Runway to Road: Barcelona and Granada - Alpujarras - Costa de Almeria

Barcelona, the old Roman Barcino, is Spain's second city, always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas, or along the Ramblas, stretching from Plaza de Cataluna to the Harbor, encompassing the magic of the city: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. The city's most powerful monuments open a window onto its history: the intricately carved edifices that comprise the medieval Gothic Quarter; the curvilinear modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) that inspired Gaudi's Sagrada Familia; and the seminal surrealist works of Picasso and Miró, found in museums that peg Barcelona as a crucial incubator for 20th-century art. The recent restoration of the port area began with the development of a harbor for the Olympic Games of 1992. New modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miro and Barcelo have created a new style alongside Gaudi's modernist buildings. Now the city is ready to show every visitor how it has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

Explore The Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, La Rambla, Barri Gotic, Park Guell, modernist buildings, Montjuic Hill, Barceloneta and so much more!

Granada is a jewel standing at the foot of Spain's highest mountains, the Sierra Nevada. Like many others, this city bears the marks of Roman, Moorish, and Jewish influences. The universally famed Alhambra, a complex of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty, overlooks the city. Notably, Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried inside the city's Cathedral. The famed "mudéjar" style of architecture can be spotted in the Monastery of La Cartuja and many other churches built by Moorish craftsmen.

Visit The Alhambra, Generalize, Albaycin, Sacromonte, Cathedral, and Royal Chapel

Southeast of Granada city, nestling in the foothills of the mighty snow-capped Sierra Nevada, is a chain of ancient villages, with their distinctive Berber architecture of flat, clay-roofed houses, known as the Alpujarras. These 50 or so villages are surrounded by terraced farmland and lush vegetation that is irrigated with the melting snows from the mountains towering above it. There are many superb walks linking all these villages, as well as horse riding, cycling and loads of opportunities for wildlife watching.

Recommended Stay: 2 nights
Must See`s:
Quaint Villages, Beautiful Views, Great Hikes and food

Mojacar is actually comprised of two distinct areas: Mojacar Pueblo (town) and Mojacar Playa (beach), roughly 1 mile apart. Mojacar Pueblo, a whitewashed hilltop village with a picture book setting, nestles in the foothills of the Mojacar hilltop village Sierra Cabrera mountain range overlooking the beach resort of Mojacar Playa where the Mediterranean Sea washes onto a 10 mile coastline of uncrowded sandy beaches. This enthralling hillside pueblo, with its jumble of narrow cobbled streets, both attracts and charms visitors all year round.

Visit Almeria - 56 miles, Roquetas de Mar - 66 miles, Granada - 124 miles, Alicante - 140 miles

Almería is an authentic melting pot of cultures since Prehistory. Known as Urci in ancient times, it is above all Mediterranean, with the center`s street layout recalling the 800 years of Muslim domination. The Barriada de la Chanca area, with its outbreak of vibrant colors contrasting with the surrounding whitewashed walls, is a good example of this. From the sea, the city appears as a white line topped off by the Alcazaba, its 10th century fortress with its three enclosures, the two Arabic ones below, and the Christian one above; its high ochre colored walls which turn to red in the early evening and and the Cerro de San Cristóbal hilltop, an unequalled vantage point from which to see the town.

Visit Mojacar - 56 miles, Roquetas de Mar - 14 miles, Granada - 101 miles, Alicante - 183 miles,