Wed, Oct 4, 2023

New York to Barcelona

• Flight AA 66 from New York NY, JFK - Barcelona, BCN
  • 5:13pm - 6:45am +1 days, 7h 32m, Non-Stop

Thu, Oct 5, 2023

Barcelona

• Arrive in Barcelona
• Time for some Sightseeing
  • Our hotel is right on Las Ramblas , the famous boulevard that runs through the heart of Barcelona, so no detour is needed to check it out!
  • The plan for the day is to take a stroll through the Gothic quarters and check out the Cathedral of Barcelona .
  • In the evening we’ll head out for a Tapas tour , no time to waste getting some great Barcelona food!
• Hotel: Sonder DO Placa Reial
  • Oct 5-9

Fri, Oct 6, 2023

Penedès wine region

• Time for some Cava! We’ll be picked up at our hotel in the morning for a full day of Cava, Wine and local food !

Sat, Oct 7, 2023

Barcelona

• Another day of Sightseeing and a lot of walking. We’ll try to get to see the following during the day:
  • Casa Milà on Passeig de Gràcia
  • Sagrada Familia
  • Park Güell
  • Mount Montjuïc & Montjuïc Fountain
    • The fountain is currently closed due to the drought so we might not get to see the magic.
• We will finish off the day with some fine dining at The Angle

Sun, Oct 8, 2023

Montserrat Monastery

• Today we will visit the Montserrat Monastery .
  • Our tour guide from Local CoolTour will pick us up by 9am and in addition to the Monastery we’ll also get to enjoy some great food and wine/cava.

Mon, Oct 9, 2023

Barcelona to Valencia via Tarragona

• Today we start our journey south along the coast.
  • First stop is Tarragona, here we will check out the Les Ferreres Aqueduct and the Roman Circus .
  • After some lunch we will continue our drive to our next destination, Valencia.
• Hotel: MYR Puerta Serranos
  • Oct 9-11

Tue, Oct 10, 2023

Valencia

• Time to explore Valencia with it’s charming old town and most importantly, the home of Paella!
  • In the morning we plan to explore Plaça del Merkat for some snacks, Lonja de la Seda - the old silk exchange now an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Valencia Cathedral and hopefully climbing the Miguelete tower! -For lunch we simply must head to Casa Carmella , featured on the Discovery+ show, José Andrés and Family in Spain.
  • After lunch, if we can still move that is, we are heading to City of Arts and Sciences with the goal to visit the Oceanografic , the largest aquarium in Europe

Wed, Oct 11, 2023

Valencia to Granada via Sierra Nevada

• Today will be a long drive. Before leaving Valencia, we will make a quick stop at Plaça del Merkat which we scouted yesterday and stock up on snacks and lunch for a picnic along the route.
• We will follow the coast to Alicante before heading up Sierra Nevada towards Granada.
• Hotel: Palacio Gran Vía
  • Oct 11-14

Thu, Oct 12, 2023

Alhambra

• Today we plan to visit Alhambra and Generalife , the only preserved palatine city of the Islamic period.
• In the evening we hope to catch soame Flamenco show along with some food in the Albaicín neighborhood at Tablao Flamenco Jardines de Zoraya

Fri, Oct 13, 2023

Granada

• A day to explore Granada on foot.
  • We’ll stroll through the beautiful old town and stop by the Cathedral and Capilla Real (Royal Chapel).
  • We’ll head up the Calle Reyes Católicos towards Plaza Santa Ana and continue on to the Albaicín neighborhood.
  • We’ll stop by Mirador de San Nicholas and enjoy great views of Alhambra and Generalife and if timed correctly a stunning sunset.

Sat, Oct 14, 2023 - The Great Mala Day

Granada to Marbella via Malaga

• The Great Mala Day will be kicked off with a grand breakfast before leaving Granada and heading towards the sea!
  • Our first destination is Malaga. The name in itself makes it a perfect stop on the great Mala day but it’s also said to be a great place to visit!
    • Wander around the winding streets of the beautiful city center
    • Check out the Roman theater
    • Alcazaba fortress (Alhambras litle cousin)
    • Castillo de Gibralfaro
    • Catch some lunch!
  • Nexst stop is Marbella where relaxation and birthday dinner at Skina awaits.
• Hotel: El Fuerte Marbella
  • Oct 14-18

Sun, Oct 15, 2023

Nerja and Marbella

• Today the plan is to head 1h back east to Nerja and explore the Nerja Caves .
  • And while we are there, we will check out the town of Nerja for some well needed lunch and also check out Balcon de Europa, a viewing platform said to have a sensational coastal view.
• On the way back, we might drive by Puerto Banus to admire some yachts before spending the rest of the day in Marbella.

Mon, Oct 16, 2023

Ronda

• The town of Ronda sounds too good to miss with its spectacular location atop the El Tajo gorge!
  • While here we will visit the Plaza de Toros one of the oldest bullrings in Spain and visit the Bullfighting Museum.
  • We will for sure visit Puerto Nuevo , an amazing bridge connecting the town of Ronda.
  • For lunch our goal is to find a restaurant on the south with a rooftop or terrace with views over the gorge and the bridge.

Tue, Oct 17, 2023

Gibraltar

Time to meet some Monkeys, Barbary macaques to be exact!

• We are heading to Gibraltar for the day and that off course includes the cable car to the top of the Gibraltar Rock where I have been promised some monkeys.

Wed, Oct 18, 2023

Marbella to Seville via Cadiz

It’s time to leave Marbella and say goodbye to the beach.
Today we start our journey north while we are getting closer and closer to the end of our trip.

• First stop is Cadiz, the oldest city in modern Europe, with history going far back to pre-Roman times.
  • Here we will visit the Cathedral , might not go inside but we will for sure climb the tower, or more correctly, walk up the ramp!
  • We might as well grab some lunch before getting back on the road.
• Final stop of the day is Seville where we’ll find some more food!
• Hotel: Hotel Lobby Room
  • Oct 18-20

Thu, Oct 19, 2023

Seville

Today we will explore Seville, the capital of Andalusia and home to many important historical buildings, museums and monuments.

• We will stop by Plaza de España , a famous square built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.
• There’s a royal palace in Seville, the oldest palace in Europe that’s still in use and a UNESCO World Heritage site - Real Alcázar so we have to take some time to check it out.
• Next we will stop by the Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la Sede , the largest Gothic church in Europe and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A must is to climb La Giralda, the bell tower, which provides beautiful panoramic views of the city.

Fri, Oct 20, 2023

Seville to Madrid

• Time for our last day of driving, we are heading to our final stop, Madrid!
  • Since today is a transport day we have no specific stops planned but we would never miss lunch.
• Hotel: Hotel Fenix Gran Meliá
  • Oct 20-23

Sat, Oct 21, 2023 & Sun, Oct 22, 2023

Madrid

We finally reached Madrid, the capital of Spain and our last destination. There are so many things to do and see that we cant list them all but here’s some of our to-do:

• Museo Nacional del Prado . The main Spanish national art museum
• Chocolatería San Ginés - Have served Churros and chocolate since 1894
• Real Jardín Botánico
• Gran Via - Madrid’s most famous street full of shops and restaurants
• Plaza Mayor - Madrid’s grand central square
• The Royal Palace of Madrid
• Botin Restaurant , the oldest restaurant in the world (according to the Guinness Book of Records),founded in 1725
• Mercado de San Miguel
• Temple of Debod , a 2200-year-old Egyptian temple.