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The Jamón Ibérico Route and the Pueblos Blancos - Amazing Andalusia: Enchanting Traditional Architecture and Fabulous Cuisine
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
Highlights
ALL EXCURSIONS INCLUDED
THE MUSTS:
- Cádiz, the heart of flamenco
- Pueblos Blancos: The white villages of Vejer de la Frontera and Conil de la Frontera
- Visit a typical Andalusian hacienda in Isla Minima
- Lively Seville, its cathedral, and the Palacio de las Dueñas
Short Description
Discover Spanish culinary culture on a trip through the Jabugo region, where one of the most famous hams in the world is produced. Learn about how pigs are raised and the long curing process involved in making this delicacy. After this scrumptious jaunt, we'll complete our picture-perfect postcard day with a visit to the Pueblos Blancos, a myriad of villages dotted with whitewashed homes. The contrast of colors between the homes, mountains, and flowers within the idyllic landscape is something to behold. A cruise will then give you a glimpse of Andalusian culture enhanced by tasting local products.
Itinerary
Day 1 Seville - Jerez de la Frontera
Our coach will meet you at either the Seville Airport at 3:30 p.m. or the Seville train station at 4:00 p.m. to take you to Jerez de la Frontera, where you'll check into a 4-star hotel for dinner and the night.
Day 2 The Pueblos Blancos
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Set out on a full-day adventure to visit the Pueblos Blancos. See the most beautiful Pueblos Blancos in Andalusia. In the morning, we'll leave for Arcos de la Frontera, a charming village perched on a cliff. Next, we'll travel through Grazalema Natural Park along spectacular roads with breathtaking panoramas at every turn. We'll have lunch in Ronda, the largest city in the region. In the afternoon, we'll continue through the park towards Ubrique, visiting this charming village nestled at the foot of the mountains.We'll return to Jerez de la Frontera for dinner and the night.
Day 3 Jerez de la Frontera - Jamón Ibérico Route - SEVILLE
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. In the morning, we'll visit the regional pig-raising pasturelands and discover the countryside where Jabugo ham is produced, one of the most famous in the world. The vast environment filled with oak trees and the acorns the pigs feast on gives the ham its special features. Learn about how it is made before enjoying a tasting of this famous delicacy. We'll have lunch in the area before leaving for Seville in the afternoon. Once in Seville, you'll board our ship, the MS Belle de Cadix. We'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Enjoy a free evening to explore Seville on your own.
Day 4 SEVILLE - CADIZ
Seville is an exemplary city in Spanish history, as Christian and Muslim cultures have cohabited in veritable peace throughout its past. The Andalusian capital simply oozes joy and liveliness on each of its streets and squares in the old city, and its architecture is testimony to its diverse heritage.This morning, join us for a guided tour on foot of Seville, known by its secret code NO8DO (She has not abandoned me). Discover this splendid city and its impressive Mudéjar architecture. Many of its buildings are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the cathedral.In the afternoon, we'll begin to cruise towards Cádiz. Will pass in front of the Doñana National Park, a UNESCO biosphere natural reserve, which spreads along the right bank of the river to its estuary. Located between the European and African continents, the reserve is one of the most important wet zones in the area and attracts several million migrating birds a year.We’ll arrive in Cádiz this evening.
Day 5 CADIZ - The Peublos Blancos of Vejer de la Frontera and Conil de la Frontera
This morning, we’ll set out on a guided tour of Cádiz. The lovely city of Cádiz is tucked between lavish lagoons, sprawling beaches, and rich salt marshes. The city was once inhabited by the Phoenicians and Greeks and has been able to preserve its historic charm among its white walls. The sinuous streets in the medieval quarter contrast the straight and orderly streets found in the Baroque-style area.This afternoon, join us for a visit to admire the Pueblos Blancos in Vejer de la Frontera and Conil de la Frontera. Vejer de la Frontera is one of the most captivating “white villages” in Andalusia. Every corner seems to be filled with colorful sights and fascinating spots to explore. Our next stop will be the fishing village of Conil de la Frontera. This coastal town is the apex of beauty among the Pueblos Blancos. White houses with beautifully decorated patios and walls make the city a must-see for any traveler. At the end of our tour, we’ll enjoy a snack of delicious churros dipped in chocolate. After our excursion, we’ll return on board the ship. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a Spanish-themed dinner and evening of flamenco. Our ship will cruise to El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Day 6 EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA - ISLA MINIMA
This morning, we’ll visit the Osborne bodega and taste the local wines.* We’ll leave on foot with our host/hostess for the Osborne Bodega, where we’ll enjoy a tasting of three different wines along with some regional products. As with most European cultures, wine has a distinct place in Andalusian culture. The exceptional climate conditions help produce the famous Jerez-Xérès-Sherry.We’ll spend the afternoon cruising to Isla Minima. At the end of the afternoon, we will visit a typical Andalusian hacienda in Isla Minima, located on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. The hacienda was originally a bull-raising ranch. At the beginning of the 1940s, the Escobar family settled across the whole area and founded Finca Isla Minima. It was the ideal location to raise wild bulls and Carthusian horses because of the quality of its pastures. Over the years it has become a model ranch. We'll return to the ship after the show and cast off for Seville.
Day 7 SEVILLE
This morning, we’ll tour the Palacio de las Dueñas. Built between the 15th and 16th centuries, Las Dueñas was named after the former monastery of Santa María de las Dueñas. It has several buildings, courtyards, and gardens. We will tour the stables, lemon-tree courtyard, main courtyard, and Gypsy Hall—which was once the center of social life in the palace. Many of the other rooms we will see illustrate the fundamental activities found in Andalusian culture, including bullfighting and flamenco dancing.After our excursion, we’ll return on board for lunch. Enjoy a free afternoon in Seville, and take advantage of this time to discover the city at your own pace. We suggest a stroll through the historic center to take in the full ambiance of the city.OROptional excursion (not included in package): Full-day trip to Grenada(1) (available only through reservation before departure). We will leave by coach for a full-day tour of Grenada (driving time is approximately 3 hours round trip). We’ll visit the Alhambra, the Palacio de Generalife, and the historic center of the city. Ringed by the imposing mountainous barrier of the Sierra Nevada, Grenada is built across three hills. Its most beautiful treasure is the Alhambra. The city’s cuisine, handicrafts, and architecture have all been marked by its glorious past. We will return to our ship by coach.Tonight is our festive gala evening.
Day 8 SEVILLE
Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.
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128 CroisiEurope Travel Reviews & Ratings
The Jamón Ibérico Route and the Pueblos Blancos - Amazing Andalusia: Enchanting Traditional Architecture and Fabulous Cuisine
Company Reviews
Great tours and food! Exceptional customer service
I am non-EU national, and very much enjoyed the international clientele .
My flight arrived later than the prescribed boarding time, the crew had my cabin ready, and held dinner. Both land side New York office and the onboard crew were very welcoming, and most attention to detail. Special recognition to Charina, my reservation agent, and Daniel the ship's purser.
The vessel's decor is very discreet, comfortable, and relaxing -- no neon, casino, etc. The elegance one would expect from a French company.
The land tours were very comprehensive, in comfortable coaches, with sufficient rest stops. Lunches ashore were included, as appropriate. As advertised, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were included. In-town shopping was available, but not forced.
In all, a delightful experience. I look forward to another voyage with CroisiEurope. The company offers so many unique intineraries, it may be difficult to select.
A memorable four nights on the Seine - Le Havre to Paris
The Seine scenery was gorgeous and the boat was extremely comfortable—we loved that we could stay in our cabin, relax on various decks, or attend onboard activities, including a lively dance performance by a Normandy folk troupe. Even though we were the only English speakers on the cruise, the bilingual staff were always on hand to help us, and the other passengers (mostly French with a few Belgians/Swiss) were friendly and tolerant of our basic French. After our final night sleeping aboard the boat on Quai de Grenelle in Paris, we were rather sad to depart the beautiful Renoir.
The food, tours and service on the Miguel Torga exceeded our expectations, and we felt very safe with the Covid precautions being taken on board.
We had such a wonderful time on our cruise and absolutely intend to travel with CroisiEurope again. I was especially pleased with the attention to detail regarding food preferences and requests. I have a shellfish allergy, and our kids didn’t always like what was on the menu. The chef and staff always made every effort to accommodate and please us.
Our guide Deborah on the excursions was so informative and made great suggestions for sightseeing and shopping. I liked the way the excursions were managed by touring in the morning with lunch and sailing in the afternoon. We were the only Americans on board with mostly French speakers, but everyone was friendly, and we had no communication issues with the crew. Entertainment was simple but fun with games or local talent coming aboard for flamenco or folk singing and dancing. There were only 62 passengers and no young children. Our kids were 12 & 17, and they were happy with the pool on board, which was small, but ideal for cooling off after a morning in port. They surprised our 17-year-old with a special dessert on her birthday.
We’ve been on several other riverboat cruises (Viking, Peter Dielmann, Vodohod), and they did not match the value and service provided by CroisiEurope.
This barge hotel cruise on and along the Marne river was absolutely fantastic!
The crew were very attentive and hospitable. One of the biggest, if not THE biggest, highlight of the trip was the food. Breakfast was a typical French style buffet with all the trimmings. Lunch and dinner were menus, in the French style, prepared by our Chef and paired with a variety of wines and cheeses from around France. Each meal was unique and full of variety culminating at the end of the week with our Gala Dinner.
One of the excursion highlights, and a major reason why we chose this particular cruise, was the falconry demonstration at Chateau Thierry. It was very well done and quite a moving presentation, which included an American Bald Eagle and, even more surprisingly, Storks.
If you are looking for a more intimate way to cruise, Passenger to Crew ratio was 17 - 6, consider barge hotel cruises. We are most definitely looking forward to our next barge hotel cruise experience.
It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting.
As seasoned cruisers, knowing well all aspects of cruising on seas and rivers, we had no experience about traveling on a barge in a canal. It was also time to overcome this lack.
A number of companies offer this kind of cruising on barge with 8 to 16 passengers, however very often at exorbitant prices. Luckily, we discovered that the company CroisiEurope offers one week cruise on various canals in Europe, at very decent price, especially considering that all is inclusive (full board, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and all excursions) on modern barges with a maximum of 22 passengers.
We opted for the barge Ms Deborah, which cruises on the canal de la Loire, with the Briare to Nevers’ route. We were looking forward to this itinerary because the proposed excursions particularly suited us. Unfortunately, only a few days before departure, we were informed that due of a lack of water in the Loire canal the Ms Deborah was switched over to the Haute Seine and Yonne for a new itinerary from Paris to Sens. Despites the fact that this new itinerary didn’t really meet our desires, especially the excursions, we decided to accept the change.
Our group of 6 persons from Switzerland was very warmly greeted by all members of the crew when arriving on the quai de Grenelle in Paris where we see the MS DEBORAH for the first time, our floating home for the week. With its two dominating colours blue and white, it is difficult not to fall in love with this beautiful small ship.
We were invited immediately for the welcome cocktail during which we met officially the crew and the other six individual passengers originating from New Zealand, England and the USA. With less time than it needs to tell, the relation between us was created, so that everyone felt part of a bunch of friends knowing each other for long time.
There is no need to present here the MS Deborah itself, as this is already thoroughly done on the Cruise Critic page.
The crew of 6 persons is composed of a captain, a sailor, a cruise director, a chef, a waitress and a cabin hostess who put all their efforts to satisfy the passengers and offer them the best possible service. The captain as well as the sailor are always trying to make passengers at ease, answer questions or even bring a drink. The lady cruise director is omnipresent, taking care of the passengers better than a mother hen would do. The talented young French chef aims to produce dishes which please everybody. His outstanding sauces and excellent desserts should be particularly praised. However, referring to comments we made during a cruise on the Seine Princess two years ago, we cannot understand that why today it is not possible to offer the choice of a light buffet at lunch instead a three or even four course menu! The always smiling and friendly Hungarian waitress was very caring and attentive, without forgetting the cabin hostess doing a great job in the cabins, the public spaces and even the kitchen. It wouldn’t be fair to name a single person as all members of the crew, without any exception, do all they can to make the cruise unforgettable.
Our one-week cruise on the barge Ms Deborah enables us today to make the following comments:
~ a cruise on a barge cannot be compared to any other kind of cruise
~ despite all the comfort offered on modern barge, one must be very aware that life on board happens at a restraint space, requiring therefore much flexibility and understanding in all aspects from all passengers
~ in our case, being only 12 passengers, we had the opportunity to take our meals on the terrace. We also never had the feeling that the boat was overcrowded. This can be different when the ship is full, especially by bad weather
~ the state of mind between the passengers who are mostly of foreign nationalities, who don’t know each other and don’t speak French, must function well right from the beginning
~ if the interrelation works, it is difficult to find a more relaxing and enjoyable way of travelling
~ the success on a barge is mainly due on the quality of its crew. Ms Deborah’s crew members have quickly created a family spirit on board, showing also that they genuinely like what they do
~ excursions can play a major role in choosing an itinerary. Not speaking French or English can be a handicap
Do we recommend to do a cruise on a barge? Yes, definitively! It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting. In our case, this second try with CroisiEurope gives them a better note.
We are still waiting for a refund
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal transport included (including local flights)
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Additional Information
THE CROISIEUROPE DIFFERENCE
- All meals included - DRINKS INCLUDED with meals and at the bar
- Refined French cuisine - Gala dinner and evening - Welcome cocktail
- Free Wi-Fi onboard
- Headsets are included for excursions
- Official welcome from the captain and crew
- Onboard activities
- Travel assistance and repatriation insurance
- All port fees included
Rules & Other Requirements
Valid passport required. Non-EU nationals are advised to consult their embassy or consulate.
Trip ID#:
croisieurope-SVJ_AIPP
What's excluded
Drinks from our special lists or drinks ordered during excursions or transfers (full-day excursions with lunches in restaurants are the exception) - excursion to Grenada - cancellation and baggage insurance.
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