Jerez Horse Festival

Arrive at Seville Airport where you will be met and transferred to a boutique hotel.  The next day, you will be taken on a tour of the city of Seville with a private guide.  Among the places not to be missed are the Giralda, the C15th Cathedral, Alcazar Palace, General Archive of the Indies, and Toro del Oro.An evening visit to the Flamenco Museum is arranged where there will see and can participate in Flamenco dancing before heading off for dinner.

After breakfast set off with your guide to Cordoba where you will spend the morning exploring.  Cordoba was the Roman capital of Hispania, and later, under Islamic rule it was a centre for education and Europe’s pre-eminent intellectual nucleus.  There is plenty to do and many important buildings to see. After lunch, continue to your hotel in the Sierra Morena hills.  The next day is free for you to explore the surrounding area where there is the Cathusian Monastery and other magnificent churches.  You can, otherwise, spend the morning relaxing by the pool, walking or a riding in the hills, and why not find a shady spot for a picnic.  Dinner will be served under the stars in the main courtyard.

Today, you will drive to your next hotel situated on the plains between Jerez de la Frontera and Seville.  Stop en-route to visit the Parque Nacional de Doñana, one of Europe’s most important wetland reserves.  Celebrated for its unique biodiversity, remarkable varieties of bird species are found here – permanent residents, winter visitors from north and central Europe, and summer visitors from Africa.  On arrival to the hotel, relax with cocktails before dinner.  Day six is festival day and you will be driven down to the huge main fairground in the town centre built specially for the traditional Feria de Caballos (Horse Fair) in Jerez. Dating back some 500 years to the time when Jerez was a provincial town and held fairs in the spring and autumn to trade in livestock.  The town comes sparklingly alive for a whole week with colourful parades of carriages and horses bedecked with garlands down decorated avenues, and there are dressage and carriage competitions, and flamenco dancing and music.

Enjoy a leisurely morning in the hotel, relaxing by the pool and enjoying the beautiful views.  After lunch, take a short drive to Seville Airport to board your flight back to London.