Portugal/Spain
Tales of Portugal and Spain: A Historic Journey Through Iberia
Program No. 21925RJ
Enjoy the opulence and history of grand hotels as you discover UNESCO Heritage Sites, Gothic cathedrals, Moorish palaces and picturesque villages in this unique educational adventure.
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At a Glance
Embark on a unique educational adventure in Portugal and Spain as you go off the beaten path to experience local life and stay in some of the region’s most unique hotels. With experts, explore the countryside as you enjoy field trips to a winery and olive grove, and enjoy lunch with a local Andalusian family. Take in a private fado performance and Spanish guitar concert, and delight in a Portuguese cookery demonstration. Along the way, you’ll stay in hotels that have their own stories to tell — a 15th-century converted convent near Évora, a hotel once the home of poet Rainer Maria Rilke and two former palaces are just a few of the accommodations that will delight and inspire you on this special journey through Iberia.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Extensive walking, up to 3 miles per day, on winding, hilly roads and cobblestone streets. Stairs without railings. Comfortable footwear is essential.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Delve into the musical heritage of Portugal and Spain during a fado performance and Spanish guitar concert.
- Experience Andalusia and learn about Moorish rule at the Alhambra and the Mosque of Córdoba.
- Stay at hotels in grand historic buildings including a palace and a convent.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Luisa Azevedo
For the past 15 years, Luisa Azevedo has led learning adventures throughout Portugal and Spain. Her vast travel experience and wealth of knowledge about the history and cultures of Iberia contribute tremendously to the content of the programs she leads and provides an excellent perspective on the region. Fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, Luisa also lived for a few years in Brazil. She holds a degree in international relations from Minho University.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Luisa Azevedo
View biography
For the past 15 years, Luisa Azevedo has led learning adventures throughout Portugal and Spain. Her vast travel experience and wealth of knowledge about the history and cultures of Iberia contribute tremendously to the content of the programs she leads and provides an excellent perspective on the region. Fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, Luisa also lived for a few years in Brazil. She holds a degree in international relations from Minho University.
Rita Nazareth
View biography
Rita Nazareth earned her master's degree in tourism and communication from the University of Lisbon. While studying, she became a professional volleyball player. After working in one of the largest Portuguese hotel chains, Rita started doing walking expeditions in Lisbon and working as a group leader in Portugal. Rita is the fourth generation of group leaders in her family. She has traveled to all the continents in the world. Now she is eager to share some curiosities about this small, yet amazing country, Portugal.
Suggested Reading List
(30 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Tales of Portugal and Spain: A Historic Journey Through Iberia
Program Number: 21925
Andalusia: Recipes from Seville and Beyond
Award-winning chef, Jose Pizarro takes readers on a journey through Andalusia's most delicious dishes.
Platero and I
In this autobiographical tale, the Nobel Prize-winner chronicles the wanderings of a donkey and his meditative master through Andalusia, capturing the rhythms and traditions of village life.
The Story of the Moors in Spain
A wonderfully readable, sweeping tale of splendor and tragedy, first published in 1866.
Driving over Lemons, An Optimist in Andalucia
Stewart's memoir about moving with his wife to a farm in Alpujarras is charming and insightful. Unlike many expatriates, Stewart manages to ground himself far enough into the community to make lasting friends -- as well as a home for his young daughter.
The Painter of Birds
A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening
Originally published in Portuguese in 1994, this historical novel follows its protagonist, Lucius Valerius Quintius, as he navigates civil unrest at the end of the Roman Empire, and the beginning of the Christian era.
The Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience
For more than a thousand years, Sepharad (the Hebrew word for Spain) was home to a large Jewish community noted for its richness and virtuosity. Summarily expelled in 1492 and forced into exile, their tragedy of expulsion marked the end of one critical phase of their history and the beginning of another.
Moorish Spain
Historian Richard Fletcher reveals the Moorish culture in all its fascinating disparity and gives us history and vivid storytelling at its best.
España - A Brief History of Spain
Bestselling author and journalist, Giles Tremlett delves into the rich and varied history of Spain, from prehistoric times to today, in a brief, accessible and enjoyable account.
The Ornament of the World, How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain
A lively, illuminating portrait of the Andalucian Kingdom, its cultural achievements and religious tolerance from the eighth century to 1492
Eyewitness Guide Seville and Andalusia
This wonderfully organized and visually rich guide features excellent maps and essays on the culture, history and geography of the region. With a pullout city map of Seville.
Death in the Afternoon
Ernest Hemingway's classic exploration of the history and pageantry of bullfighting, and the deeper themes of cowardice, bravery, sport and tragedy that it inspires.
Journey to Portugal, In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture
Jose Saramago's richly detailed account of his journey across Portugal in 1979. He combines his vivid impressions of the Portuguese landscape and people with a dose of history, fiction and meditations.
The First Global Village: How Portugal Changed the World
The Alhambra
Irwin's brief, indispensable guide introduces the stunning Moorish palace and fortress complex, revealing its mysteries, myths and significance with wit and insight.
Ghosts of Spain
Tremlett captures the Spanish character, history and modern politics in this masterful portrait, interweaving the story of his love for the country (where he has lived for 20 years) with interviews, anecdotes and observation.
Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree
Tariq Ali tells us the story of the aftermath of the fall of Granada. Ali's novel provides a window on the late 15th century world of al Andalus Spain, a world where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand and the powerful heads of the Church have battled their way back to power in most of the country and have made treaties with the remaining Muslim population, by narrating a family saga of those who tried to survive after the collapse of their world.
The New Spaniards
John Hooper's fascinating study brings to life the new Spain of the 21st century
South from Granada; a Sojourn in Southern Spain
An amusing and insightful account of Spanish village life in the early 20th century from a brilliant interpreter of Spain and Spanish culture.
Small Memories
In this contemplative memoir, the Portuguese Nobel laureate recalls a childhood both dark and magical, split between the growing city of Lisbon and the tiny village of Azinhaga.
Culinaria Spain
Organized by region, this profusely illustrated guide to virtually all aspects of Spanish cuisine is full of recipes, tips and cultural information.
Spain: The Root and the Flower
An absorbing, well-written account of Spanish cultural history from prehistory to the Romans, Jews, Moors, Golden Age, and on to Franco and his legacy in modern Spain.
Food and Wines of Spain
A classic collection of 400 recipes, interwoven with cultural commentary and the culinary history of Spain
Tales of the Alhambra
Tales of the Alhambra is a collection of essays, verbal sketches, and stories by Washington Irving, chronicling his journey to Granada in the 1800s.
A Traveller's History of Portugal
A lively, admirably concise survey from prehistory to the present, great for travelers to Portugal who would like an overview of the country's history and culture.
Spain Revealed: Cordoba's Mezquita
The definitive guide to the Great Mosque of Cordoba .
Spain & Portugal Adventure Map
A double-sided full color map of Spain and Portugal at a scale of 1:1,000,000 with good shaded relief, topographic detail, roads, and waterways.
Duende
Duende is an account of Webster's years spent in Spain feeding his obsessive interest in flamenco: he subjects himself to the tyranny of his guitar teacher, practising for hours on end until his fingers bleed and becomes involved in a passionate affair with Lola, a flamenco dancer.
Spain, A Traveler's Literary Companion
Blood Wedding
Garcia Lorca, one of Spain's most deeply appreciated and highly revered poets and dramatists, explores vendetta, desire, repression, ritual, and the constraints and commitments of the rural Spanish community, in this classic tragedy set in rural Andalusia.