Runway to Road: Barcelona - Granada - White Villages of Andalucia (Antequera and Nerja)

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

A visit to this historical Andalucian town is a journey almost 5,000 years back in time, beginning with the Bronze Age and the native Iberians. The timeline is there to be followed in this fascinating city`s profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers. The first sighting of Antequera in the distance is that of a typical medieval town, with the spires of her many churches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress silhouetted against the sky. Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River. For centuries this has been one of Andalucía`s most fertile areas, and is currently a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers.

Recommended Stay: 2 nights
Must See`s:
Roman Baths, the Arch of the Giants, the Bullring, the Cueva de la Menga
Distances:
Ronda - 55 miles, Malaga (Costa del Sol) - 37 miles, Granada - 63 miles, Seville - 99 miles

Nerja is the most attractive town along this stretch of coastline, sheltering at the foot of the Sierra de Almijara. Don´t miss its magnificent tree-lined promenade, the Balcón de Europa, jutting out into the sea and giving stunning views along the rocky shore. Nerja is also famous for its cave, the Cueva de Nerja, 4km from town.

Visit The Caves of Nerja, Balcón de Europa, Beaches
Distances:
Torremolinos - 46 miles (East), Ronda - 100 miles, Antequera - 64 miles