touring
CASTLES , PALACES AND WINDMILLS OF CASTILLE
Take in some of the famous sights of central Spain with this short touring holiday , which allows you to discover Madrid , as well as four towns and cities which are only a short distance away from the capital city . Visit historical attractions such as royal palaces , spectacular castles and walled cities , and view scenic landscapes , including breathtaking ravines and vast plains dotted with windmills .
SUGGESTED TOURING ITINERARY
DAY ONE
Begin your touring holiday by flying into Madrid , where you stay for two nights at the five-star Villa Real , located alongside the Plaza de las Cortes amidst the cultural centre of the capital .
DAY TWO
Today in Madrid you have plenty of time to explore the city , with its many attractive plaza and museums , including the Prado , Thyssen- Bornemisza and the Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia which houses Picasso ’ s Guernica . In Old Madrid , visit the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace , nestled in amongst the colourful townhouses .
DAY THREE
This morning collect your hire-car and drive northwards towards Segovia , visiting the imposing El Escorial en route . This vast complex is a stunning site among the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama , and consists of a Royal Pantheon , a monastery , a royal palace and a library . Check in to Segovia ’ s Palacio San Facundo for two nights , a centrally located hotel .
DAY FOUR
Segovia is a beautiful city whose old quarter is a World Heritage Site , as is the spectacular Roman Aqueduct which dates back 2000 years . Another much-photographed sight in Segovia is the hill-top Alcázar , a fairy-tale fortress with pointed turrets and towers which served as inspiration for Walt Disney ’ s Cinderella Castle .
DAY FIVE
Leave Segovia and make a detour north to the Castillo de Coca , an outstanding example of Mudéjar architecture as a palace and a fortress , located just under one hour ’ s drive away . There is time to do this as otherwise it only takes an hour from Segovia to Ávila , where you stay for one night at the historic Parador de Ávila which is set amid the cobbled streets of the city centre . Spend the rest of the day in Ávila , where well-preserved mediaeval walls enclose the centre of the World Heritage City . Visitors can stroll along the ramparts and enter the cathedral , which is integrated into the city walls .
DAY SIX
Today from Ávila you drive approximately two hours southwards to Toledo , where you stay for one night at the Parador de Toledo which stands overlooking the city . Toledo is a fascinating , historic destination known as the City of Three Cultures due to the coexistence of Christianity , Islam and Judaism . The former capital of Spain , it is home to a spectacular Gothic cathedral alongside synagogues and mosques , and was the home of El Greco , a Greek painter , in the 16th Century .
DAY SEVEN
From Toledo it is approximately 45 minutes ’ drive south to Consuegra , where you will find the iconic windmills described in Miguel de Cervantes ’ stories about the fictional ’ Don Quixote ’. Of the white windmills which are found throughout Castilla-La Mancha , those that stand along the Cerro Calderico ridge are some of the best preserved . Then drive for about two hours eastwards through the rolling countryside of La Mancha to Cuenca
Castillo de Coca
Segovia the Alcazar
Don Quixote statue in Madrid
Avila
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