overview · barón winning the title of best olive oil in the world for three consecutive years,...
TRANSCRIPT
Tour Andalucia International
Caserio Castaño|Los Naranjos 5|Mollina|29532|Málaga tel. +34 699 328359 email. [email protected]
Reg. B93181758 Tour Operator Licence CIAN 296265-2 Accommodation Licence CR/MA/00621
P a g e | 1
Tour Extension Itinerary – ‘Pueblos Blancos’
3 days/3 nights
Overview
The ‘Pueblos Blancos’ tour extension, takes you to visit some of the most stunning white villages that Andalucia is famous for.
Some are set in mountain ranges others high up overlooking the
Mediterranean, but all essentially of Moorish design.
Stroll through the narrow white-washed lanes filled with flower pots,
take a relaxed tapas lunch and relax A great way to wind down after the
City tours.
Day 1: FRIGILIANA At 09:30, we drive to the white village of
Frigiliana. This exceptionally beautiful white-washed village is
truly one of a kind.
A maze of cobbled streets, with meticulously maintained whitewashed houses, that provide a stunning contrast against the blue
skies and red slate roofs. The colourful plant pots brimming with
bougainvillaea, lavender and jasmine all add an extra dash of colour to
this enchanting scene.
As you wander up the hillside through the pedestrianised cobbled streets,
past the white houses with doors painted an array of pastel colours, past
tiny nooks and crannies and viewpoints that offer glimpses of the
surrounding countryside and the coast below, you can fully understand
why Frigiliana is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful
villages in Andalusia.
A village that has consistently won awards to that effect, Including being voted as the ‘prettiest village in Andalusia’ by the Spanish
tourism authority.
Frigiliana is referenced in the Irish song, 'Lisdoonvarna' by Christy Moore:
"Summer comes around each year,
We go there and they come here.
Some jet off to … Frigiliana,
But I always go to Lisdoonvarna.
Tour Andalucia International
Caserio Castaño|Los Naranjos 5|Mollina|29532|Málaga tel. +34 699 328359 email. [email protected]
Reg. B93181758 Tour Operator Licence CIAN 296265-2 Accommodation Licence CR/MA/00621
P a g e | 2
Tour Extension Itinerary – ‘Pueblos Blancos’
3 days/3 nights
Frigiliana is just west of the vast Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park, which is home to several hiking trails.
It is a delight to wander through the narrow lanes of the village. Spotless and clean it seems as if it was painted white only
yesterday. Colourful flowerpots are everywhere and the painted doors
and shutters provide a gorgeous contrast against the white facades. The
village also holds lots of events, the most popular of which being the
Festival de las Tres Culturas, the three cultures festival, which takes place
on the last weekend of each August. The festival includes countless live
performances on the main stage along with street performers all around
the streets of the village.
Exploring the village, you will find hidden corners and encounter symbols
with Christian, Arab and Jewish origins.
We leave Frigiliana at 14:00 for a visit to the Nerja Caves.
Approximately 5 million years ago, during the Upper Miocene, water
penetrated the fissures of the marble rock and dissolved it, forming a
huge subterranean cavern. Seismic movement and landslides during
the Holocene forced the water to find new pathways through the cave
system and began the formation of the
giant stalactites and stalagmites that can be seen in the cave.
They were discovered on the 12th of January 1959 by a group of young
locals who were on a late-night walk searching for bats. They entered
the cave network through a narrow sinkhole known as "La Mina".
Skeletal remains found in the caverns indicate that they were inhabited from about 25,000 BC, up until the Bronze Age. Cave
paintings from the Paleolithic and post-Paleolithic eras have been
discovered on the walls of the cave. For about 4,000 years from 25,000
BC the caves were used seasonally by a small group of humans, and were
occupied by cave hyena during the periods that the humans were absent.
By 21,000 BC the human population had taken up year-round residence
in the caves and had increased in number.
A culture based on hunting in the local area had evolved, illustrated by
first cave paintings found in the cave which date to around the time. Pine
nuts and snails were also important elements of the diet. Up until around
Tour Andalucia International
Caserio Castaño|Los Naranjos 5|Mollina|29532|Málaga tel. +34 699 328359 email. [email protected]
Reg. B93181758 Tour Operator Licence CIAN 296265-2 Accommodation Licence CR/MA/00621
P a g e | 3
Tour Extension Itinerary – ‘Pueblos Blancos’
3 days/3 nights
10,800 BC the hunting culture continued to develop with more prey species being taken, including goats, rabbits, fish and marine
mammals.
A wide variety of animal bones, shells and fish bones from this time have
been found in the cave, including the remains of a number of offshore
species, along with stone and bone tools.
By 4500 BC, domesticated animals were being kept and the area around
the cave was being used for farming and the production of pottery.
By 3800 BC textiles and more advanced styles of pottery were being
produced and parts of the cave were being used as a burial chamber.
We return to the accommodation after the visit.
Day 2: SETENIL & ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA At 09:30, we
depart for the white village of Setenil de las Bodegas, where the
rocks overhang the buildings and you can have a drink sitting at the
bottom of the gorge cut through the village by the river that runs through
it.
Have a wander around the village.
Named after its once flourishing wineries Bodegas, it is said that the
Romans used to store their wines in stores cut into the rocks to retain a
more constant all year round temperature. Unique among the Pueblos
Blancos, white villages of Andalucia, it developed out of caves in the cliffs
rather than being perched on top of them. The white houses seem to emerge from the rocks being totally integrated with them.
We then make our way to the Zahara de la Sierra where we have lunch
and admire the spectacular views.
Zahara de la Sierra is in the province of Cádiz and is perched on a
mountain, overlooking a valley and a man-made lake formed by the dam.
The town was originally a Moorish outpost, overlooking the valley.
Due to its position between Ronda and Seville, it was a perfect site for a
castle to be built to serve as a fortress in case of attack. The remains of
Tour Andalucia International
Caserio Castaño|Los Naranjos 5|Mollina|29532|Málaga tel. +34 699 328359 email. [email protected]
Reg. B93181758 Tour Operator Licence CIAN 296265-2 Accommodation Licence CR/MA/00621
P a g e | 4
Tour Extension Itinerary – ‘Pueblos Blancos’
3 days/3 nights
the Moorish castle still exist. It was ruled by Arabs until 1407 when it fell
to the Christians, but it was recaptured by the Emirate of Granada in
1481.
This capture gave a pretext to Castile's war against Granada.
It was finally captured by Castilian troops under command of Rodrigo
Ponce de León, Duke of Cádiz in 1483.
Mid-afternoon we drive into the spectacular Grazalema National Park,
have a short stop in the white village of Grazalema before returning to
your accommodation.
Day 3: SUBÉTICCA, ZUHEROS & PRIEGO DE CÓRDOBA At 09:30, we depart for the Subbética National Park.
The area is a Mecca for Olive Oil, producing some of the best oil in the world. We arrive in Zuheros, a white village in the
Subbética, have a wander and coffee before we head for the Baroque
town of Priego de Córdoba for lunch.
Zuheros is a small village of around 640 inhabitants and is famous for its
cheese. Many consider Zuheros to be one of the best of the white villages,
even going as far as to claim it the most beautiful village in the world; "el
pueblo mas bonito del mundo".
It was originally settled by the native people of Iberia, to protect an
ancient roadway known as the Camino de los Metedores the smugglers
track. The Romans followed shortly afterwards and then towards the end
of the ninth century, Banu Himsi soldiers built a castle on the impregnable rocks.
In the year 1240, the settlement was conquered by Fernando III, with the
castle strengthening the border with the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. In
recent years, Zuheros is benefiting from growing rural tourism.
Priego de Córdoba is found on the Ruta del Califato trade route of the
Caliphate.
It is called City of the Water because of the many springs and Jewel of
the Baroque Native of Córdoba due to its beautiful Baroque Architecture.
It has often been referred to as the lock and key to the Kingdom of
Granada.
Tour Andalucia International
Caserio Castaño|Los Naranjos 5|Mollina|29532|Málaga tel. +34 699 328359 email. [email protected]
Reg. B93181758 Tour Operator Licence CIAN 296265-2 Accommodation Licence CR/MA/00621
P a g e | 5
Tour Extension Itinerary – ‘Pueblos Blancos’
3 days/3 nights
The oldest section of Priego is the Barrio de la Villa. It is bordered on one side by the town's natural fortress, a high cliff. The alleys
that wind through this part of the town are Moorish in style, decorated
proudly with flowerpots and religious icons.
Some homes retain the ancient tunnel system that went from their
cellars (bodegas) to the castle.
The Olive Oil from Priego de Córdoba is highly prized winning many of
the most prestigious prizes in international competitions. Venta del
Barón winning the title of best olive oil in the world for three consecutive
years, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Niceto Alcalá-Zamora y Torres (6 July 1877 – 18 February 1949) was
born in Priego. A Spanish lawyer and politician, he served, briefly, as the first prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic, and
then from 1931 to 1936—as its President until the start of the Spanish Civil War.
His house is now a museum and well worth a visit, giving a good insight to the lead up to the divisive war.
Leaving Priego, we travel to the white village of Iznájar for a brief visit.
Iznájar is surrounded by the stunning reservoir Embalses de Iznájar.
The Muslim Armies built a castle on the top of a steep promontory and
called it Hins Ashar, literally Stone Castle, from which we now have
Iznájar. After fighting between various North African factions, Hins Ashar
was seized by the powerful army of the Caliph of Córdoba Abderramán III
in the 10th century. After the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba, it fell under
the rule of the Kingdom of Granada and, in 1431, it was reclaimed by the
Christian rulers. Late afternoon we return to your accommodation.
What’s included
• All tour transportation in one of our air conditioned tour vehicles
• Transfers to the airport, train station and local Malaga Hotels between the hours of 09:00 and 18:00
• Dedicated Tour Leader
• Bed and breakfast accommodation in the Villa
• Spanish Sales Tax
Tour Andalucia International
Caserio Castaño|Los Naranjos 5|Mollina|29532|Málaga tel. +34 699 328359 email. [email protected]
Reg. B93181758 Tour Operator Licence CIAN 296265-2 Accommodation Licence CR/MA/00621
P a g e | 6
Tour Extension Itinerary – ‘Pueblos Blancos’
3 days/3 nights
What’s not included
• Any other meals, drinks, subsistence
• Any flight, train, bus or other transportation
• Any expenditure not detailed above
Notes
• Wear comfortable shoes, drink lots of water and use sunscreen
cream
• All bookings are subject to our terms and conditions, a copy of which are included in the booking form
• Prices are based on two guests sharing a room
• Prices are in £GBP
Tour Extension Price Per person Single
Supplements
‘Pueblos Blancos’ 3 days/3 nights £385 £70
Room upgrades if available
Premier Suite
Junior Suite
Apartment
£60
£45
£45
Antequera Hotel £495 £98
Antequera Parador £600 £140