Tastes of Four Tours in Spain & Portugal
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| Can't make it to Edmonds? Sit back and watch Rick's 30-minute "Test Drive" class video on our Spain with Morocco in 16 Days tour. |
Ready to pump up the "vivid" in your travels? Rick Steves offers four exciting ways to marvel at Iberia, Europe's most colorful corner. Have a little taste of each itinerary below...along with a tapas-bar assortment of interviews and articles on all this region has to offer!
Take a bite of one day...and another...and another
To give you a taste of our four tours covering Spain & Portugal in 2011, we've picked one day from each. Go ahead, we have plenty to share!
Best of Barcelona & Madrid in 8 Days
Day 3: Barri Gòtic and Picasso — This morning, we'll explore Barcelona's maze-like Gothic Quarter, from its Roman foundations to the spires of its candle-, relic- (and geese-!) strewn cathedral. We'll end our tour at the Picasso Museum, Europe's best collection of Picasso paintings, where we'll trace the story of this hometown boy-genius' art as he evolved from a kid who painted like an adult...to an adult who painted like a kid. This evening we'll toast to our last night in Barcelona with a paella dinner together. Let's try a little more...
Basque Country of Spain & France in 8 Days
Day 5: Camino de Santiago — This morning we'll walk a few miles of the camino that leads to Santiago de Compostela, and experience first-hand the historic path trod by a thousand years' worth of pilgrims. Today the trail is also a popular recreational hiking route, surrounded by vineyards that produce some of Spain's finest wines. We'll travel a level section of the trail for a couple of hours, meeting a mix of devoted pilgrims and happy day-hikers, before we stop for a well-deserved lunch and tasting of Navarre vintages at a local winery.
Just one more taste, please...
Day 5: Olives, Oil and Cork — This morning begins with a memorable visit to a working farm and estate. We'll have a chance to meet farming locals, and taste-test their olives and oil. Then we'll wander through their forest of cork oaks, learning how the bark is harvested and how it's being regulated today. We'll cap off our visit with lunch together, including some of the estate's wines. This afternoon, on our orientation walk through the old fishing district of nearby Nazaré, we'll learn why the old women still wear seven layers of petticoats.
Maybe another nibble...
Best of Spain with Morocco in 16 Days
Day 10: A Taste of Morocco — This morning we'll catch a ferry from Spanish Tarifa and cross the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco's vibrant city of Tangier. Upon arrival, our local guide will join us as we hop on a bus for a rolling tour of Tangier's outlying areas, including a view of the palace of the King of Morocco. After pausing at Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules, we'll stop in the seaside town of Asilah where you'll be free for lunch. After returning to Tangier this evening, we'll enjoy a family-style Moroccan dinner together.
Did someone say dinner...?
- See tour member raves from these tours
- See sample meal menus from these tours
Get to Know our Tour Guides...
Interview with Cristina Duarte
For tour members, her passion for Portugal is happily contagious.
Interview with Federico Garcia Barroso
He leads a bunch of our tours in Spain...and in song!
Interview with Carlos Galvin
Our longtime Spain guide has also done "surprise" TV with Rick.
Spain and Andalucia (Audio, 47 minutes)
From the lively cities to the white-washed hill towns, Federico Garcia Barroso shares tips on how easy it is to zip around Spain on its high-speed bullet trains. (Travel with Rick Steves airdate: April 4, 2009)
Madrid (Audio, 28 minutes)
Sampling the sites of central Spain's Castille region, Federico Garcia Barroso gives us an understanding of what gives the heart of Spain its vibrant character. (Travel with Rick Steves airdate: September 15, 2007)
Spain (Audio, 34 minutes)
Carlos Galvin, who lives in Madrid, joins Rick to describe today's scene in his homeland, and to take listener calls about visiting Spain. (Travel with Rick Steves airdate: September 9, 2006)
Portugal (Audio, 28 minutes)
Guides Cristina Duarte and Robert Wright join Rick to discuss Portugal's economic challenges today, and opportunities for the traveler. (Travel with Rick Steves airdate: June 12, 2010)
Read All About It...
Spanish History 101
Iberia has long been a remarkable place to call home
Lisbon's Gold Still Shines
Portugal's capital is rich with nuggets of local culture
Highlights of Barcelona
Spain's most cosmopolitan city bubbles with life
Madrid: Spain's Tapas Capital
A pub crawl dinner, Madrid-style
Spain's Basque Country
A vibrant, thriving culture worth a closer look