Small Town Spain
Big cities have a lot to offer, but the real heart and soul of any country can be found in its towns and villages. From the quiet charm of Segovia to the white-washed villages of the south we'll steer around the major cites in favor of the smaller places. Relax, enjoy and immerse yourself in the culture of Spain.
This tour was designed to fit the time, interests and budget of a private group. If you would like more information about organizing a private tour for your own group, or about future tours like this one, contact us.
Price includes: accommodations in comfortable, characteristic hotels, all in central locations; all ground transportation from arrival in Madrid to departure from Madrid; breakfast each morning; entry and tour of all sights mentioned in the itinerary; the services of your Hand Crafted guide, who also acts as driver, interpreter, and window on European culture and history.
Not included: airfare to and from Europe; meals other than breakfast; free time sightseeing admissions or transportation.
Price includes: accommodations in comfortable, characteristic hotels, all in central locations; all ground transportation from arrival in Madrid to departure from Madrid; breakfast each morning; entry and tour of all sights mentioned in the itinerary; the services of your Hand Crafted guide, who also acts as driver, interpreter, and window on European culture and history.
Not included: airfare to and from Europe; meals other than breakfast; free time sightseeing admissions or transportation.
Sat, Apr 24: Segovia. Arrive in Madrid, drive one hour to Segovia. Orientation walk.
Sun, Apr 25: Slush day to hang out and relax in Segovia.
Mon, Apr 26: Segovia. Visit the Alcazar and the cathedral, then afternoon free.
Tue, Apr 27: Trujillo. Drive about one hour to Avila. Time for exploring the town and walls, then lunch. Drive about three hours to Trujillo for a late afternoon arrival.
Wed, Apr 28: Trujillo. Day trip Merida, tour the Roman sights. Afternoon return to Trujillo.
Thu, Apr 29: Ronda. Drive about three hours to Ronda, stopping for the afternoon in Sevilla along the way. Tour the cathedral, then time for lunch and wandering the Barrio Santa Cruz. Early evening arrival in Ronda.
Fri, Apr 30: Ronda. Day trip to Jerez. Tour the stables and see the horses practicing. Afterwards a tour and tasting at a sherry bodega. Late afternoon return to Ronda.
Sat, May 1: Ronda. Day trip through the Pueblos Blancos villages, with a picnic in the countryside.
Sun, May 2: Granada. Drive about four hours to Granada, taking a detour to the Costa del Sol. Lunch and play time in Nerja.
Mon, May 3: Granada. Tour the Alhambra and Generalife.
Tue, May 4: Toledo. Morning visit to the Royal Chapel, then drive about four hours to Toledo. Stop in Consuegra to see old windmills along the way. After arrival in Toledo, orientation.
Wed, May 5: Toledo. Day trip to Madrid. Visit the Prado, then wander through the heart of Old Madrid to Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor. Free time for exploring, shopping, then late afternoon return to Toledo (or travel into Madrid to do these things on May 7, and stay for the night in Madrid, depending on Saturday's flight times).
Thu, May 6: Toledo. Day trip to El Escorial to see palace of Philip II, and the Valley of the Fallen. Late afternoon return to Toledo.
Fri, May 7: Toledo. Visit the cathedral, then afternoon free for wandering and shopping.
Sat, May 8: Depart for the US.
Sun, Apr 25: Slush day to hang out and relax in Segovia.
Mon, Apr 26: Segovia. Visit the Alcazar and the cathedral, then afternoon free.
Tue, Apr 27: Trujillo. Drive about one hour to Avila. Time for exploring the town and walls, then lunch. Drive about three hours to Trujillo for a late afternoon arrival.
Wed, Apr 28: Trujillo. Day trip Merida, tour the Roman sights. Afternoon return to Trujillo.
Thu, Apr 29: Ronda. Drive about three hours to Ronda, stopping for the afternoon in Sevilla along the way. Tour the cathedral, then time for lunch and wandering the Barrio Santa Cruz. Early evening arrival in Ronda.
Fri, Apr 30: Ronda. Day trip to Jerez. Tour the stables and see the horses practicing. Afterwards a tour and tasting at a sherry bodega. Late afternoon return to Ronda.
Sat, May 1: Ronda. Day trip through the Pueblos Blancos villages, with a picnic in the countryside.
Sun, May 2: Granada. Drive about four hours to Granada, taking a detour to the Costa del Sol. Lunch and play time in Nerja.
Mon, May 3: Granada. Tour the Alhambra and Generalife.
Tue, May 4: Toledo. Morning visit to the Royal Chapel, then drive about four hours to Toledo. Stop in Consuegra to see old windmills along the way. After arrival in Toledo, orientation.
Wed, May 5: Toledo. Day trip to Madrid. Visit the Prado, then wander through the heart of Old Madrid to Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor. Free time for exploring, shopping, then late afternoon return to Toledo (or travel into Madrid to do these things on May 7, and stay for the night in Madrid, depending on Saturday's flight times).
Thu, May 6: Toledo. Day trip to El Escorial to see palace of Philip II, and the Valley of the Fallen. Late afternoon return to Toledo.
Fri, May 7: Toledo. Visit the cathedral, then afternoon free for wandering and shopping.
Sat, May 8: Depart for the US.
Listed below are some recommended books to help get you in the mood and better prepare you for your trip. By no means do I think you should read all of them, but read through the descriptions and pick out a few that grab you.
Antonio Gaudi: Master Architect, by Juan Bassegoda Nonell
Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926) is one of the best-known architects of the 20th-century. Even today, some 75 years after Gaudí's death, his playful, exuberant buildings continue to influence architects, sculptors, and designers. Perhaps most identified with the dynamic, sculptural facades found on his structures, Gaudí is respected as much for his technological innovations as for his daring style.
This enlightening, portable volume is brilliantly illustrated with over 200 images to provide a new perspective on Gaudí's remarkable career. The author traces all the influences that led to the architect's definitive style, from his fascination with the Orient and Neogothicism to his love of naturalism and geometric forms. It includes the full range of his oeuvre from the innovative residences for the Güell family to his unfinished masterpiece, the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which occupied him until his death.
Death in the Afternoon, by Ernest Hemingway
Still considered one of the best books ever written about bullfighting, Death in the Afternoon reflects Hemingway's belief that bullfighting was more than mere sport. Here he describes and explains the technical aspects of this dangerous ritual, and "the emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick." Seen through his eyes, bullfighting becomes an art, a richly choreographed ballet, with performers who range from awkward amateurs to masters of great grace and cunning.
Don Quixote, by Miquel de Cervantes
Widely regarded as the world's first modern novel, and one of the funniest and most tragic books ever written, Don Quixote chronicles the famous picaresque adventures of the noble knight-errant Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, as they travel through sixteenth-century Spain. The translation by Edith Grossman is the one to look for.
Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart
The contagiously entertaining account of one couple's beginning a new life as they turn a rundown peasant farm in southern Spain into a home. When Chris Stewart first sees El Valero, he's willing to overlook its lack of electricity, running water, or access road. Assured that he's bought "a paradise for pennies," he phones his wife, Ana, still in England, whose enthusiasm is a little more tempered. Together they embark on an undertaking that includes rebuilding the house, feeding and housing a former owner reluctant to leave, the threat of drought (and flood), a cultural misunderstanding, and the creation of a whole new, fulfilling, enviable life.
For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway
In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed this novel, one of the best war novels of all time. The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain, it tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author's previous works.
Iberia, by James Michener
Michener's trademark fresh, vivid prose reveals the real Spain as he experiences it. There’s the celebrated Spain of bullfights and warrior kings, painters and processions, cathedrals and olive orchards, but Michener also shares the intimate, often hidden Spain he has come to know. This is Spain where toiling peasants and their honest food, the salt of the shores and the oranges of the inland fields, the congeniality of living souls and the dark weight of history conspire to create a wild, contradictory, passionately beautiful land. Quite possibly Michener’s best book.
Menu Master Spain, by Marling
A phrasebook devoted to food, and organized like the typical menu. The brilliant part is that it gives you not just a translation, but a description of how the dish is usually prepared.
Spanish Lessons, by Derek Lambert
In the shrewd, comical spirit of Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson, Derek Lambert discovers the charms and idiosyncrasies of Spain as he experiences the rewards and frustrations of beginning a new life there. As Lambert and his wife set about restoring their moldering casita on Spain’s Mediterranean Costa Blanca and learning to live the life of Spanish villagers, he introduces us to a nation far removed from the matadors, tapas bars, and sangria swillers. He uncovers the “real” Spain – a nation of passionate, eccentric, often contradictory, but always enchanting people. Unpredictable, often hilarious, and animated by colorful characters, Spanish Lessons presents an intimate and delightful portrait of off-the-tourist-track Spain.
The Heretic, by Lewis Weinstein
A novel of daring adventure, tender first love, religious persecution, and political intrigue, The Heretic tells the story of a family of “Christianised” Jews who secretly retain their Jewish faith and heritage. Living in Seville on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition, the long-simmering animosity toward Seville's converted Jews explodes into violence. A serious, extensively researched work of historical fiction, dealing with the central issues of Christian anti-Judaism.
The New Spaniards, by John Hooper
Focusing mainly on the last half of the 20th century, Hooper presents an in depth look at the structure and influences of Spanish society, including the government, media, arts, and education.
The Root & the Flower, by John A. Crow
Updated and expanded version of this classic study of the cultural history of Spain and its people. The scope of this richly textured book is remarkable and includes chapters on Roman Spain, the Jews in Spain, the Moors, life in medieval towns, the Golden Age of Spain, and other epochs in Spanish history. In addition, Crow extensively updates later chapters to reflect changing events in the last ten years in Spain, and he expands his chapter on "Franco's Legacy."
The Story of Spain, by Mark Williams
A popular history of Spain and the Spanish Empire, from prehistoric times to the present day, providing description and analysis of political, social, economic and cultural events over centuries, which together shaped the history of this distinctive country. Williams is a masterful storyteller, who keeps what could be a dry text fluid and interesting through anecdotes and drama.
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
Published in 1926 to explosive acclaim, The Sun Also Rises stands as perhaps the most impressive first novel ever written by an American writer. Following “the Great War” a group of American and English expatriates take an excursion from Paris's Left Bank to Pamplona for the July fiesta and its climactic bullfight. The story is a journey from the center of a civilization spiritually bankrupted by the First World War to a vital, God-haunted world in which faith and honor have yet to lose their currency. The novel captured for “The Lost Generation” the spirit of its age, and marked Ernest Hemingway as the preeminent writer of his time.
Antonio Gaudi: Master Architect, by Juan Bassegoda Nonell
Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926) is one of the best-known architects of the 20th-century. Even today, some 75 years after Gaudí's death, his playful, exuberant buildings continue to influence architects, sculptors, and designers. Perhaps most identified with the dynamic, sculptural facades found on his structures, Gaudí is respected as much for his technological innovations as for his daring style.
This enlightening, portable volume is brilliantly illustrated with over 200 images to provide a new perspective on Gaudí's remarkable career. The author traces all the influences that led to the architect's definitive style, from his fascination with the Orient and Neogothicism to his love of naturalism and geometric forms. It includes the full range of his oeuvre from the innovative residences for the Güell family to his unfinished masterpiece, the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which occupied him until his death.
Death in the Afternoon, by Ernest Hemingway
Still considered one of the best books ever written about bullfighting, Death in the Afternoon reflects Hemingway's belief that bullfighting was more than mere sport. Here he describes and explains the technical aspects of this dangerous ritual, and "the emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick." Seen through his eyes, bullfighting becomes an art, a richly choreographed ballet, with performers who range from awkward amateurs to masters of great grace and cunning.
Don Quixote, by Miquel de Cervantes
Widely regarded as the world's first modern novel, and one of the funniest and most tragic books ever written, Don Quixote chronicles the famous picaresque adventures of the noble knight-errant Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, as they travel through sixteenth-century Spain. The translation by Edith Grossman is the one to look for.
Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart
The contagiously entertaining account of one couple's beginning a new life as they turn a rundown peasant farm in southern Spain into a home. When Chris Stewart first sees El Valero, he's willing to overlook its lack of electricity, running water, or access road. Assured that he's bought "a paradise for pennies," he phones his wife, Ana, still in England, whose enthusiasm is a little more tempered. Together they embark on an undertaking that includes rebuilding the house, feeding and housing a former owner reluctant to leave, the threat of drought (and flood), a cultural misunderstanding, and the creation of a whole new, fulfilling, enviable life.
For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway
In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed this novel, one of the best war novels of all time. The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain, it tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author's previous works.
Iberia, by James Michener
Michener's trademark fresh, vivid prose reveals the real Spain as he experiences it. There’s the celebrated Spain of bullfights and warrior kings, painters and processions, cathedrals and olive orchards, but Michener also shares the intimate, often hidden Spain he has come to know. This is Spain where toiling peasants and their honest food, the salt of the shores and the oranges of the inland fields, the congeniality of living souls and the dark weight of history conspire to create a wild, contradictory, passionately beautiful land. Quite possibly Michener’s best book.
Menu Master Spain, by Marling
A phrasebook devoted to food, and organized like the typical menu. The brilliant part is that it gives you not just a translation, but a description of how the dish is usually prepared.
Spanish Lessons, by Derek Lambert
In the shrewd, comical spirit of Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson, Derek Lambert discovers the charms and idiosyncrasies of Spain as he experiences the rewards and frustrations of beginning a new life there. As Lambert and his wife set about restoring their moldering casita on Spain’s Mediterranean Costa Blanca and learning to live the life of Spanish villagers, he introduces us to a nation far removed from the matadors, tapas bars, and sangria swillers. He uncovers the “real” Spain – a nation of passionate, eccentric, often contradictory, but always enchanting people. Unpredictable, often hilarious, and animated by colorful characters, Spanish Lessons presents an intimate and delightful portrait of off-the-tourist-track Spain.
The Heretic, by Lewis Weinstein
A novel of daring adventure, tender first love, religious persecution, and political intrigue, The Heretic tells the story of a family of “Christianised” Jews who secretly retain their Jewish faith and heritage. Living in Seville on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition, the long-simmering animosity toward Seville's converted Jews explodes into violence. A serious, extensively researched work of historical fiction, dealing with the central issues of Christian anti-Judaism.
The New Spaniards, by John Hooper
Focusing mainly on the last half of the 20th century, Hooper presents an in depth look at the structure and influences of Spanish society, including the government, media, arts, and education.
The Root & the Flower, by John A. Crow
Updated and expanded version of this classic study of the cultural history of Spain and its people. The scope of this richly textured book is remarkable and includes chapters on Roman Spain, the Jews in Spain, the Moors, life in medieval towns, the Golden Age of Spain, and other epochs in Spanish history. In addition, Crow extensively updates later chapters to reflect changing events in the last ten years in Spain, and he expands his chapter on "Franco's Legacy."
The Story of Spain, by Mark Williams
A popular history of Spain and the Spanish Empire, from prehistoric times to the present day, providing description and analysis of political, social, economic and cultural events over centuries, which together shaped the history of this distinctive country. Williams is a masterful storyteller, who keeps what could be a dry text fluid and interesting through anecdotes and drama.
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
Published in 1926 to explosive acclaim, The Sun Also Rises stands as perhaps the most impressive first novel ever written by an American writer. Following “the Great War” a group of American and English expatriates take an excursion from Paris's Left Bank to Pamplona for the July fiesta and its climactic bullfight. The story is a journey from the center of a civilization spiritually bankrupted by the First World War to a vital, God-haunted world in which faith and honor have yet to lose their currency. The novel captured for “The Lost Generation” the spirit of its age, and marked Ernest Hemingway as the preeminent writer of his time.
Listed below are some recommended movies to help get you in the mood and better prepare you for your trip. By no means do I think you should watch all of them, but read through the descriptions and pick out a few that grab you.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, with Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas
Almodóvar’s breakthrough film is a manic, screwball comedy about a handful of women and their problems with the men in their lives. Nominated for an Academy Award.
Don Quixote, with John Lithgow
Lithgow is perfect as the aging knight whose hallucinations are an attempt to hold on to his glorious past while the world passes him by. An excellent job of transferring the book to the screen.
The Mystery of Picasso
An extraordinary documentary, and arguably the best film ever about the life and work of a single artist.
Bizet's Carmen
One of the best transferals of opera to the big screen features a young Placido Domingo in top form, and Julia Migenes as Carmen. Shot on location in Spain.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, with Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas
Almodóvar’s breakthrough film is a manic, screwball comedy about a handful of women and their problems with the men in their lives. Nominated for an Academy Award.
Don Quixote, with John Lithgow
Lithgow is perfect as the aging knight whose hallucinations are an attempt to hold on to his glorious past while the world passes him by. An excellent job of transferring the book to the screen.
The Mystery of Picasso
An extraordinary documentary, and arguably the best film ever about the life and work of a single artist.
Bizet's Carmen
One of the best transferals of opera to the big screen features a young Placido Domingo in top form, and Julia Migenes as Carmen. Shot on location in Spain.