Discover the allure of the UNESCO World Heritage Site city of Santiago de Compostela on this full day tour.

Traveling by coach, it's a comfortable ride of just over 1 hour to this charming town that offers visitors a magical glimpse into the past. Upon arrival, you will disembark your coach for a ten-minute walk to the center of the city where you will find the famous cathedral at Plaza del Obradoiro. Here, you can appreciate the great Romanesque architecture of the Cathedral and surrounding buildings. Positioned to one side of the Cathedral is the well-known Hostal de Los Reyes Catolicos, a former hospital which is now a luxurious hotel. Directly opposite the Cathedral is the Palacio de Rajoy. Built in the 18th century, the Palace today serves as the Town Hall and also the parliament building for the regional government.

Making your way to the Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos, you will be treated to a leisurely lunch of local favorites accompanied by a glass of rosé wine. Following lunch, your guide will provide you with plenty of information from the exterior of the Cathedral. Afterwards, those who wish may enter the Cathedral independently during the free time you will be provided. For those who choose to enter, you will find a unique gamut of architectural styles. Romanesque, Baroque and Ogival Gothic styles are all combined with the most elegant Plateresque throughout the vast confines of the cathedral. There is also a silver urn containing the ashes of St. James, the Apostle of Santiago. The urn is kept in a small crypt situated immediately under the ornate high altar dominated by the carved image of the Patron Saint of Spain.

Your guided tour resumes with a walk through the Old Town of Santiago de Compostela. Before rejoining your coach for the transfer back to the ship, free time will be provided to explore on your own or do some souvenir shopping.

Drive through the beautiful Andalucia region to an acclaimed cheese-producing village for an insider’s look at the artisanal process and to sample the most representative cheeses. The most well-known and award-winning cheese is El Bosqueño, a smooth textured, light-colored cheese, manufactured in the most traditional way. This particular cheese, made from Grazalemeña sheep’s milk, is distributed nationally and exported to countries like the UK, USA, Japan, Italy, Sweden and Belgium. You will also browse a cheese museum with displays of cheese-making hand tools and exhibits detailing the history of cheese production in the area. Afterwards, you will enjoy a sampling that may include an emborrado cheese cured in olive oil and wheat bran. Other cheeses produced here are cured with fresh spices such as rosemary and paprika. To complement the experience, you will be served a glass of locally produced wine.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• See how several award-winning cheeses are produced in the town of El Bosque.
• Browse a cheese museum with displays that trace the importance of cheese in this region.
• Sample various cheeses made with milk from payoya goats and Grazalemeña sheep.

Stroll through the atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter on the way to a nightclub, where you will watch a mesmerizing flamenco performance that tells a passionate story. After walking from the pier, you will continue at a leisurely pace toward the narrow, cobbled streets of the Old Quarter, which the Phoenicians founded in the 12th century. Being the oldest continuously occupied city in Western Europe, Cadiz exudes history, as you will soon discover in the Plaza of San Juan de Dios, a square that originated in medieval times.

As you meander the labyrinthine streets of the Old Quarter, you will pass one architectural treasure after another. Highlights may include the Neoclassical-style Cadiz Cathedral, which boasts a tile dome that appears Moorish, and Calle Ancha, a wide boulevard that is considered the heart of the city. In time, you will arrive at Taberna Flamenco La Cava, a nightclub that showcases the art of flamenco. Before taking your seat, be sure to notice the photos on the wall of some of the most acclaimed flamenco performers in the past 50 years. UNESCO honored flamenco by recognizing it on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Andalusia, especially Cadiz, is the heartland of flamenco, an electrifying art form that fuses expressive songs, passionate dancing and emotional music. To enhance your immersion into the local culture, you will be served traditional tapas that may include Serrano ham and Manchego cheese.

Survey Bilbao’s alluring architectural landmarks, with a focus on the stunning Guggenheim Museum. Enjoy a brief panoramic tour of the city including privilege views over the from city at Artxanda Hill, before alighting at the Guggenheim Museum, an architectural masterpiece clad in swooping titanium plates and curving glass panes that is the pure, unmistakable signature of starchitect Frank Gehry. Gaze in awe at this marvelous creation, which fractures the sunlight into an effervescent shimmer. You’ll discover its interior of milk-white walls, soaring halls and intimate galleries is equally enchanting. Led by an informative tour guide, spend approximately 1 ½ hours browsing modern art from the mid-20th century to the present, studying masterworks by Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Bourgeois and Richard Serra, to name but a few. Board your coach continuing the panoramic drive from majestic neoclassical façades to cutting-edge subway stations designed by revered architect Norman Foster: you’ll be thrilled by Bilbao’s embrace of both the old and new. Prior to return to pier , stop for pictures at the 1893 Vizcaya Bridge, a highly unusual hanging transporter bridge that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Delve into Bilbao’s historic heart on a brief panoramic coach tour.
• Appreciate nice city views from a priviledge view points at Artxanda Hill and stop for pictures and the famous Hanging Bridge of Getxo.
• Marvel at the swirling titanium and glass architecture of Frank Gehry’s iconic Guggenheim Bilbao.
• Appreciate an approximately 1 ½ hour docent-led tour of the museum’s 20th-century and contemporary masterpieces.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy a glass of sherry while learning to make authentic tapas at the Bodega Casa del Marques, a 19th-century palace built for a wine merchant. The elegant residence is decorated with period furnishings that lend it an ambiance so authentic that it feels as if you were transported to another time. While there, you will learn to make tapas, some traditional and others topped with surprisingly inventive ingredients. These small-plate snacks reflect the local cuisine and are typically served with a glass of sherry, especially in Jerez, which has been producing the fortified wine for more than 175 years. The exact tapas that you will prepare will depend on which ingredients are freshest and most flavorful. They might include fried fish, meatballs or something a bit more unusual such as stewed ox tail. Be sure to add favorite ingredients, as you will dine on the tapas afterwards.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Participate in a hands-on culinary class at a 19th-century palace built for a wine merchant.
• Learn to prepare authentic, small-plate tapas with traditional and unusual ingredients.
• Dine on the finished tapas and enjoy a glass of sherry as an accompaniment.

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Seville ! Instantly share your experience with family & friends on your favorite social media site as some of the stops might include wi-fi in real time. Your accompanying guide will help you choose the spot to take the best selfie photo including composition, posing, lighting etc. Capture the spirit of this incredible destination. Your tour begins with a scenic drive from Cadiz to the majestic city of Seville.

You will have designated selfie stops at: Metrosol Parasol, Streets of the Old Quarter, Plaza de Espana.

To make this experience even more fun you will be provided with a selfie stick to help catch the perfect picture. Your picture-perfect day includes some free time to explore on your own. Note: Tour involves approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) of walking on mostly flat and cobblestone terrain, and some steps.

Visit an ancient farm and mill that produce olive oil in a traditional way that protects the environment and improves the land’s biodiversity. While walking through the olive groves with the owners of Molino La Paca, you will gain an understanding of the traditional agricultural practices in Andalusia. It provides benefits to the environment, such as less soil erosion, improved fire protection and greater biodiversity. Learn how the processes residues are used to produce energy in a nearby factory. While enjoying olives and a glass of local wine, you will taste the difference in the extra-virgin olive oil that the farm produces. For a glimpse into other aspects of Andalusian life, you will explore Mijas, a town whose architecture bears Roman, Moorish, and Spanish influences and a picture-perfect village perched high on a mountainside.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Tour a farm and mill that produce organic olive oil in an traditional manner.
• Enjoy olives and a glass of local wine.
• Spend free time exploring Mijas, a town whose architecture bears Roman, Moorish, and Spanish influences.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Bicycle through neighborhoods and areas known more to locals than visitors, an experience that will leave you with a genuine understanding of daily life in Valencia. Fishermen founded the residential district El Cabanyal in the 13th century, and it is an excellent place for bicycling, as the streets are relatively flat and easy to negotiate, freeing you to really enjoy the setting. While bicycling through the outskirts of Alboraya, you will likely pass farmhouses surrounded by fields of vegetables and chufa, a vitamin-rich superfood known more casually as tiger nuts. It is also well-known for producing horchata, a beloved chilled beverage made with the milky juice of chufa and sugar. Valencia is synonymous with orchata, and you will enjoy a tasting at an authentic, local establishment before bicycling toward Malvarrosa Beach. The fresh sea air and views of the lively promenade along the golden sand will make the final leg of your journey more memorable.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bicycle through areas of Valencia unknown to most visitors for a true glimpse at daily life.
• Pass a beach, farmhouse and field where you will see the diversity of local crops.
• Sample authentic horchata, beloved chilled beverage made with the milky juice of chufa and sugar

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover the charms of Granada, the architecturally stunning capital of the Andalusia region, by exploring a magnificent palace, the Royal Chapel and the city’s oldest quarter.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for scenic drive inland to Granada, a city likely named for the Spanish word for pomegranate, a fruit so abundant it is depicted on Granada’s coat of arms. Or Granada may have derived from its Moorish name, as the city was the Moors’ last stronghold before falling to Spain’s Catholic monarchs in 1492.

Granada features a wealth of extraordinary architecture such as your first stop, the Carlos V Palace within the Alhambra complex. Construction on the palace began in the early 16th century, following a Renaissance ground plan with a circular courtyard within a square building—the only one of its kind in Spain. Amazingly, a monarch has never lived in the palace, nor did it even have a roof until 1957.

Walking a bit farther, you will soon arrive in the labyrinthine streets of the Albayzin quarter (down part of the quarter), the city’s oldest section. UNESCO has deemed it a World Heritage site for its harmonious blend of Moorish and Andalusian architecture.

Nearby, you will find the glorious Royal Chapel, the final resting place of Spanish monarchs such as Queen Isabella and Kind Ferdinand. Be sure to see the chapel’s mausoleum, spectacular altarpieces and ornate grilles before enjoying free time and perhaps lunch on your own in the surrounding historical area.

Afterwards, you will drive back to Malaga.

Enjoy a highly informative, behind-the-scenes look at how the island of Mallorca recycles and manages its waste. The setting will be the Environmental Technology Park, a cutting-edge facility with the ambitious goal of helping Mallorca reduce its waste to zero in the future. Your immersion into waste management will begin in the boardroom, where you will watch an introductory video that explains the facility’s objectives and advanced processes. You will learn how waste is recovered and transformed into usable materials such as toys, which are displayed in an on-site museum. An electric train will transport you through other areas of the technology park, parts of which have been built with recycled products. Plastic is processed is one area, wastewater slug in another and organic material in yet another part of the facility. You can expect the experience to be educational, eye-opening, and inspirational.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Tour an Environmental Technology Park that recycles waste into usable materials.
• Understand how waste from throughout the island of Mallorca is separated and recycled.
• Watch videos that explain the processes and ride an electric train through the facility.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Learn to make traditional paella at a farm in nearby L’Horta, an agricultural region on the outskirts of Valencia where most of the ingredients grow or can be found. Valencians often spend weekends in L’Horta to relax and enjoy a dinner of paella. The gathering is a ritual of sorts, in which families come together to socialize and dine on a dish that was first prepared in this area in the 15th or 16th century. The owner of the farm will show you around the grounds and point out some of the many garden items that will end up in your paella. You will then join a hands-on workshop and learn the basics of preparing this once-humble dish from scratch. While the dish is simmering in a large circular pan, you will toast the upcoming meal with a glass of sangria. When the paella is finished, you might taste it straight from the pan, another Valencian tradition.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Visit the farming region of L’Horta, where Valencians often spend weekends relaxing.
• Tour a farm where many of the ingredients for paella are grown.
• Learn to make traditional paella in a hands-on workshop on the farm.
• Dine on the freshly made paella, perhaps straight from the pan, which is a tradition.

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Valencia ! Instantly share your experience with family & friends on your favorite social media site as some of the stops might include wi-fi in real time. Your accompanying guide will help you how choosing the spot to take the best selfie photo including composition, posing, lighting etc. Capture the spirit of this incredible destination.

Your tour begins with a short drive from the ship to your first photo stop, City of Arts & Sciences. You will have designated selfie stops at: • City of Arts & Sciences
• Streets of the Old Quarter
• Calle Bolseria
• Plaza Lope de Vega
• Las Arenas Beach

End your picture-perfect day with a relaxing transfer back to the ship.