chapel of the Inquisitions there are exhibited a magnificent collection of Roman mosaic art from the 2nd and 3rd century AD. The collection was discovered under Corredera Square in the city in 1959 and once belonged to a wealthy Roman Mansion. Outside the main castle walls the gardens occupy 55.000 square metres. It is certainly a very relaxing place to wander. There is a wide variety of plants, palm trees, cypresses, orange and lemon, trees to be seen which overlook stone fountains and large ponds. Originally the water was brought in by an aqueduct from the Sierra Morena and the great Albolafia waterwheel in the River Guadalquivir nearby helped with the supply. The large ponds were added in the 19th century.https://alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es/?id=3

Then we enjoy Lunch with a wine tasting.

…and a floral feast for the eyes, the Palacio de los Viana.

We enjoy guided visits of the Alcazar and Mezquita and a quiet joyful time to wander on our own through the many gardens of Viana. This 17th-century palace is one of Córdoba’s most splendid aristocratic homes. Also known as the Museo de los Patios, it contains 12 interior patios, each one different; the patios and gardens are planted with cypresses, orange trees, and myrtles and more. I was so delighted to see this that I bought a book on the patio gardens here…well worth it! https://www.palaciodeviana.com/

Hotel NH Amistad – Superior Room – 1 Night

History surrounds you the second you step inside the NH Collection Amistad Córdoba hotel. Made up of two 18th century palaces, its traditional courtyards are filled with flowers and shaded by orange trees, archways and woodwork have been restored to their 18th-century glory, with a few carefully-chosen modern touches. Plus it’s right in the historic heart of Córdoba, 5 minutes’ walk from the city’s shops. Our quiet, contemporary-style rooms all come with views of our pretty courtyards, Maimonides Square or the historic wall which once separated the Jewish and Christian sections of Cordoba. Our stylish courtyard café offers up delicious local dishes while our 2 open-air patios are a wonderful place to unwind with a drink. https://www.nh-collection.com/hotel/nh-collection-amistad-cordoba

Breakfast and Lunch with wine tasting included, Dinner on own Pack up this evening, check safe and power adaptors you may have used.

Sit back, enjoy the spectacular Mediterranean views from our coach as we make our way out of Barcelona to the Botanical Gardens of Marimurtra.

Located in Blanes, in Costa Brava, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens on the Mediterranean. At the top of steep cliffs running along the sea, you can enjoy one of the most spectacular panoramic views over the coastline and get to know more than four thousand plant species, most of them exotic ones, as well as several specimens that are extraordinary because of their age or size. Marimurtra is the work of a man with a passion for nature. Carl Faust was a businessman residing in Catalonia who devoted his hopes, his efforts and all his fortune to make his dream come true, the Botanical Garden Marimurtra.

https://marimurtra.cat/en/

Tossa de Mar – Some leisure stroll time in this glorious seaside resort before our Lunch.

Before becoming a tourist resort, Tossa de Mar was a small fishing village, and before this, was involved in various other industries such as cork, food preservation, charcoal burning, wine making and olive oil production. At one time, Tossa even had a fleet of boats which traded with other Mediterranean ports and America. Another important part of Tossa’s history was the filming of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman in the 1950s, with Ava Gardner and James Mason in starring roles. At one of the most spectacularly astounding viewpoints of the Vila Vella, there is a magnificent bronze statue of the renowned American actress, Ava Gardner. A tranquil stroll around the old town reveals a multitude of intricately interwoven alley ways laden with plants, each leading to it’s own spectacular pine framed view of the bay of Tossa, lapped by the sparkling topaz blue Mediterranean, sunlight drizzling through the branches. It is one of the most enchanting villages you will ever walk around in…

We finish off this exquisitely relaxed day with a guided visit to Santa Clotilde Gardens in Lloret de Mar.

This wonderful garden was landscaped in a setting of great beauty on top of a cliff with breath taking views over the sea. It is a fine specimen of the spirit that animated the Noucentista movement in Calalonia – an early 20th century movement for intellectual and aesthetic renewal that found a distinguished spokesman in the writer Eugeni d’Ors. The Santa Clotilde gardens were designed in the manner of the dainty yet austere gardens of the Italian Renaissance by Nicolau Rubió i Tuduri at the age of twenty-eight, when he was still brimming over with admiration for his master in the art of landscape gardening, JCN Forestier. In these gardens, Rubió ignored Forestier’s teachings with their Spanish-Arabic slant mixed up with images of the French garden, as he had seen when working with Forestier, and instead sought to recover the spirit of the Italian Renaissance as the essence of modernity. A new bourgeoisie was then emerging, looking back nostalgically on the prestige enjoyed by patrons of the arts during the Renaissance. The garden greets us with a blend of features from the Villa Medici, the Villa Borghese and perhaps the Boboli gardens as well – Florence was where one went for inspiration at the time. The spirit of romanticism underlies the garden, expressed in the marble bust glimpsed amid the vines, looking out to sea with its back to us – another delightful parody of that romantic sentiment of union with nature, closer to Leopardi than to his master C.D. Friedrich. These gardens, work on which began before the house, feature a collection of marble statues in the neo-classical style and the mermaids by the sculptress Maria Llimona. All the paths, avenues, squares and steps are set off by clipped hedges that form splendid green architectural shapes.

https://barcelonanavigator.com/santa-clotilde-gardens/

Then we make our way back to our hotel…renewed in spirit and basking in the memories. Evening at your leisure.

Breakfast and Lunch included with Dinner on own.

Barcelona is very easy to walk around and enjoy and our hotel is very close to great shopping venues as well. Make your own memories today as you stroll, remember to look up as you walk too or you will miss some great architectural features. Cafes seem to be on every street corner and as I walked along the streets I had the distinct feeling I was at home…Barcelona can do that to you.

Breakfast included, Lunch and Dinner on own.

Today, our last day together, I want to share two very special places we will visit…both so special and so utterly unique.

Casa Milà, popularly known as ‘La Pedrera’, is probably one of the most famous buildings of the Catalan Modernisme or Catalan Art Nouveau period and one of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s most ambitious works. It is a structure that is a work of art in itself. Gaudí planned Casa Milà (1906–1912) at the age of fifty-three, when he was at the height of his powers and had found a style of his own – independent of any established ones. It turned out to be his last civil work and one of the most innovative in its functional, constructive and ornamental aspects. Indeed, thanks to his artistic and technical ideas, it has always been considered a breakthrough work, outside the concepts of the time, a rara avis in Modernisme itself and, especially, a work that anticipated the architecture of the 20th century.

https://www.lapedrera.com/en/home

and ever wonder what it is like to live there?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/world/europe/barcelona-gaudi-la-pedrera-casa-mila.html

and

https://thisisglamorous.com/2022/08/design-history-decor-inspiration-the-last-resident-of-casa-mila-ana-viladomiu-barcelona-designed-by-antoni-gaudi.html/

and lastly

https://www.througheternity.com/en/blog/history/barcelona-casa-mila-la-pedrera-gaudi-guide.html

And Finally…

The Palau de la Música Catalana is one of the most representative monuments of Art Nouveau architecture. An emblematic building of the Catalan Modernism, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. Built between 1905 and 1908 by the great architect Lluis Domènech i Montaner, the Palau de la Música Catalana is an architectural jewel of Barcelona. Our guided tours starts in the Rehearsal Hall of the Orfeó Catala, where the foundation stone of the building was laid in 1905 and where even today, as it has for more than 100 years, the choir of the Orfeó Català rehearses regularly. Sitting in this intimate space, you can find out the reason for its importance with an audiovisual tour. The tour continues along the grand staircase decorated with flowers, Catalan flags and a single rail: built in a clever combination of a range of materials including iron and glass to create a world of detail which never ceases to amaze. Next we’ll visit the Lluís Millet Hall, where you can glimpse the large balcony with columns symbolizing flowers of every kind, in a tribute to nature. Finally we’ll go into the Concert Hall where an explosion of colour, shapes and light will welcome you to this great masterpiece of decorative art which amazes and inspires visitors and artists day after day. You will also go up to the second floor, next to the great skylight a drop of water and honey, a source of both light and inspiration. And finally the organ of the Palau, overlooking the room, will accompany you on a little musical journey. What an ending to a magical tour!

https://www.palaumusica.cat/en/the-art-nouveau-building_23602

We will all then enjoy our final Farewell Lunch together – a time to say goodbye to old and new friends, toast a wonderful tour and make our way back to our hotel.

Breakfast and Farewell Lunch Included with Dinner on your own

Or you may have chosen to stay on. If you want to use the same hotel do let me know so I can confirm post tour nights for you.