On our journey from Granada to Cordoba today, visit the former country residence of the avant garde poet, playwright and director Federico Garcia Lorca—a native of Granada. Once in Córdoba, stretch your legs with a walking tour of the historic city center filled with splendid Moorish architecture as well as the charming Jewish Quarter, known for its labyrinthine streets, flower filled patios, and rich history as a center of Jewish life during the Middle Ages.
Breakfast
Mid-Morning - Depart Granada for Córdoba via private coach.
Federico Garcia Lorca House Museum
Just outside of Granda, pay a visit to the Federico Garcia Lorca house museum. A native of Granada, the avant garde poet, playwright and director was executed at age 38 by Franco’s forces during the Spanish Civil War.
Lunch - Together on route
Stop at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Antequera Dolmens at Menga
Dolmens are long-barrow burial chambers from the late Neolithic period (3750-3650 BCE) on, used for ceremonial burials of family groups or clans. They were constructed using colossal stones and buried under mounds of earth known as tumuli. This is one of Europe’s largest dolmen sites, with three burial chambers and two natural rock formations, El Torcal, the ‘place of caves’, and La Peña de los Enamorados, or ‘Lovers’ Peak’. Once you have seen inside the chambers, imagine Neolithic man in situ. Why did they choose this place, all those millennia ago? And why did burials slowly become more individual? Discuss…
Arrive - Check-In at Hospes Palacio del Bailío, Córdoba
Upon arrival in Córdoba, check in at the luxurious Hospes Palacio del Bailío. This exquisite 5-star hotel combines modern comforts with historical charm, offering an ideal retreat in the heart of the city.
Evening - Walking Tour
Now for another UNESCO World Heritage Site (is this a record?), aka the historic city center of Córdoba itself, and a chance to get your bearings.
Córdoba reached its zenith after the 8th-century Moorish conquest of southern Spain. The city filled with mosques, some 300 of them, with elegant minarets and muezzins (known here as almuédanos) making the calls to prayer. The Moors built palaces, plazas and civic buildings to rival the splendors of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. But it couldn’t last - the Christians were coming, even if it took them a while: five centuries later, Córdoba’s Great Mosque became a cathedral and the Christian monarchs built mighty defensive fortifications.
Explore the Jewish Quarter, known for its labyrinthine streets and rich history as a center of Jewish life during the Middle Ages. The Jewish Quarter is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Historic Centre of Córdoba, reflecting its cultural and historical significance.
Along the way enjoy, we hope to peek into one of Córdoba's beautiful private patios. These patios are an integral part of the city's architectural heritage, with their tradition of intricate garden courtyards. The Festival of the Patios taking place every May, celebrates these stunning spaces, is also recognized on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Dinner - At leisure