The kingdom of Spain has had one of the greatest impacts on world history and civilization. Five hundred years ago, the Conquistadors had just conquered the Aztec Empire of Mexico and were about to start their conquest of the Maya kingdoms. Within a decade, they would conquer the Inca of Peru, and the wealth in gold and silver that they seized would help make 16th century Spain the richest kingdom and most powerful empire on earth.
But the Spanish were not always conquistadors; eight hundred years before they created their New World, it was they who were the conquered. In 711, Arab and Berber Muslim forces crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to quickly defeat and take over almost the entire kingdom of the Visigoths, a Germanic group that had taken the Iberian Peninsula from the Romans, Byzantines, and other invading Germanic groups. The culture and mindset of the Spanish conquistadors was born over the long period of the Reconquista, during which Spain was contested between the Islamic Moors of fabled Al-Andalus in the south, and the Christians of the north, whose kingdoms of Asturias, Leon, Castile, and Aragon would eventually merge to become the powerful Spanish kingdom and empire of the 16th century.
Join Far Horizons on a truly unique 15-day exploration of the cities and landscapes that shaped the world of the Spanish Conquistadors. Our journey will take us to the heartland of the fabled Al-Andalus, including its stunning capitals of Córdoba and Granada, to the famed lands of Castile and its many castle-topped hills. We will also visit Extremadura, the parched land of western Castile, where Cortés and Pizzaro and so many of the other fearsome conquistadors came from. Our trip will conclude with visits to the wonderfully preserved medieval cities of Salamanca and Avila and a special tour of the castle of Zorita de los Canes, which perfectly exemplifies the diverse ethnic history of medieval Spain.
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Depart on a flight bound for Madrid, Spain.
Arrive in Madrid, Spain, and transfer to our centrally located hotel for two nights. Enjoy our welcome dinner at an elegant local restaurant. (D)
Today, we explore two impressive museums. The Museo de América (Museum of the Americas) is the only museum in the world dedicated to the preservation, research, and dissemination of the heritage of the American continent and the peoples that have historically inhabited it. Its collections include pre-Hispanic archaeological objects, works of art from the colonial period, and a large ethnographic sample of American cultures from the 19th and 20th centuries.
After lunch on our own, continue to the Museo Arquéologico Nacional (National Archaeological Museum), founded in 1867 by a Royal Decree of Isabella II to be a depository for archaeological, ethnographical, and decorative art collections compiled by the Spanish Monarchs. Here, we will see evidence of Spain’s long history of conquest and reconquest through the various artifacts from the Celtiberians, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and finally, the Catholic Castilians. (B/D)
This morning, we drive to Toledo, a beautiful medieval city, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, we explore a historical crossroads of cultures by visiting various Visigothic, Moorish, Jewish, and Spanish buildings and museums, which reflect Spain’s tumultuous and multicultural history leading up to the era of the conquistadors heading to the Americas. Having been conquered multiple times in history – by the Moors in 711 and the Christian Spaniards in 1085 – Toledo perfectly exemplifies the pattern for the conquests of great capital cities in the Americas.
Our walking tour of the city includes many important stops: the Museo de los Concilios y la Cultura Visigoda, a museum exhibiting the history of the Visigoths, inside a beautiful and decorated 13th century Mudéjar church; the Sinagoga del Tránsito, a 14th century Mudéjar synagogue, and the adjacent Museo Sefardí, exhibiting the history of Jews in Spain; the Sinagoga de Santa María La Blanca, a beautiful 12th century Mudéjar synagogue; and the Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz, a small mosque built in 999.
Overnight at the Hacienda del Cardenal, a restored palace with stunning gardens and vistas. (B/L/D)
Córdoba will forever bear the imprint left by Roman, Islamic, and Christian rulers. It rose to become the most sophisticated city in Europe and, along with Constantinople and Baghdad, was one of the three cultural centers of the medieval world. The original Roman walls were maintained by the Muslim and later Christian rulers and extensive portions of these fortifications still stand today.
Upon arrival in Córdoba, we will enjoy a walking tour of the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, revealing its layers of history. A maze of narrow streets leads to the oldest district, the Judería or Jewish quarter, which stands on the area formerly occupied by the Moorish medina and contains the most characteristic monuments in the city.
Spend two nights in the Casas de la Juderia within the old city walls. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
We continue our explorations of Córdoba today, beginning at Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a Moorish palace taken over after the Christian reconquest. It was the summer home of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and the site of their meeting with Christopher Columbus before his famous voyage. La Mezquita, or the Great Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, was begun in 786 and is the third largest mosque ever built.
Water was brought into palaces and mansions and taken to the fields for irrigation by a complex system of channels created by the Moors, whose agricultural architecture was unparalleled. After lunch on our own, we visit the Albolafia Noria or waterwheel, the last vestige of an array of mills and dams built on the Guadalquivir River in Córdoba between the 8th and 10th centuries.
(B/D)
This morning, we will take in breathtaking scenery as we journey by train to Granada. In the 13th century, the last Muslim dynasty of Spain, the Nasrids, made Granada its capital. Upon arrival in the city center, we will enjoy lunch followed by a walking tour of several medieval sites, beginning with the old Islamic quarter, the Albaicín, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, narrow winding streets and ancient walls are reminders of its medieval past. We will enter the Iglesia de El Salvador, whose courtyard was adapted from that of the original Great Mosque of the city, and see the Iglesia de San Juan de los Reyes, converted from a mosque in the 16th century but still retaining the original minaret. We will visit the madrasa that once housed an Islamic school and currently is used by the University of Granada. Nearby, the Catedral de Granada, built over a former mosque, imprinted Christianity in the former Islamic capital. Not far is the Capilla Real, which was constructed to house the remains of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon, who unified Spain and conquered Granada, the last Muslim enclave in the peninsula.
Then, it is on to the Iglesia del Sagrario, a church partially built over a mosque, and the Alcaiceria, the 15th century Silk Merchant’s Exchange. The Corral del Carbón is the oldest remaining Muslim structure in the city and the only surviving Islamic grain exchange on the Iberian Peninsula. Our day will end at the Iglesia de San Nicolas for the view over the Alhambra at sunset. Dinner is on our own to discover one of Granada’s excellent restaurants or enjoy an optional Flamenco show in Sacromonte. Overnight for one night at a centrally located hotel. (B/L)
This morning’s highlight is Granada’s stunning Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful works of architecture of the medieval world. Built on a hill with commanding views of the city and the plain beyond, it became the Nasrid dynasty’s royal city in the 14th century and the residence of the kings and their court. It is renowned for its display of intricate tilework and its captivating blend of Moorish and Spanish artistic influences. The Generalife Gardens are an enchanting extension of the Alhambra, showcasing lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and intricate water features. The Koran continually repeats the idea that heaven is a garden with running water, and Generalife Gardens was a remarkable endeavor to create paradise on earth.
In the afternoon, we travel again by train, to Seville. In the late afternoon, we will admire the iconic landmarks and charm of this Andalusian city aboard a cruise on the Guadalquivir River.
Overnight for two nights at a boutique hotel located within the city walls. (B/L/D)
Seville was once the most strongly fortified city in Europe. Our all-day tour takes us first past the 12-sided Torre del Oro, a tower that was once part of the defense walls constructed by the Almohads, and then by three of the remaining city gates.
Then we visit two outstanding UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beginning at El Real Alcázar, a royal palace considered the most beautiful on the Iberian Peninsula. Constructed on top of an Almohad fortress, it is an outstanding example of Mudéjar architecture, a style and decoration heavily influenced by Islamic workmanship. This bastion remains an outstanding testimony to the civilization of the Almohads as well as that of Christian Andalusia.
Built in the 15th century on the site of a former Almohad mosque, the Catedral de Sevilla was meant to demonstrate the city’s power and wealth after the Reconquista. It is the largest Gothic building in Europe and houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Attached is La Giralda, a former minaret that is a masterpiece of Almohad architecture. Now functioning as the bell tower of the church, this elegant tower is considered the finest of the three great Almohad minarets (the other two are in Rabat and Marrakech). There will be time to climb to the top for a view of the city.
Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)
Andalusia is a region full of rich culinary traditions, resulting in mouth-watering dishes like gazpacho, paella, and traditional tapas. This morning, we will tour the local markets to select fresh ingredients representing this vibrant food culture for a hands-on cooking class followed by lunch.
In the afternoon, we depart for Trujillo with a stop in Medellín en route. Hernán Cortés was born here and would later lead the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire, bringing large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century.
We will view the statue of Cortés in the city center before continuing to Trujillo, where we will overnight for one night. (B/L/D)
The hometown of Francisco Pizarro and his brothers, the conquerors of the Inca Empire, Trujillo is a well-preserved medieval town with magnificent views over the Extremaduran countryside. We begin our explorations at the large equestrian statue of Francisco Pizarro in the beautiful Plaza Mayor and continue to the Museo de la Coria, dedicated to interactions between the conquistadors of the region and the Americas. Nearby, the Casa Museo de Pizarro and the Casa Palacio Marqués de la Conquista are grand houses of the Pizarro family. The Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor is the main church of the town, built between the 14th and early 16th centuries and thus was quite new when Pizarro and his brothers would have prayed here before setting out on their journey to the far side of the world to bring down an empire many times larger than all of Spain. While Trujillo is most famous for the Pizarro family, it was also home to another famous explorer, Francisco de Orellana, who was the first Westerner to sail down the Amazon River. A battle he fought on that trip against a local tribe whose women fought alongside the men against the Spanish prompted Orellana to name the river the Amazon after the warrior women of Herodotus’ history.
In the afternoon, we transfer to Salamanca with a quick stop at Plasencia, the birthplace of Inés Suárez, the only female conquistadora who played a significant role in the conquest of Chile in the 16th century. Upon arrival in Salamanca, dinner is on our own. Spend two nights at a centrally located boutique hotel. (B/L)
Salamanca is famous for its university, the third oldest in all of Europe and the oldest in Spain, where many of the conquistadors studied, including Cortés. The conquistador of the American Southwest, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, was born in Salamanca, as was the conquistador of Yucatan, Francisco de Montejo. It is here where Christopher Columbus argued his case for a western voyage to the Indies in front of a court of Dominicans in 1486/7. Our tour of the university includes some original rooms, the wooden benches well-carved by students from the era of the conquistadors, and an amazing Plateresque façade reflecting similar architecture throughout Mexico and Peru.
After lunch on our own, we continue to the Plaza Mayor, one of the most famous and beautiful in Spain, and two remarkable cathedrals – the Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja de Santa María) and the New Cathedral (Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen). The Old Cathedral, dating back to the 12th century, features Romanesque and Gothic architecture, while the New Cathedral, constructed in the 16th century, showcases stunning Plateresque and Baroque styles, making them both architectural gems of this historic city. (B/D)
Depart Salamanca this morning to Ávila, renowned for its well-preserved medieval walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site that encircles the entire historic city center. Its impressive Gothic cathedral and numerous Romanesque and Renaissance churches represent Spain’s rich architectural and cultural heritage, all but perfectly preserved from the era of the Reconquista.
After our visits and lunch, we drive on to Zorita de los Canes, a small town located west of Madrid and home to the medieval Castillo de Zorita that overlooks the Tajo River. We overnight at the charming Posada de Zorita de los Canes, known as the little paradise of Alcarria for its stunning vistas.
Tonight’s farewell dinner will be a treat for the senses. (B/L/D)
With its defensive hilltop position, Castillo de Zorita de los Canes played a crucial role during the Reconquista and now stands as a cultural monument to the complex history of the region. If available, Dr. Guenter, who spent much time working at this site, will arrange a private tour for our group with archaeologists to learn about the preservation of the castle and artifacts.
In the late afternoon, return to Madrid and overnight at an airport hotel. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
Independent transfers to the airport for flights home. (B)
