Winter in Spain: Andalusian Highlights

Our Group Leader Paula was amazing. The weather was great. The winding roads up the Malaga Mountains were breathtaking! The shopping and dinners sites were awesome as well!

THIS PROGRAM WAS INTEWRESTING AND INFORMATION AND THE GROUP LEADER MADE IT THAT MUCH MORE INTERESTING WITH HIS PERSONAL INSIGHTS.

This was an excellent program (our third with Road Scholar). While brief, it was a very good introduction to a part of Spain we did not know. The day trips to Granada and Malaga, and to the countryside to visit a winery and an olive farm, were just the right combination. The hotel was comfortable, the group leader was superb, and the food was of gourmet quality.

What a fabulous trip. Our guide, Paula, was superb. 8 of us from this trip continued on to Winter In Spain: Culture & History Along the Southern Coast. Fernando, our guide for this program, was equally excellent. These two trips were back to back. All eight of us were glad to have taken both trips. They did not duplicate one another and the areas and activities were different and equally interesting. If you have time, sign up for both. The hotel in Estepona was nicer that the hotel in Nerja, but both were on the beach and well located. Food was excellent. You could walk to town (30 min or longer) from both hotels. If you have time, go to the Nerja Cave--it's fantastic and beautiful.

We signed up for this tour specifically to see the Alhambra with a knowledgeable guide but we gained so much more. Paula, our guide, gave very interesting talks and has a wonderful personality. The daily field trips were great, including the visit to a wonderful winery and gourmet lunch, the olive oil collective, and Malaga. The flamenco performance was fantastic. The other travelers were a fun and interesting group. On a few of the days we walked a few miles, but other days, not so much. It was cool in late February, early March, especially at night, so bring layers.

Excellent Group Leader and lunches were delicious. A great variety of experiences. Highly recommended.

This trip, especially the warmth and knowledge of the Group Leader Paula Fernandes, was wonderful and exceeded all my expectations. I highly recommend this tour of Andalusia!

I would encourage any solo traveler who is hesitant about the experience to go ahead and do it. I had a marvelous time!

We loved our trip to Andalusia Spain! Our tour guide was so personable and knowledgeable. We traveled everyday learning a wide variety of information about the different aspects of this fascinating area.

This program was a very good value. It was well organized and the travel arrangements were excellent and we ate our way across Andalusia. We appreciate the Spanish life style and we had the pleasure of touring the Alhambra in Granada

I could not recommend this program more. Paula was wonderful — knowledgable and so helpful, even with details I wouldn't expect. Food was out of this world. Experiences were diverse and interesting. Intentional community building brought the group together which made it much more fun.

This program exceeded all expectations. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interested in experiencing this area of Spain.

Excellent trip. Far exceeded my expectations. The visit to the Alhambra and the Picasso Museum in Málaga were highlights for me. Fernando Derqui is a wonderful, informed guide, and Remo provided an erudite tour of Málaga, especially of the Picasso museum. A must do trip! Go, now!

What a fabulous way to escape winter! Our tour leader’s lecture on the history of the Muslims, Christian, Jewish and Romani cultures that influenced the region made for a greater appreciation and understanding. Our day trips provided evidence of the way each culture shaped food, architecture, life, music and agriculture. Our visit to The Alhambra was absolutely incredible being able to see the craftsmanship close up. Our visit to the Picasso Museum demonstrated to us the way his style evolved over time. Highly recommend this trip for anyone who wants to escape for a few days winter and enjoy the ambiance of the Mediterranean.

I can't say enough positive about this trip. The overall guide was truly outstanding as was the guide at the Alhambra in the town of Granada. I learned so much and all of it was interesting. The Flamenco performance and presentation about history and styles, you wouldn't get anywhere else. Eating in the home of a resident of a mall mountain village was also and experience that you wouldn't gt traveling on your own. I highly recommend this tour.

This was a marvelous opportunity to learn about Costa del Sol. Our group was composed of friendly, interesting people. Our leader was amazing. The trips were very informative and fun, allowing for contact with locals. One of the best trips of my life!

A week in Andalusia was a perfect winter vacation with a great guide and fun and educational experiences.

We have just returned from eight delightful days in Andalucia. We went looking forward to visiting the stunning Alhambra and enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean, and they did not disappoint. But we equally enjoyed the two visits to small mountain villages where we had an amazing gourmet meal at a winery and a lovely meal in a generous villager's home. We had a great group of travelers to share the experience with, and our guide, Paula Afonso Fernandes, was truly exceptional - warm, generous, knowledgeable, and happy to share her love of Spain with us. This was our first trip with Road Scholar, but it will not be our last!

I contracted Covid and was unable to participate in any of the activities the last few days of the trip.

An interesting, educational, and fun tour of southern Spain!

Learned about the unique characteristics of southern Spain, historically and geographically. Great fun!

Wow, wow, wow! I chose this trip based mostly on dates and the single-hotel stay. (First time traveling solo abroad.) Frankly, the location was a bigger appeal than the program--warm weather, rather than 'south of Spain on my bucket list.' But the variety of experiences and the wealth of information from our host, Paula...well, I fell in love with Spain. Now, it's on my bucket list!

The program Winter in Spain:Andalusian Highlights" was a life affirming journey for me and a dream come true! Learning about the complicated history of Spain has inspired me to learn more about the world and to be more brave and open to new adventures. I'm so happy I stepped outside my comfort zone. Thanks to Road Scholar I now have the confidence I needed!

A fantastic trip! The small group size - 13 allowed everyone opportunity to share who they were and what brought them to RS. I have long wanted to travel to the south of Spain. This trip didn’t disappoint. Walking through the Alhambra you could see and feel echos of the past. To visit sites previously only read about brought history to life. Wine purchased at the Winery, shared on the hotel balcony with fellow travelers, talking about the amazing meal kept the day alive. Though it rained when we visited Granada the beauty inside the cathedral shone bright. Maria cooked an amazing meal in her home! “Papas a la pobre” come to life! I can’t thank her enough for her hospitality. I received an education in olive oil and will forever be a snob about “pure” olive oil and looking for the first harvest. I have left many memories out but trust, they were all memorable. But no review would be complete without Fernando..our guide, educator and new found friend! A walking, breathing encyclopedia of Spain. One can feel his love of country and couldn’t help but absorb the feelings as we became Travelers! Thank you RS! Can’t wait til the next adventure. Stacey Mullins

This Winter in Spain was an energizing and fast paced adventure- our group was really congenial and happy to be in Malaga. Highlights were our own special Flamenco performance where we all joined in for the finale( delightful fun), lunch in tiny mountain village with locals preparing meal. and visit to nearby vineyard with lots more surprises. Our leader Tony made it all happen smoothly with humor and wit. Just GO!

This trip was constantly interesting and informative. Certainly, our visits to the well-known sites such as Alhambra in Granada and the Picasso Museum in Malaga fulfilled long-held interests and were highlighted by our excellent local tour guides. But also the more informal and local visits--a family-run winery, the white village of Competa, the presentation on Flamenco,and a visit to see the olive production of the region--were very satisfying and offered insights into Adalusia. Meals were satisfying and the hotel buffet was excellent. What held all of these visits and events together and made the whole trip very enjoyable was our trip leader, Fernando Derqui. Fernando's lectures were informative, interesting and funny. Even more important was his constant attention to trip participants and his unfailing good humor and attention to details that made the trip a continuous flow. He was one of the very best trip leaders we have encountered--a real gem. All-in-all, a wonderful trip with lasting memories. Richard and Vicky Myers

My husband and I had such a good time on our Road Scholar trip to Andalucia , Spain. The trip far exceeded my expectations, It was fun, informative and moderate exercise walking, but also accommodation was made for those who desired to walk a bit less. We loved it! Thank you for a wonderful trip!

This trip was unique and interesting. Every day was different, educational and fun. Our leader, Paula, was full of energy, enthusiasm and everyone loved her. It was nice coming back to the same hotel every night. The food in the hotel was good and the rooms were clean and lovely. It was a small group, so we became close to the other travelers. The guides were entertaining. The live flamenco dancers were amazing. Southern Spain was everything we expected and more.

This was a most wonderful trip. Our group was quite small, and got along very well. And Fernando was exemplary as a group leader! In addition to his knowledge of the area, he demonstrated Spanish warmth in a personal way. He was full of stories, and managed to take us on little detours to experience Andalusian life in ways not always on the agenda. Our time in the mountain villages was wonderful. Our lunch in the house of a local family was priceless. Our local guides were absolutely the best; both the Al Hambra and the Picasso were revelations because of them! I would recommend this program very highly.

We had a small group of 8 and a wonderful leader. Spain is even more beautiful than I imagined with so many mountains as well as the sea and interesting new food to try.

I recommend this trip heartily to anyone who wants to visit this beautiful area of Spain, including the Alhambra, Granada, Malaga -- it is a beautiful and culturally enriching trip with exceptional guides

A wonderful time to visit Costa del Sol without the long lines. Weather was delightful. Looking forward to combining with other winter in Spain trip.

If you are open-minded, generally cheerful, like meeting new people, not put-off by language gaps, enjoy luxury bus transportation, hungry to learn new cultures and peoples from experts, enjoy wonderful food, like to see new and different places, this program is for you. And if not . . . go anyway. You may be carried away to a wonderful place you've never been before!

This was a fabulous trip to a magical part of Spain. Myrna Laracuente

Our trip to Spain was awesome. Our Group Leader Tony Muldoon was extremely knowledgeable and very professional. All the participants were all very friendly and very nice to be around. Spain was beautiful and everything we saw was unique and very interesting. I thoroughly enjoy the trip to the vineyard and our wonderful meal and was prepared by the owner of the vineyard, It was awesome. I loved going to the Olive Oil Processing place and the meal we had with Anna, our hostess was fabulous. The hotel we stayed at was beautiful. I will have wonderful memories of my trip to Spain.

This is an excellent program for anyone interested in history, culture and warm sunny days! I learned so much while enjoying the sea, the food and the native Andalucians who are warm and welcoming to visitors...happy to show their beautiful part of the world, and their everyday life. Highly recommended.

This was a wonderful introduction to a beautiful part of the world. Tony provided us with the perfect mix of visits to the expected sites such as the Alhambra and the unexpected small villages and wonderful local people. Many thanks.

The winter weather was mild. The restaurant food was spectacular. Tony Muldoon is a great resource.

This trip was excellent. I can't think of any change I would make. Excellent Tour Leader and local guides; very nice accommodations; we learned a lot.

Great diversity of activities and learning experiences! Good pace and interesting sites to see.

Winter in Andalusia was a great introduction to a fascinating and historical area of southern Spain. We felt that the program - while brief - was sufficiently in-depth to give a basic overview of the area, and its important place in history, and cultural contributions.

This was an eye-opening trip through the history and current life of the Costa del Sol.

If you have never traveled with Road Scholar you should. We met people on this trip who had been on up to 40 different trips with Road Scholar. They will always get you into places that would be very difficult, time consuming or even unknown to you if you were doing this by yourself in such a small timeframe.

A great introduction to southern Spain. Good combination of monuments and everyday experiences. Group leader is always a key, and Fernando was terrific.

The south of Spain is a special place and I recommend this trip to all who enjoy the sky, sea and fascinating history.

This is a terrific program - well organized, in a lovely location, with Paula who is an experienced and excellent leader. I learned so much about the history, geography and agriculture of the area. Several wonderful meals at carefully chosen restaurants, especially at the vineyard. I had expected the Alhambra to be the highlight but the visits to the olive oil press, the home meal, and seeing Picasso through Remi's eyes were also highlights. We were lucky with perfect weather and delightful fellow travelers. Returning each day to a beach, the water and the palm trees wasn't bad either.

Road Scholar has the best guides on the planet and one comes away from the programs with new knowledge and insights about the places we visit, historical and current. I’ve been on many programs and I find this level of excellence consistent. I’ve gained a lot from my travels with Road Scholar and have continued friendships and studies.

This is a fascinating, doable gem of a trip with a great leader!

The program was outstanding in every way and far exceeded our expectations. A true delight and learning experience, plus met some amazingly nice people, both fellow travellers and local people along the way.

I cannot say enough great things about our recent participation in 'Winter in Andalusia' with Road Scholar. It was a wonderful experience on so many levels - the program, the leadership, the accommodations, the food, our fellow travelers - we look forward to traveling with RS again.

A very interesting sampling of the culture, history and landscapes of the south coast of Spain. Our guide Paula, was very knowledgeable of the area and a highly experienced group leader. I would recommend this trip and its companion based in Estepona to anyone who wants to explore Andalucia.

Outstanding program! I chose this program primarily to visit the Alhambra (and escape cold Midwest weather), but I’m coming home with so many wonderful memories. The visit to the Alhambra exceeded my expectations, and there were great surprises like the Balcony of Europe (one mile walk down the beach from hotel) and a visit to an olive oil processing co-op and lunch with local families. Paula, our group leader, was simply the best!

This program was very interesting. Highlights include: Wine tasting and lunch at a delightful Bodega, Visit to Alhambra and Royal Chapel, Picasso museum, and visit to an olive oil coop.

Varied, excellent program led by great staff.

This program is WONDERFUL. I was expecting it to be enjoyable, but it was over the top. The food, the history, the mountain views - all amazing!

The website works fine.

The highlight of the trip was the Alhambra. Also wine tastings, olive oil pressing and much more. The group leader Paula was wonderful, too.

In two words, this tour was both surprising and wonderful. I did not realize the vast differences between Andalusia and the rest of Spain. The tour provides the attendee with a lot of history, culture and information about the people of the area. Our group leader (Paula) was highly knowledgeable and approachable and the local guides provided a wealth of information. The Alhambra is not to be missed.

This was my 13th RS trip. The trip followed the itinerary, as described. The accommodations were spacious and very comfortable; the food was abundant, and generally very good; and the group leader and guides were excellent, as we have usually found. A lot was covered in just a few days, but I did not feel overwhelmed.