Spain Guided Barcelona and Beyond Tour, Catalunya, Costa Brava, Gerona,medieval Villages

Discover historic villages, hidden trails, friendly locals, fine food, Pyrenees valleys, wine, art and Mediterranean spirit with our savvy guides! In Barcelona, Gaudi's unique architecture inspired Picasso, Dali and maybe you too!

Discover hidden Roman Temples
Costa Brava sailing, yoga, helicopter, golf and hot air balloon options
Walk forested trails in volcanic national park
Savor fine Spanish wines & gourmet cheeses

When?....Daily departures for your private group of 4+ persons... by reservation or..... join escorted small group trips May - October 2008.

Want to know more now?... Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, Spain’s easternmost and most eccentric province. This is perfect for travelers who like Italy or France or those coming to Europe for the first time. Few regions so compact have so many personalities—a mixture of southern French, Italian and Greek influences. We walk medieval villages, Mediterranean coast, fertile farmlands in the shadow of the Pyrénées, on cosmopolitan streets and even on trails surrounded by ancient volcanoes.

We love to meet locals with character.... chefs, fishermen, birdsellers, farmers and artists. On this guide trip you can sample Spanish wines, dance a local jig, the sardana, take a dip in the sea and learn about the outlandish Gaudí architecture that’s the pride of Barcelona. Lunch on fresh bread, juicy red tomatoes and possibly the world’s best olives. But save room for a dinner of fresh fish, grilled veggies or golden Catalan noodles under a pink pile of scallop-edged cockles. If you have an appetite for cultural fun, you’ll treasure the time you spend with us in this diverse region of Spain.

We meet in Barcelona, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Few places can rival the medieval atmosphere of the Gothic Quarter’s narrow alleys or the elegance and distinction of the Moderniste Eixample’s boulevards. Artists such as Miró, Picasso and Dalí have links to this fashionable city, which has a strong Catalan identity. We start our exploration in the old city, made up of the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) and the Ribera and Raval districts. This is a perfect introduction to the city as the narrow, winding streets give us a glimpse into the different periods of Barcelona’s history: traces of the Roman wall seen between Gothic buildings, remains of the Jewish quarter, and evidence of the industrial expansion of the 19th century.

From the Gothic Quarter we walk to La Rambla, Barcelona’s famous tree-lined street. Filled with cafes, market stalls and street performers, it serves as the emotional hub of Barcelona. We’ll make a stop at La Boquería, Barcelona’s bustling covered market that overflows with local fruits and vegetables. Our guide will take us to a favorite tapas bar for an introduction to this essential aspect of Spanish life, before continuing on to Eixample, an elegant area of the city that houses much of the city’s modernist architecture, including Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and the floral Casa Lleó Morera. A leisurely walk takes us back to the hotel, where we have a chance to relax before our welcome dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.

This morning we immerse ourselves in the architecture of Antonio Gaudí, whose gothic and traditional Spanish architectural style evolved into his very own distinct sculptural mode that has left an indelible mark on the city of Barcelona. On a morning stroll, we first stop to explore the curving stone façade of Casa Milà, and walk up to the rooftop for a panoramic view of the city. Our next visit is La Sagrada Familia (Temple of the Holy Family), a large Roman Catholic basilica and Gaudí’s masterpiece that was left unfinished when he died unexpectedly in 1926. From here we head to Parc Güell, named after the architect’s main patron. This beautiful park is filled with mosaics, undulating benches and a modernist grotto, and it’s a perfect place to end our morning.

After lunch we leave Barcelona for Northern Catalonia. Although only a short drive away, this area has an entirely different culture and atmosphere than the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona. Bound by the green, rolling hills of the Ampurdan and the Alberes mountain range, the countryside is dotted with charming gray and pink stone masías (farmhouses) and small towns with arcaded squares and wide promenades. Our home for the next two nights is Vic, which sits on a 1,600-foot plateau at the confluence of two rivers and is known for its fine leatherwork. Our four-star parador hotel is located in one of the most beautiful spots of the region and features the traditional feel of a Catalan farmhouse with its well looked-after garden, bedrooms with terraces and a magnificent swimming pool. Before dinner we explore the town’s wide Plaça Major, and perhaps have a drink in one of the many bars and cafés within the Gothic arcades that surround the square.

After breakfast, we head to Ripoll, one of the highlights of Catalonia. Known as the birthplace of Catalonian culture, the town was an important center of religious study during the Middle Ages, and features an important 9th century Benedictine monastery built in the Romanesque style.

We stop next in Santa Pau, a spectacular walled medieval village built out of volcanic rock in the heart of the Garrotxa Volcanic Park, Europe’s largest region of (extinct) volcanoes. Exploring this area is experiencing the sensation of stepping back in time as mountain villages, medieval castles, abbeys and churches steeped in history, perch on the edges of the sculptural rock with fortified walls and stone cobbled roads.

After a relaxing lunch in town, we visit a local potter’s workshop for a demonstration of the colorful local ceramics. Our afternoon walk takes us through craggy peaks, oak and beech forests full of wild boar and deer, interspersed by meadows of wild flowers and herbs and dotted with small stone villages. The walk is finished off by a lovely horse-drawn carriage ride through Fageda d’en Jorda, an unusual beech tree forest that grows over a large lava cast which was a result of an eruption from nearby Croscat volcano.

Combining many of the best elements of France and Spain, Catalan cuisine is wholesome and served in hearty portions. Tonight we enjoy local specialties, including habas a la catalana (a spicy broad-bean stew), zarzuela de mariscos (“operetta” of seafood), butifarra (Catalan pork sausage), and crema catalana (crème brulee).

This morning we visit the ancient walled town of Girona. Delightfully hidden, except to the locals, this village is full of narrow, medieval streets, cool churches and rows of houses leaning over the banks of the river. Girona was once a Moorish stronghold, and it reputedly withstood three invasions by Napoleon’s troops, giving it the moniker “City of a Thousand Sieges.” We start our exploration in the Old Quarter, which sits directly across from the River Onyar and provides a charming view of the orange-colored waterfront houses reflected in the river. Our walk then takes us past the 17th century Gothic cathedral and amazingly well-preserved Arab baths, built by Moorish craftsmen in the 12th century, and finally along the Passeig Arquaeològic, where we get an astounding view of the cathedral's 11th-century Charlemagne Tower.

After stopping for lunch and a taste of pa amb tomàquet, a Catalan specialty of grilled bread covered in olive oil, garlic and fresh tomato, we head to our luxurious coastal hotel to swim in the pool, relax on the beach and explore the nearby villas and seaside mansions. If you still have the energy, join our guide for an afternoon walk along the coastal trails for your first glimpse of the Costa Brava.

We begin the morning by traveling past rose-colored stone houses and ramparts to the restored medieval town of Pals, whose old quarter has been declared a Historic Artistic Site. We walk through the winding cobblestone streets to explore the Gothic church, the clock tower of the old castle, and the curtain walls and houses, which all date from the 10th century. From here a lovely countryside walk past streams and red poppies with views of hills crowned with small castles and watchtowers takes us to the town of Peratallada. One of the most important places in the region for medieval architecture, the town of Peratallada (“carved rock”) earned its name from the great moat carved out of rock surrounding the village. After our walk through town, we stop in at one of the small restaurants and enjoy a typical Catalonian lunch of white beans and escalivada—roasted vegetables marinated and served in a salad with salty anchovies and toasted bread.

After lunch, we head toward Figueres, Salvador Dalí’s hometown. Figueres is home to the Dalí museum, which the artist personally conceptualized, designed, decorated and painted. Along the way, we’ll take in the coastline of the Costa Brava, and see for ourselves how Dalí’s surreal paintings actually reflect this dramatic landscape. The museum houses the single largest and most diverse collection of works by Salvador Dalí and is a work of art in itself.

Today we spend our entire day exploring the lovely coastal villages that dot the Costa Brava, taking in the breathtaking seaviews, cliffs and coves that we encounter along our walks. We begin in Cap Roig, a panoramic promontory that features a lovely botanical garden carved out of the rock and overlooking the Mediterranean. From here we start our coastal walk above sandy white beaches, marveling at the luminous blue of the sea contrasting with red-brown headlands and cliffs and noting how the umbrella pine trees grow up to the edges of secluded calas (coves). Our first stop along the coast is Calella. Built on a gentle slope, this former fishing village is an attractive jumble of red-tiled roofs with a simple white church tower rising up from the old center.

Tucked into a crescent shaped bay is the small village of Llafranc. Overlooking Llafranc is Cap Sant Sebastia, on top of which sits a 19th century lighthouse that has been converted into a hotel and fine restaurant, our destination for lunch. Enjoy grilled local fish so fresh that it was caught just that morning. Savor a cup of cremat (a mixture of rum and coffee), a very typical sailor’s drink in Costa Brava, while enjoying outstanding views of the entire coast stretched out below. Bon Profit!

After our full day along the coast, we return to our hotel with time to relax before enjoying our farewell dinner.

Today we offer a a.m. airport shuttle to Barcelona to arrive by 12noon. Extend your visit in this charming city to do more exploring or as a convenient base for excursions to Montserrat, the wineries of Alt Denedès and the popular beach resort of Sitges.

100% refundable reservation deposit: 395 € / person

Contact us for info => info@magicalspain.com

Barcelona is Spain's gateway to European culture. In so far as culture means innovative architecture and modern art, prized pedestrian-friendly boulevards and earlier hours, such thinking is right on the money. It was in Barcelona in the 1890s that Picasso found the artistic vanguard that propelled him to Paris and world renown. And this is where Gaudí spun Art Nouveau into his own quirky architectural idiom. Today the term avant-garde still applies: to Barcelona's fusion cuisine, design-accented boutique hotels, fun-loving fashion houses and even a delicious assortment of innovative chocolatiers, all of whom cut their teeth in the Catalan capital before taking on the rest of Spain.

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