Spain & Portugal 2027

I am excited about this trip!  This will be the first time I have traveled on an adventure with ALL women.  It is going to be amazing to share the sights, sounds, and flavors of Spain and Portugal with my “sisters”.

I have visited other parts of Spain (Check out the blog page “Spain, France, Italy 2019”) and Portugal (Check out the blog page “Portugal 2023”).   But I had not been to Madrid, Spain, where the tour begins.  I also have not been to Porto, Portugal, where the tour ends.

Madrid is the largest city in Spain and the capital.  It is a modern city with a historical atmosphere.  Madrid is known for its museums, art, parks, cuisine, and sports.  Porto, Portugal, was the birthplace of Port wine.  It is also known for the Ribeira neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage site, characterized by narrow cobblestone medieval streets and colorful 18th-century structures.

Itinerary

Madrid

  • Temple of Debod
  • Royal Palace – Spain’s largest royal residence, built in Neoclassical style
  • Plaza de los Guardias de Corps – Clara Campoamor sculpture, the mother of the Spanish feminist movement
  • Liria Palace – the private residence of the Dukes of Alba and an art museum
  • Madrid Flamenco Show

Toledo

  • UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • The “city of three cultures” – Christians, Jews, and Muslims peacefully coexisted during the  Middle Ages
  • known for swordsmithing

Cordoba

  • high-speed train to Cordoba
  • once a Roman outpost and an Islamic center during the Middle Ages
  • Roman Bridge across the Guadalquivir River built in the first century B.C.
  • Medieval Albolafia – historic watermill possibly from the ninth century
  • Sreets of Old Town, reaching Cordoba’s Jewish Quarter with ancient synagogues next to Andalusian architecture
  • Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, built in the 8th century as a mosque, was converted to a cathedral during the Reconquista (from the 8th century to 1492) when Christians retook the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule – UNESCO World Heritage Site

Seville

  • Tour an olive oil hacienda in the Andalusia region
  • Seville is the capital of Andalusia, with historic churches and Moorish architecture
  • Plaza de España – a semi-circular structure built during the Renaissance and neo-Moorish styles for the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition
  • Murillo Gardens – filled with orange trees
  • Barrio de Anta Cruz – neighborhood known for cobblestone streets, narrow alleys, and tiled benches
  • Seville Cathedral – one of the largest Gothic churches in the world, 16th-century architecture and artwork by Goya and Murillo
  • Royal Alcazar, once home to King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I
  • Bodega Coloma in the Extremadura region, tour a family-owned, women-run winery
  • Badajoz – a fortress city with Roman and Moorish roots

Lisbon

  • capital city, largest city in Portugal
  • City tour:
    • Eduardo VII Park
    • Praca Margues de Pombal – plaza commemorating Lisbon’s reconstruction after the earthquake of 1755
    • The Monument to the Discoveries and Belem Tower
    • A Avo Veio Trabalha, “Grandma Came to Work”, brings older Lisoetas together to make art and socialize, weaving demonstration
    • Cook Academy – pastel de nata, iconin custard tart

Sintra

  • the playground of Portuguese royalty

Coimbra

  • The city of knowledge, home to one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Coimbra
  • The first capital of Lisbon was from 1139 to 1256
  • Joanina Library housing 16th-century tomes and literary treasures
  • monuments telling the story of Roman and Moorish occupation

Porto

  • Plethora of Port wine cellars
  • Azulejos adorning church facades, train stations,
  • City tour:
    • Liberty Square with Neoclassical buildings
    • Carmelitas Church
    • Doura riverfront
    • Neoclassical Stock Exchange Palace – 60 years to complete interior, creating a combination of Neo-Palladian, Moorish revival, and other styles
    • Douro River Cruise & Port Wine Cellar visit

Guimaraes

  • UNESCO city, “cradle of Portuguese nationality”
  • Political and military movements in 1128 lead to the formation of Portugal
  • Palace of Dukes of Braganze
  • Largo da Oliveira square
  • Baroque style church
  • Vinho Verde, local wine