HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

8 days from GBP929 to GBP999 including flights
Tripcode: ADH

Countries Visited: Spain

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 7 reviews.

Wendy Mansell

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written January 2012
The balance achieved between visiting some amazing places and relaxing in the comfort a very peaceful environment, was just excellent. We were also blessed with fantastic weather!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Taking the opportunity to walk up a mountain on the "free day" and being surrounded by nothing but spectacular views and the circling vultures!
What did you think of your group leader?
Andy was great - he kept us informed of what we needed to know when we needed to know it. He had a great style of being relaxed, informed but in charge
Heather Prestwich

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written November 2011
November is a lovely time off year to visit but too cold for swimming. A lot is packed in, more a sight seeing taster than an in depth tour, leaving you wanting to explore places in more detail. Hotel staff were excellent with very good catering.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Watching 2 young girls dance flamenco for us at the end of the week.
Visiting the palace in Seville.
Experiencing Spanish trains.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader gave us a quiz, which roused our competitive spirit, arranged a kitty to facillitate lunches and drinkks when out and about and was very congenial.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
There are a million english books on the hotel shelf to read and plenty of time to read them if you wish. A relaxing holiday with a bit of history and lots of exploring in your own way.
Maxine Jones

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written November 2011
This was a very enjoyable trip. Very active. Visited lots of interesting towns and cities. Saw all the main sights. Pleasant group and leader.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Not exactly inspirational, but I really enjoyed learning about tapas and sherry. I rarely eat spanish food or drink sherry so was happy to learn more about them - and eating and drinking them of course !
What did you think of your group leader?
Chris Burke was very pleasant. He had a calm and reassuring way about him. He was very amusing in a quiet sort of way. He was knowledgeable about the area and history of Andalucia. He was clearly a very experienced tour leader, was good with the group and knew the kind of information to give that would be helpful. I'd be happy to have him as a tour leader again.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
While this is a leisurely trip, there is a fair bit of walking and a fair number of hills to walk up and down in the towns and villages as well as some walking amongst the olive groves and over rough ground - so not exactly undemanding. I'd recommend being physically able for a good walk and bring sturdy shoes with grips!
On our free day, we took a trip to Granada to see the Alhambra. Buy tickets online in advance, as it's very busy.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you like a bit of walking and a bit of sight-seeing as well as good food and drink, I'd highly recommend this trip.
Julie Mawford

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written October 2011
A delightful holiday that exceeded all my expectations. Beautiful countryside and cities, a well-balanced, relaxed itinerary, great food, hospitality and excellent company.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Without doubt, the Mezquita in Cordoba. I loved Cordoba full stop, but the Mezquita was something else; astonishing, awe-inspiring, breathtaking. An almost surreal visual and spiritual experience. It needs - and deserves - plenty of time to take it all in.
What did you think of your group leader?
I've been lucky on all my Exodus trips to have great tour leaders. Ale continued that trend; very knowledgeable, well-organised, helpful and also friendly, sociable and always ready to have a laugh and a joke with the group (and there was a LOT of laughter in the course of the week!) He promised to always try and answer any questions we had, but if he didn't know the answer, to try and find it out within 24 hours. I asked a lot of questions; he always kept his promise!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you're expecting an activity-packed agenda, this is not the trip for you. It definitely is, as the brochure says, "Leisurely". However, for anyone wanting a laid-back week, with flexibility, plenty of time to do your own thing (especially in the first half of the week) in beautiful surroundings, a good balance of town & country and a taste of the "Real Spain", I would recommend this trip.
The Cortijo is really out in the sticks but that's part of its charm, and none of the locations visited are too far away. Expect to be well looked after by the excellent staff and above all, well fed! As other reviewers have said, knowing a few words of Spanish in this area is useful.
In Cordoba, as well as the Mezquita and Juderia I'd recommend visiting the patios at the Palacio de Viana; very pretty but off the main tourist drag and therefore peaceful. An ideal place to while away a tranquil hour or so.
One word of advice for vegetarians: If you're a "true" vegetarian, i.e. you don't eat fish or shellfish as well as meat, do make sure that's made clear to the tour leader at the start of the trip or you might find yourself faced with a plate of prawns one evening (the only minor blip in an otherwise excellent culinary week). You can expect to be well looked after by the staff at the Cortijo though, and definitely won't go hungry.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I'd never visited mainland Spain before and really didn't know what to expect. If I'm honest, the choice to book was made not because the area was on my "wish list" but because I thought it would be "nice" and give me a good chance of some autumn sunshine!
So I'm delighted to say that the week exceeded all my expectations. I had an absolutely lovely holiday; I thoroughly enjoyed every place that we visited and also time spent just chilling out at the Cortijo. The leisurely pace was just what I needed to recharge my batteries after a hectic September. I really hope to visit this part of Spain again in the future and get to know it even better.
Joanne Bond

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written March 2011
This week certainly gives you the full flavour of historic Andalucia - Moorish architecture, olive groves, orange trees and plates of tasty tapas.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The most impressive building has to be the huge Plaza de Espana, in Seville.
What did you think of your group leader?
Very friendly, informative and calm.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
There are two free afternoons at the start of the week so don't expect an action-packed schedule. The Weds is totally free too & we thought it was a shame that the trip didn't at least include transport to the local train station - since most people want to get out & about for the day. We caught the train to Ronda which was a very interesting place.
The Cortijo is pretty much out in the sticks so there's quite a bit of mini-bus travel involved. On the other hand it is fairly central for the various places visited - so that's the price to be paid I suppose.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Cortijo is a lovely place to stay with a truly authentic Spanish feel.
If you're VEGETARIAN don't worry about going hungry because the food is absolutely delicious and you'll be very well-catered for.
Christine Sewell

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written January 2011
A most enjoyable week rounding off the old year and seeing in the new one based at a lovely, traditional finca in the Andalucian countryside. Good mixture of city visits and hilltop village walks not to mention superb food, stunning views and good company!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I have been to this part of Spain on previous occasions and whilst it was good to revisit the beautiful cities of Cordoba and Seville, my personal highlights of the week were (1) the breathtakingly wonderful horse show at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez and (2) the evening when three young local girls came up to the finca with their Spanish music CDs and flamenco dresses and performed for us - terrific, especially the dance to a Spanish version of "My Way"!
What did you think of your group leader?
Suzie has everything you want in an Exodus leader - she is friendly, knowledgeable, considerate, ever ready to assist and fun!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
It was probably not the best week to be visiting tourist attractions in southern Spain - on New Year's Eve in Seville for instance, most places were closed. But the staff at Cortijo Rosario - Nieves, Maria, Rocio, Anna-Marie, Juan - made us so welcome and ensured that we had such a special week. Cortijo Rosario is an Exodus gem and if you are not into city visiting, there are walking holidays based there too.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
On the free day (usually Wednesday) there are countless options - several of our large, multi-national group took the train to visit either Granada or Ronda (both highly recommended) whilst others went walking or just chilled out at the finca. This is the type of holiday where you can do as much or as little as you please - idyllic!
Anne Jones

HISTORIC ANDALUCIA

Written May 2010
A super holiday in a classic area, but taking us off the beaten track in typical Exodus style. Our second Exodus trip and we're looking forward to more!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Mesquita in Cordoba was just something else! We've never seen anything quite like it and could easily have stayed there longer (but we didn't want to miss the bus back)!
What did you think of your group leader?
Suzy was an excellent leader, her local knowledge was extensive and she showed great consideration to all group members - and she had a great sense of humour! We learnt lots about the area from her - much better than reading guide books.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Just relax and enjoy your trip! Exodus had done all the hard work for you - be prepared to be a bit flexible and we're sure you'll have a great time. And do try to learn a few words of the local language - the locals do appreciate us making the effort.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This was our second Exodus trip and we're looking forward to many more. As a working mum and a Guide leader I seem to spend all my life organising other people - so it's a real treat to let someone take care of all the organisation so capably that I can relax and enjoy my holiday!