A Luxury Trip to Spain and Portugal

Your trip starts with two nights in the Spanish capital Madrid, a city bursting with life and passion. Madrilenos, the city’s inhabitants, really know how to live. As you explore its well-planned streets, you’ll get your first taste of tapas and an introduction to the country from a local historian.

Madrid is a powerhouse of culture. You’ll tour of the Golden Triangle of Art, encompassing the world-famous Prado Museum, one of Europe’s great art galleries, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Music is also an important feature. The city marches to the beat of flamenco, jazz and live music of all kinds.

Taking the train south to the brooding city of Granada you’ll discover the mountainous region of Andalusia, ruled by the Moors from the 8th–15th centuries. The Sierra Nevada mountains are the Iberian Peninsula’s highest massif and are renowned as the Moors last stronghold before they were driven out of Western Europe.

They left behind an incredible architectural legacy. Granada’s hilly old streets are overlooked by the lavish Alhambra palace and Generalife Gardens, perhaps the finest example of Moorish design.

The jewel in the Moorish Caliphate of Cordoba and the capital of the most powerful Castilian Kingdom, sunny Seville has been left with eye-popping architecture and majestic grace. While Seville reached its peak in the 17th century and then suffered terribly in the Spanish Civil War, today it has resurrected itself as the capital and largest city of Andalusia.

You’ll spend three nights here to experience the true essence of Spanish grandeur.

The old centre is dominated by the towering mosque turned awe-inspiring cathedral – one of the largest in Europe – the beautiful Alcázar palace complex and the General Archive of the Indies, once the centre of the Spanish Empire. From here, narrow streets and buzzing squares brimming with century-old bars, restaurants and shops make it a great city for long nights out alongside the locals. You’ll also attend an evening of flamenco and a hands-on cooking class.

Continue westward into Portugal for a couple of days relaxing on the sands of the Algarve. Sitting right at the foot of the country, the Algarve is one of Portugal’s most popular coastal destinations and home to some of its loveliest beaches. West of Faro you’ll find golden sands and hidden coves, with the coastline getting wilder the further west you head. This is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy life by the sea.

You’ll stay at a beautiful little resort with a restaurant overseen by the country’s most highly decorated chefs.

Covering almost a third of the country, rural Alentejo is a vast region of cork plantations, wheat fields, vineyards and clusters of historic hilltop towns. Its name means beyond the Tajo, and it stretches south from the River Tajo to the northern mountain ranges of the Algarve.

Alentejo is littered with Roman ruins, crumbling Moorish castles, marble towns and whitewashed villages. You’ll also find beautiful Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture in the UNESCO ‘museum city’ of Évora.

Europe’s second oldest capital, Lisbon is an effortlessly elegant city, full of old-world charm. Winding your way through the streets, you’ll pass rows of houses in warm shades of orange, yellow and rust red. Washing is strung from wrought iron balconies and window boxes overflow with flowers. Weaving their way through this pretty patchwork are the city’s trams: a great way to hop between the different districts.

Lisbon has plenty to offer, with a plethora of museums and galleries as well as beautiful buildings covered in iconic azelujo tiles. The city is built on seven hills, each one offering spectacular views over the city and the River Tajo. It is also known for its lively restaurant scene. There are plenty of places to stop, sip a coffee and savour a Portuguese custard tart while watching the world go by

Porto, Portugal’s second city, is one of Europe’s most charming. Its jumble of colourful medieval houses are built on a steep riverbank, hugging the calm waters of the Douro River where wooden boats bob on the surface and people spill out of its cafes and bars.

You’ll spend two nights here, ending your trip with a romantic evening boat cruise along the Douro, a glass of the valley’s celebrated vinicultural produce in hand.