GOLDEN TRIANGLE OF ANDALUSIA, 24 APR-6 MAY, 2023

Itinerary

Day 1: Mon, 24 Apr, 2023 – Madrid/Granada
Today you will arrive in Madrid and transfer to your flight to Granada. Transfer to the Hotel Inglaterra in the historic section of town.

Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonised southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.

O/N Hotel Inglaterra, Granada (D)

Day 2: Tue, 25 Apr, 2023 – Granada

Alhambra Palace
One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings— including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens— stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.

Albaicin
The hill facing the Alhambra is the old Moorish casbah or "medina", called the Albaicin, a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and white-washed houses with secluded inner gardens, known as "cármenes". The Plaza de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent view of the Alhambra palace.

O/N Hotel Inglaterra, Granada (B,L,D)

Day 3: Wed, 26 Apr, 2023 – Granada

O/N Hotel Inglaterra, Granada (B,L,D)

Day 4: Thu, 27 Apr, 2023 – Granada/Andújar

Pilgrimage of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza
Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, is a Marian apparition and statue of the Madonna and Child, whose cult is centered at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, located in the Natural Park of the Sierra of Andújar, 32 km north of the city of Andújar, Spain. A Black Madonna, she is known popularly as La Morenita.

The pilgrimage is celebrated on the last weekend of April in the Sierra Morena. It is one of the oldest pilgrimages in Spain, it is a festival of national tourist interest, and declared in 2013 as an Asset of Cultural Interest. According to popular tradition, the Virgin appeared to the shepherd Juan Alonso de Rivas, a native of Colomera (Granada), and after healing his crippled arm, told him to build a hermitage on the hill of Cabezo, the place of the apparition in 1227.

The pilgrimage is an impressive manifestation of Marian fervour, adorned with the colors of the banners and flags of the Brotherhoods that come from all over Spain. It begins on Friday afternoon, with the reception of the brotherhoods in the city of Andújar. On Saturday morning, the parade of the Cofradía Matriz takes place through the city, accompanied by a large number of horsemen, amazons and couples on horseback, without forgetting the harnessed mules and the jamugas (side saddle for women). The pilgrims leave for the Lugar Nuevo meadow, next to the Jándula River, where they will have lunch and then continue on their way to the Sanctuary. Sunday is the big day with the procession of the Blessed Virgin of the Head.

O/N Hotel Restaurante Logasasanti, Andújar (B,L,D)

Day 5: Fri, 28 Apr, 2023 – Andújar

La Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza— Pilgrimage Friday
The first day that the celebration of the Pilgrimage begins with the reception in Andújar of the different affiliated Brotherhoods that are distributed throughout Spain. The mayor of the city, together with the Royal Brotherhood of Andújar, receive in the gardens of Colón all those who will go up to the Sanctuary on Saturday.

O/N Hotel Restaurante Logasasanti, Andújar (B,L,D)

Day 6: Sat, 29 Apr, 2023 – Andújar

La Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza— Pilgrimage Saturday
The Pilgrimage Saturday begins with the parade of the Matriz Brotherhood through the streets of the city adorned with flowers to receive the "Pequeña y Morenita" as it is commonly known by its faithful.

The first stop on the route is at the hermitage of San Ginés, to then continue to the "Lugar Nuevo" meadow next to the Jándula river where the traditional meal is served and then continue on the way to the Sanctuary. At the same time, the carts came out with a multitude of friends and families gathered to celebrate the Pilgrimage, to later stand in the river next to the Cofradía Matriz.

When they arrive at the Sanctuary, the brotherhoods meet to present themselves before the "Pequeña y Morenita" where a great atmosphere of intimacy is created and a great participation of the faithful.

O/N Hotel Restaurante Logasasanti, Andújar (B,L,D)

Day 7: Sun, 30 Apr, 2023 – Andújar

La Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza— Pilgrimage Sunday

The last day of the festivity, Sunday, is the big day of the Pilgrimage. The festival culminates on this day when an altar is set up on the esplanade in front of the Sanctuary so that most of the pilgrims and pilgrims can participate in the Eucharist. At the moment in which the bells of the temple resound (around noon) the procession of the Blessed Virgin of the Head begins.

All the brotherhoods and devotees are formed and crowd around the path that the deity takes. At the moment in which the deity returns to its dressing room, to its house, a new year begins for the pilgrims who anxiously await a new year to pass so that they can relive the festivity and see the Blessed Virgin of the Head.

O/N Hotel Restaurante Logasasanti, Andújar (B,L,D)

Day 8: Mon, 1 May, 2023 – Andújar/Córdoba
Cordoba was founded by the Romans and due to its strategic importance as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River, it became a port city of great importance, used for shipping Spanish olive oil, wine and wheat back to Ancient Rome. The Romans built the mighty bridge crossing the river, now called "El Puente Romano". But 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", 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.

1328; the Calahorra Fort, originally built by the Arabs, which guards the Roman Bridge, on the far side of the river from the Mezquita, and the ancient Jewish Synagogue, now a museum. Cordoba's medieval quarter, once the home of the Jewish community, is called "La Judería" (The Jewry), a labyrinth of winding, narrow streets, shady flower-filled courtyards and picturesque squares such as La Plaza del Potro.

In early May, home-owners proudly festoon their patios with flowers to compete for the city's "most beautiful courtyard" contest.

Roman Bridge of Cordoba
You can walk over the Roman bridge in either direction. It is close to the great Mosque and leads to Torre de Calahorra at south end.

The Roman bridge which, according to the Arab geographer, Al-drisi 'surpasses all other bridges in beauty and solidity', reflects little of its Roman roots, owing to frequent reconstruction over many decades. In the centre of the eastern side's stone handrails there is a little shrine to St Raphael, at whose feet the devout burn candles.

It is, of course, unlikely that much of the original structure stands. The present structure is a medieval reconstruction, though the 19th-century cobbled paving does give a Roman feel. There is an irregular pattern to the 16 arches in size and abutment protections.

There are good views of bridge and the river from south bank. There is usually ample parking Avenida Fray Albino. Visitors from the south may well consider parking here and walking over the Roman Bridge passing Bridge Gate and entering the old town at the back of the Mosque.

O/N NH Córdoba Califa, Córdoba (B,L,D)
The NH Córdoba Califa hotel is in the heart of Cordoba, at the entrance to the historic Jewish quarter. We’re well placed for both business and shopping, while attractions like the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba are a short walk away.

Day 9: Tue, 2 May, 2023 – Córdoba

Mezquita 
The Mezquita (Mosque) dates back to the 10th century when Córdoba reached its zenith under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman III who was one of the great rulers of Islamic history. At this time Córdoba was the largest, most prosperous cities of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendour.

Today the Mezquita de Cordoba (Cordoba Mosque) as it is comonly known (or the Cordoba Cathedral as it was know by its owners the Catholic church) can be visited throughout the year for an entrance fee. Following a dispute between the church and the city over the name of the building in the 2010's it is now diplomatically called "Cordoba Mosque Cathedral".

The approach is via the Patio de los Naranjos, a classic Islamic ablutions courtyard which preserves both its orange trees and fountains. When the mosque was used for Moslem prayer, all nineteen naves were open to this courtyard allowing the rows of interior columns to appear like an extension of the tree with brilliant shafts of sunlight filtering through.

The Arches
A first glimpse is immensely exciting. Jan Morris described it as "so near the desert in its tentlike forest of supporting pillars." The architect introduced another, horseshoe-shaped arch above the lower pillars. A second and purely aesthetic innovation was to alternate brick and stone in the arches, creating the red and white striped pattern which gives a unity and distinctive character to the whole design. There are more than 850 coloured granite jasper and marble pillars in total. Sunlight streams in from windows in the four cupolas creating interesting effects combined with artificial light from the thousands of small oil lights.

The Mihrab
This traditionally had two functions in Islamic worship, first it indicated the direction of Mecca (therefore prayer) and it also amplified the words of the Imam, the prayer leader. At Cordóba it is particularly magnificent. The shell-shaped ceiling is carved from a single block of marble and the chambers on either side are decorated with exquisite Byzantine mosaics of gold. The worn flagstones indicate where pilgrims crouched on their knees. The Cordoba Mosque Mihrab looks south in the same way as the Damascus mosque and not south east in the direction of Mecca.

The Cathedral
In the centre of the mosque squats a Renaissance cathedral which dates back to the early sixteenth century while, to the left is the Capilla de Villaviciosa built by Moorish craftsmen in 1371.

The Mosque was consecrated as a Christian Cathedral in the same year that Cordoba was re-conquered (1236). Alfonso X built the Villaviciosa Chapel with stunning multi lobed arches. The Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) was also built as a pantheon for Christian Kings.

In the 14th century Enrique II rebuilt the royal chapel in Mudejar style. In 1523 with the support of King Carlos V the church built a huge nave inside the mosque. The cathedral was elaborated on over the years by many of the country´s leading architects and artists. Architect Hernán Ruiz continued working transforming the Cathedral into Gothic style.

The main retable in red marble is a neo-classical work of art by Álonso Matias with five painting by Antonio Palomino and sculptures by Pedro de Paz. The Baroque tabernacle is by Sebastian Vidal.

The two mahogany pulpits by Verdiquier are interesting because they feature a near life size bull and a lion in veined marble and an eagle in black marble. The baroque mahogany choir stalls were carved by Duque Correjo in the 18th century.

The Bell Tower
The Torre de Alminar is 93m high and was built on the site of the original minaret. Its posible to climb the steps to the very top for superb views of Cordoba.

The Entrance Gates
There three main decorated gates dating back to Moorish construction. On the east the enlargement by Almanzar featured poorer reproductions of earlier gates. La Paloma door was reformed in gothic style in the 15th century.

Patio de los Naranjos
There is no charge for the entrance to the Patio de Los Naranjos which is a large outer courtyard where you can rest from the Cordoba sun before entering inside the other sections of the mosque. The entrance tickets are sold from a kiosk here.

O/N NH Córdoba Califa, Córdoba (B,L,D)

Day 10, 11 & 12: Wed, Thu, Fri, 3, 4, 5 May, 2023 – Córdoba/Seville
Before we leave for Seville in the early afternoon, we will visit the many Patios in Córdoba which will be open during the Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba. Beginning today, this is Córdoba’s most colourful, annual event.

Córdobans celebrate the annual Courtyard Festival and Contest by opening their beautiful courtyards of their homes to the public. Many house owners in Cordoba’s traditional neighborhoods join the contest and open their doors. So everyone has the chance to see the architectural treasures that are typical for Cordoba - the so called Patios. During the festival, people are welcome to enjoy courtyards of incomparable beauty, packed with trees and flowers, fountains and accessories.

Throughout the old town, the Córdobeses open the gates and doors to their private patios and reveal the secret floral delights within. You can tell which patios are open by the presence of plant pots on either side of the street door.

The Córdoba Patios Festival is a celebration that has been declared an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO. The Patios have become true works of art, an explosion of colour with the interior flowerpots, railings, wells and balconies. The visitor is overwhelmed by a sea of flowers and aromatic plants, sweet fragrances and colour. Each patio vies with the others and the challenge, to have the most attractive patio in Córdoba, is hotly contested.

Seville is located on the Guadalquivir river. Thanks to the many historical highlights, Seville is seen by many people as the most beautiful city of Andalusia and Spain. Conclusion, considering all the Arabic influences, the narrow winding streets, parks and the large historic centre (Barrio de Santa Cruz). Barrio de Triana, a district of Seville is seen as the birthplace of flamenco, the typical Spanish dance and music. Seville is famous for its Mudéjar architecture, which is a mix of Islamic and Catholic architectural styles. After the Catholics defeated the Moors, who had ruled over Seville for more than 500 years, they kept many beautiful buildings intact like the Alcazar Palace. Sometimes they gave it their own Catholic twist, like the cathedral with the Giralda.

Seville Cathedral
Seville's cathedral, Santa Maria de la Sede, is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, and is recognised as UNESCO World Heritage.

The cathedral's construction lasted over a century, from 1401 to 1506. It is said that when the plans were drawn up, church elders stated, "Hagamos una iglesia tan hermosa y tan grandiosa que los que la vieren labrada nos tengan por locos." (Let us build a church so beautiful and so magnificent that those who see it finished will think we are mad).

The basilica occupies the site of the great Aljama mosque, built in the late 12th century by the Almohads, the ruling Moorish dynasty, of which the only remaining parts are the Patio de Naranjas, the Puerta del Perdon (on Calle Alemanes, on the north side), and the Giralda (formerly the minaret, now the belltower).

The Alcazar Real
The Alcázar Réal (Royal Palace) of Seville is one of the city’s most enchanting, and most popular, historic monuments. Along with the Cathedral and Archive of the Indies, it is recognised as UNESCO World Heritage.

The word alcázar actually means fortified palace, and this one is hidden behind castle walls on Plaza del Triunfo opposite the Cathedral.

The Alcázar of Seville is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe – over 1,000 years of history, from Islamic Isbyllia through medieval Christian and Jewish Seville to present day. 

Plaza de España
Plaza de España is a semi-circular brick building, Renaissance/neo-Moorish in style, with a tower at either end (tall enough to be visible around the city, these towers - north and south - are major landmarks). In front of the building, following the curve of its façade, is a 500-metre canal crossed by four bridges, and in the centre of it all is the Plaza itself. You can rent small boats to row in the canal - the Plaza is known as "the Venice of Seville". A major tourist attraction, it is the finishing point of horse-and-carriage rides.

Triana
Famous for having its own strong identity - it's known in Seville as "the independent republic of Triana" - this district is celebrated for its azulejos (ceramic tiles), made in workshops here originally using mud from the river bank; its sailors, bullfighters and flamenco artists (gypsies had to live here as they weren't allowed intramuros, inside the main city walls); and the Inquisition - learn more about this dark chapter in Seville's history at Castillo San Jorge, next to the excellent food market.

Triana's rich past has turned into a lively present, with a great tapas and flamenco scene among its narrow streets, and buzzing nightlife along Calle Betis, which also boasts some superb riverfront restaurant terraces looking towards the Torre del Oro across the water. Ceramics workshops are rare now, although a few tile shops remain and a museum will be opening soon; another of Triana's best-loved attributes is her beloved Virgin, the Esperanza de Triana, and the area even has its own riverside festival - Santa Ana, in July.

Like Barrio Santa Cruz, Triana also has narrow cobbled streets, but its houses are smaller and less grand, and it is less picture-book pretty, and therefore feels more real; it's also less packed with tourists. Some locals claim never to have crossed the river and set foot in Seville. Triana is probably named after the Roman emperor Trajan, who was born in nearby Italica.

This barrio used to be home to Seville's world-renowned tile workshops and potteries - almost any tile you see in Seville's churches, hotels, bars and private houses, as well as Plaza de España, will have been made here in Triana. The industry dates back to Roman times, using clay from La Cartuja, to the north of Triana. Countless artists, bullfighters and flamenco performers, both past and present, were born here - it was the old gitano (gypsy) quarter till the 1950s and is considered the spiritual heart of flamenco: you can experience some of the most authentic performances in the city here, very late at night, in tiny, dark bars.

Look out for the old communal patios, where the gitano families used to live, called corrales de vecinos, with many small rooms centred around a courtyard, which was used for washing and cooking - and often singing and dancing too (Castilla 16 is a good example).

Calle Betis is the street runs alongside the river; it offers indisputably fine views of the city, especially the Torre del Oro (Golden Tower, see El Arenal), the bullring and Giralda. Its row of brightly-coloured 18th-century townhouse facades, seen from the other side of the river, is as impressive as any in Amsterdam or Dublin. Within the barrio, many of the houses have stunning tiled exteriors and wrought iron balconies filled with flowers - go to Calles Pelay and Correa for the traditional Triana. In summer, much of the city's nightlife migrates to Calle Betis, where the copa bars are thronged with party-goers late into the wee hours.

In deeply religious Seville you'll see many statues of the Virgin Mary, but one of the two best-loved (along with La Macarena), especially in the barrio itself, is the Esperanza de Triana. Locals will come in to visit her every day. You can see her in the Capilla de los Marineros (Pureza 53) and during Semana Santa when she heads out on her paso (float) to be adored by her faithful followers. Her hermandad (brotherhood) is one of the oldest and most powerful in Seville, dating from 1418. Triana is the starting point for one of the biggest hermandades on the huge annual romería of El Rocío (pilgrimage, or massive booze-up, depending on who you talk to) at the end of May/beginning of June.

The best way to get to Triana is across the Puente Isabel II, known locally as the Puente de Triana. Look out for the market on the right as you arrive in Triana - this is a good place to buy jamon ibérico (ham), cheese, olives, and other local specialities. It's built on the site of the prison, Castillo San Jorge, which was the headquarters of the Inquisition, now converted into a museum. During this period many 'heretics' - non-Catholics, notably Jews - were burned at the stake. Before 1481, when the Inquisition was instigated, Jews, Muslims and Christians had lived together in relative harmony in Seville.

Crossing the bridge, passing Anibal Gonzalez's chapel of the Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of sailors, you'll arrive in Plaza del Altozano, with its glass-fronted balconies called miradores (windows for watching); this was a traditional meeting place for flamenco cantaores (singers) in the 19th century. There's also a statue of Triana's most famous bullfighting son, Juan Belmonte. Near this plaza are Calles Callao, Antillano Campos and Alfareria, where you'll find the few remaining ceramics workshops.

There are several churches worth visiting near the riverfront in Triana. The most famous of these is Nuestra Señora de la O, north of the bridge. It has a stunning statue of crucified Christ by Gijón, known as El Cachorro (the puppy); there's a tortoiseshell cross hanging from it, a gift from some sailors rescued from a shipwreck. Mudéjar-Gothic Santa Ana, near calle Betis, is the oldest church in Triana, dating from 1276. It was built by Alfonso X in gratitude after he recovered from an eye infection; look out for the retablo (carved altarpiece), choir stalls and pila de los gitanos (gypsy font) which is believed to pass on flamenco talent to children baptized there.

To the north of Triana is the area of Isla de la Cartuja. This was the site of Expo 92 and Monasterio de Santa Maria de Las Cuevas, known locally as the Monasterio de la Cartuja.

Metropol Parasol
The most ambitious, expensive and controversial urban project in Seville since Expo 92, this is nothing short of a modern icon. Metropol Parasol is located in Plaza Encarnacion: it's at the centre of the city, between the main shopping area to the south and Calle Feria to the north; Plaza del Duque to the west and Plaza Ponce de Leon to the east.

Intended as a Guggenhein Bilbao-type landmark, to put Seville on the contemporary architecture map, this extraordinary, flowing structure (known locally as Las Setas, the mushrooms) consists of six huge linked parasols made of waffle-type criss-crossed wooden beams - it is said to be the world's largest timber-framed structure. Metropol Parasol's trademark amorphous shape can be seen reflected in every detail of the development, from the curvy benches to the sinuous flowerbeds. The parasols, which measure 150x70m in total, took six years to build, and cost a reported 123 million euros.

O/N La Casa del Maestro Boutique Hotel, Seville (B,L,D)

Day 13: Sat, 6 May, 2023 – Seville/Home (B)

END OF TOUR

Average Weather in Andalusia in April/May

The average temperature is around 15°C, which is quite mild and continues to increase towards the end of the month. There's not much rain in April, with an average rainfall of just 6mm with winds reaching speeds of up to 7mph.