The journey
Overview
Cruising the Guadalquivir from spirited Seville to coastal Cadiz, and travelling by road to Roman and medieval Cordoba, the wine cellars of Jerez area, and Granada’s magnificent Moorish palace fortress, this tour adds an extra dimension to Andalucian discovery. The elegant MS Belle de Cadix is your floating hotel for this leisurely cruise through time, culture, and rural riverscapes, taking off at tangents for tours to splendid cities. Sun-soaked, steeped in its history and scented with flowers and orange blossom, Seville is a superb ‘home port’ for Andalucian discovery, both on and off the Guadalquivir’s route. The river runs right through this vivacious city, its tamed canal section hosting a flotilla of rowing boats, its banks a short stroll from a feast of sightseeing. Upstream is enchanting Cordoba, the UNESCO listed old town encapsulating a thousand years of its past; due east is the grandeur of Granada with its enthralling Alhambra palace and gardens; and both are within day-trip distance by road. To sail south from Seville is to leave the beaten track and, literally and metaphorically, go with the flow, as the Guadalquivir runs between flat cotton fields, past the west bank wetland wilderness of Doñana National Park, and into the Atlantic, a brief coastal sprint from the whitewashed port city of Cadiz and the wine cellars of Puerto de Santa Maria; from where it’s a short hop to Jerez, the historic home of sherry and flamenco.
Unforgettable moments
Highlights
01
UNESCO Site: Historic Cordoba
02
UNESCO Site: Seville
03
Alcázar Palace, Jerez
04
Sherry tasting
05
UNESCO Site: Alhambra
06
Wharf of Caravels
Your itinerary
Day by day
- Day1
Join cruise in Seville and enjoy a welcome drink+
Your cruise starts in stunning Seville, on board the MS Belle de Cadix.
Sightseeing can involve a good amount of walking on uneven surfaces. The programme may also be altered due to navigational factors with locks, water levels or congestion at certain sites.
Embarkation is from 5pm (luggage storage is available on board before this).
Once boarded, unpack and settle in for your seven-night cruise. Enjoy a welcome drink and introduction to the crew before sitting down to dinner.
- Day2
Travel to Córdoba for a full day of sightseeing+
A full day excursion, travel
by road to Córdoba (2hrs) for a city tour which includes the well-preserved, UNESCO listed Jewish Quarter, its medieval maze of streets and alleys once isolated (and/or protected) within a walled enclosure; and the most famous marker of Andalucía’s Moorish/Christian heritage, the vast and hugely impressive ‘Mezquita’, a 16
t
h
century cathedral within the 10
th
century Great Mosque, its interior studded with marble and jasper-covered columns.
(B,L,D)
- Day3
Enjoy a walking tour of Seville before cruising to Cadiz+
Home to the fictional Figaro, Carmen and The Barber, Seville is famed for its
joie de vivre
. A walking tour of the city’s highlights includes the cobbled alleys of the ‘Barrio de Santa Cruz’ former Jewish Quarter, viewing the huge Gothic cathedral and its iconic Giralda belltower; and the spectacular expanse of the Plaza de España, built in 1929, regally rimmed in Revival styles of Moorish, Baroque and Renaissance grandeur, bookended by two tall towers, and focused on a central fountain and semi-circular, bridged ‘canal’. Back on the water, cruise past the pine groves and lagoons of the UNESCO listed Doñana natural biosphere reserve, which attracts 230 species of birdlife; and continue to an overnight mooring at Cadiz, enjoy an evening walking tour of the city.
(B, L, D)
- Day4
Travel to Jerez to visit the Alcazar, later returning to Cadiz+
This morning take the short road journey to Jerez, where a medieval old town encircles the ‘Alcázar’ 11thcentury Moorish fortress; the 17thcentury San Salvador Cathedral blends Baroque, neo-classical and Gothic styles; and claims to fame include flamenco music, an equestrian heritage, and fine sherry. Enjoy a walking tour including a visit to Alcázar Palace. Returning to Cadiz for a walking tour of the ‘almost-island’. The ancient buildings on the rocky promontory support its claim as Europe’s oldest city, two fortresses flank the Playa de la Caleta, the domed cathedral and Roman theatre sit side by side on the Atlantic waterfront, and narrow alleys lead to large plazas in the old town. Sail the short hop to El Puerto de Santa Maria, and enjoy a Flamenco show aboard this evening.
(B, L, D)
- Day5
Enjoy a wine tasting in El Puerto de Santa Maria+
The charming town of El Puerto de Santa Maria is not short of picturesque sights, but it is most famous for production of sherry. Enjoy a cellar tour and wine tasting here; sail to Isla Minima to visit an authentic Andalucian hacienda beside the river, and to experience the horsemanship and artistry of an equestrian show; and continue cruising to Seville.
(B, L, D)
- Day6
Enjoy a day trip to Granada for a visit to the Alhambra+
A full day excursion takes you by road to Granada (3hrs), tucked in the foothill folds of the Sierra Nevada mountains, to experience its Moorish and medieval glory, the huge expanse of the 14
th
century Alhambra hi
l
ltop fortress complex, where city walls surround royal palaces, restful patios, and reflecting ponds, regally and romantically complemented by the fountains, orchards and waterfall stairway of the UNESCO protected Generalife Gardens.
(B, L, D)
- Day7
Visit the Rabida Monastery and spend the afternoon at leisure+
With the afternoon at leisure in Seville, a morning tour today takes you to visit the Rabida Monastery, at which Christopher Columbus has prayed and the Wharf of Caravels, a floating museum on the banks of the Rio Tinto, with life size replicas of the three-ship flotilla which sailed with Christopher Columbus to America in 1492. Enjoy a Gala Dinner aboard this evening.
(B, L, D)
- Day8
Cruise ends in Seville+
Your cruise ends this morning after breakfast. Disembarkation is at 9am (after this, luggage storage on board is possible).
(B)
Peace of mind
What's included
- ✦7-night cruise
- ✦Port charges
- ✦Meals Included: full board and drinks on cruise vessel
- ✦Excursions as listed
- ✦Itinerary as described
- ✦Services of guides and local representative
- ✦Interested in adding flights to this tour?
- ✦Find out more
- ✦.
- ✦Flights from the UK can be added — ask your adviser