The Sun Coast

Spain is your destination. Begin in Madrid and end at the Mediterranean's Costa del Sol!
TRAVEL DETAILS

Tour Day-by-day

In Brief
DAYS 1-2: Arrival

A dream comes true as your wide-bodied jet thunders off the airstrip, Europe-bound! Watch the sun rise up to meet your airplane, after a short night. Spain glides by beneath your airplane, in shades of sienna, as you head towards Madrid's Barajas Airport.

Upon arrival, get settled in your madrileño hotel and explore your surroundings.

Stroll in the Plaza Mayor, the heart of the Old City.

For lunch, why not duck into a sidewalk mesón for a sopa de pescado and some calamares?
Meals
Dinner
Overnight
Madrid
DAY 3: Madrid City Sightseeing, Excursion to Toledo

On a tour of the city, you will be introduced to the sights: Plaza Mayor, Calle de Cuchilleros, Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España with the Cervantes Monument, Gran Vía, Calle Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Cibeles and Neptune Fountains.

Local Guide

A half-day local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Madrid and it's surroundings, will accompany your group.

Prado Museum

You will visit the Prado Museum to see the world-famous paintings of El Greco, Goya and Velázquez, among other collections from the 12th to the 19th centuries.

Excursion to Toledo

Toledo is surrounded on three sides by the Río Tajo, which has cut a deep gorge out of the encircling mountains. Christianity, Judaism and Islam coexist on the tiny streets of this ancient city, which was once the capital of Spain. Indeed, the entire panorama of Spanish history is embodied in its churches, synagogues, Moorish mosques and fortifications.

Toledo Cathedral

You will visit the cathedral, one of the most venerated in the country. It took almost 300 years to build and was completed in 1492. Its treasury contains an impressive display of gold and silver vessels and alabaster sculpture.

Santo Tome

Visit the Santo Tomé church, which houses El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz, a fresco commissioned in honor of a Spanish nobleman who was known for his generosity and charitable deeds.

Synagogue

Enjoy a visit to one of the city's two remaining medieval synagogues.

Damascene demonstration

For centuries, Toledo has excelled in the manufacture of swords and damascene artifacts made of steel inlaid with gold and silver. Skilled artisans carry on the tradition, as you will see during a damascene manufacturing demonstration.
Highlights
Half-day city sightseeing in Madrid
Services of a specially-trained half-day local guide in Madrid
Audio guide headsets for the Prado
Entrance and reservation to the Prado Museum
Extended half-day coach excursion to Toledo
Guided walking tour in Toledo
Visit to the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo
Lunch in Toledo
Visit to the church of Santo Tome
Visit to a synagogue
A Damascene demonstration
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch in Toledo
Overnight
Madrid
DAY 4: Excursion to El Escorial, Valley of the Fallen and Segovia, Optional Flamenco Show

Enjoy a full-day excursion today.

El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen

Travel to the religious retreat of King Philip II, El Escorial, where he and other Spanish kings lie buried. On a guided tour, see the Royal Pantheon and Crypt of the Royal Children, the apartments of King Philip, and the basilica with Titian's fresco of St. Lawrence's martyrdom, as well as the lavish library which contains 40,000 rare manuscripts, including St. Teresa of Avila's diary.

You'll see the somber Valley of the Fallen, nestled in the Guadarrama Mountains. The site was intended as a monument to Fascism, but is now a memorial to soldiers from both sides who died during the Civil War. See the 500-foot-high cross, which is the world's largest monumental cross, and the entrance to the underground basilica (currently closed to visitors) that General Franco ordered carved inside a hill of solid granite by prisoners of war from the Republican side. Make your way across the vast esplanade for a panoramic view of valleys and mountains.

Local Guide

A full-day local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Madrid and it's surroundings, will accompany you today.

Segovia

You will stop in the beautiful city of Segovia, where Isabella, Christopher Columbus' sponsor, was proclaimed Queen of Castile.

Visit the most-photographed of all the Spanish castles, the Alcázar, known for its perfectly-proportioned features that have come to symbolize the medieval heritage of Spain.

Flamenco Show  OPTIONAL

Enjoy an evening of traditional entertainment, flamenco! The poet Federico García Lorca called it "the most gigantic creation of the Spanish people." You will long remember its complex and insistent rhythms, castanets, guitars and clacking heels as the highlight of your trip to Spain.
Highlights
Full-day coach excursion to El Escorial, Valley of the Fallen and Segovia
Visit to El Escorial and a sightseeing stop at the Valley of the Fallen
Services of a specially-trained full-day local guide
Sightseeing stop in Segovia
Visit to the Alcázar
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Overnight
Madrid
DAY 5: Cordoba, Seville

Today, travel south through La Mancha, home of Don Quixote, to Córdoba, which was once as famous as Baghdad in the Islamic world. At that time, Córdoba's cultural life was centered around its 70 libraries, with the Caliph's library alone holding 400,000 volumes! Throughout the ages, exceptional scholars have blossomed here, including Seneca, the Roman author/statesman, and the medieval philosophers Maimonides and Averroes.

A local guide will lead you on a tour of the old quarter. You will also stroll through the city's Jewish quarter (Judería) and salute Maimónides' statue on Plaza Tiberiades; then walk up Calle Judíos to the ancient sinagoga, which dates back to 1315. The only Andalusian synagogue to have survived the 1492 expulsion of the Jews, it is known for its exquisite stucco tracery and Hebraic inscriptions, as well as its women's gallery. Craftsmen still ply their skills around the nearby Zoco, or marketplace.

You will enjoy a visit to the Great Mosque (Mezquita) and its Patio de los Naranjos. Admire its forest of "candycane" arches and precious stones. Marvel at its ceiling of carved cedar, its 4,000 bronze and copper lamps, and its Mihrab shrine where the Koran was kept. See the Christian cathedral built right inside the mosque.

Travel along the Guadalquivir River, where fertile farms and vineyards enliven the scenery, on your way to Don Juan's Sevilla, the prettiest city of Andalusia.
Highlights
Travel to Seville via Cordoba
Guided walking tour in Cordoba
Visit to the Mezquita
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Overnight
Seville
DAY 6: Seville City Sightseeing, Optional Guadalquivir River Cruise

Get acquainted with Sevilla on a tour of the city. You'll stop for photos at the Plaza de España and explore on foot the well-preserved Barrio de Santa Cruz, a picturesque maze of alleys and patios which once was the Jewish quarter. You will see the ancient minaret called the Giralda, the Parque María Luisa, the famous tobacco factory where Bizet's Carmen worked and the crenelated tower called the Torre del Oro, which was built in the 13th century to protect the port.

Local Guide

A half-day local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Seville, will accompany your group.

Cathedral and Giralda Tower

A visit is included to the great Gothic cathedral, where you'll see the flamboyant monument to Columbus and the tomb of Ferdinand III; its trilingual inscription in Arabic, Hebrew and Castilian symbolizes this 13th-century king's vision of his kingdom as the home of all three faiths.

You will climb the Giralda, a former minaret that stands near the cathedral. Instead of stairs, this tower was designed with an interior ramp which makes the climb almost effortless. From the top, visitors have a great overview of the cathedral's roof and buttresses. All around, the city of Seville spreads out, its whitewashed houses glittering in the sun like flecks of tinfoil.

Alcazares Reales

Enjoy a visit to the Alcázares Reales, a palace built by the Moors and the residence of Spanish kings for nearly seven centuries.

Free time in Seville

This afternoon is free to plan as you wish.

You may want to take a look at the Archivo General de Indias and its display of original documents autographed by Columbus, Magellan or Cortés.

Guadalquivir River Cruise  OPTIONAL

Enjoy a scenic boat ride along the picturesque Guadalquivir River. Listen to the commentary while you enjoy the sights from a different perspective.
Highlights
Half-day city sightseeing in Seville
Services of a specially-trained half-day local guide in Seville
Visit to the cathedral, including ascent of the Giralda tower
Visit to the Alcazares Reales
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Overnight
Seville
DAY 7: Granada, Costa del Sol

Board your coach for a drive to the last stronghold of the Moors: Granada.

You will visit the Medina al-Ambra, the "Red City" better known now as the Alhambra, residence of the Moorish rulers, which inspired Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra. In the Nazrid Palaces, you will see extraordinary stucco ornamentation and intricate tilework, particularly in the Golden Room. The Alhambra also illustrates the mingling of cultures in Islamic Spain: notice the Christian shell motif used to decorate an alcove in the Courtyard of Myrtles and the Star of David found in a room off the Courtyard of Lions.

You will tour the gardens of the Generalife, built for the sultan and exquisitely maintained even today.

As you cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains, you'll understand why it took the Spanish so long to capture the city from the well-entrenched Moors.

A welcome puff of fresh sea breeze announces your arrival on the fabulous Costa del Sol. Enjoy the friendly, relaxed lifestyle of the Mediterranean in this region which averages 320 days of sunshine a year!
Highlights
Travel to the Costa del Sol via Granada
Entrance to the Alhambra Palace
Guide for the Alhambra
Headset receiver for guide at the Alhambra
Visit to the Generalife Gardens
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Overnight
Costa del Sol
DAY 8: Costa del Sol, Optional Excursion to Tangier, Optional Excursion to Mijas

Enjoy some free time to explore today or consider the following optional excursion.

Excursion to Tangier  OPTIONAL

Retrace the path of the Moors across the Strait of Gibraltar on an excursion to Tangier, Morocco! Inhabited by the Berbers since the Stone Age, Morocco has attracted in turn the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Portuguese, Spanish, and French, all of whom have left their marks upon the country's history and traditions. Morocco was among the very first nations to formally recognize the new United States; a Treaty of Friendship between the two countries, signed in 1836, has been unbroken ever since.

Travel south along the coast to Algeciras, at the southernmost tip of Spain.

Board a swift hydrofoil for the one-hour crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar.

You'll cross the strait again by hydrofoil for your return to Algeciras.

A local guide will introduce Tangier, from which great civilizations have sprung into Europe. See the fabled Casbah, the highest place in the old medina, where the Sultan's palace is located. Practice the fine art of bargaining at the picturesque market of the Grand Socco (souk). Morocco is well-known for its fine leather goods, silver and gold jewelry, in-laid and carved wood objects, spices, copperware and carpets. Exotic, eclectic images will fill your visit to this corner of Africa: mosques and minarets, souks and casbahs, magic carpets, haggling salesmen, snake charmers, camels, sultans and belly dancers. The unimaginable difference that a few miles of open water can make!

We are now required to obtain all travelers' passport numbers, country of origin, date of issue and date of expiration before any reservation to Morocco can be made on your behalf.

Excursion to Mijas  OPTIONAL

Enjoy an excursion to Mijas, which is one of the White Villages (Pueblos Blancos) that symbolize Andalusia. Located near the top of a mountain a mere twenty minutes from the coast, Mijas is an attractive town with dozens of shops, nice restaurants, the world's smallest bullring, a tiny church in a cave, and breathtaking views of the sea.
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Overnight
Costa del Sol
DAY 9: Flight to Madrid, Departure

Board your flight to Madrid.

Adios España! Madrid's airport recedes and you're 500 miles closer to home with each hour in the air. Race the sun westward, arriving home later today, eager to share your experiences with family and friends.
Highlights
Depart Costa del Sol via Flight to Madrid
Flight Malaga-Madrid
Meals
Breakfast
Overnight
Home
All original material copyright © Passports, Inc., 1993-2012. All rights reserved. CST# 2067919-40

The Sun Coast prices

Nov 1, 2011
Mar 27, 2012

Mar 28, 2012
May 25, 2012

May 26, 2012
Oct 31, 2012

Albuquerque, NM

$2899

$3339

$3659

Atlanta, GA

$2699

$3159

$3559

Baltimore/Washington

$2599

$3059

$3439

Boston, MA

$2599

$3019

$3259

Charlotte, NC

$2699

$3259

$3659

Chicago, IL

$2699

$3159

$3559

Cincinnati, OH

$2699

$3159

$3659

Cleveland, OH

$2699

$3159

$3659

Columbus, OH

$2699

$3159

$3659

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

$2899

$3319

$3659

Denver, CO

$2899

$3319

$3759

Detroit, MI

$2699

$3159

$3559

Houston, TX

$2899

$3319

$3659

Indianapolis, IN

$2699

$3159

$3659

Kansas City, MO

$2699

$3259

$3659

Knoxville, TN

$2899

$3439

$3659

Little Rock, AR

$2899

$3439

$3659

Los Angeles, CA

$2799

$3159

$3659

Louisville, KY

$2899

$3259

$3659

Memphis, TN

$2899

$3439

$3659

Miami, FL

$2599

$3059

$3439

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

$2899

$3359

$3659

Nashville, TN

$2899

$3439

$3659

New Orleans, LA

$2899

$3359

$3659

New York City, NY

$2499

$2959

$3259

Oklahoma City, OK

$2899

$3439

$3659

Orlando, FL

$2799

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$3659

Philadelphia, PA

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$3159

$3439

Pittsburgh, PA

$2699

$3159

$3439

Portland, OR

$2899

$3359

$3659

Raleigh-Durham, NC

$2899

$3359

$3659

Salt Lake City, UT

$2899

$3359

$3759

San Francisco, CA

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Seattle, WA

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$3319

$3759

St. Louis, MO

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$3359

$3659

Tampa, FL

$2799

$3159

$3659

Tulsa, OK

$2899

$3439

$3659

Akron, OH

$2849

$3309

$3809

Albany, NY

$2649

$3109

$3409

Alexandria, LA

$2899

$3359

$3659

Allentown, PA

$2799

$3259

$3539

Amarillo, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Anchorage, AK

$3199

$3619

$4059

Appleton, WI

$2819

$3279

$3679

Asheville, NC

$2849

$3409

$3809

Atlantic City, NJ

$2799

$3259

$3539

Augusta, GA

$2849

$3309

$3709

Austin, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Bangor, ME

$2749

$3169

$3409

Barbados

$2899

$3359

$3739

Baton Rouge, LA

$2999

$3459

$3759

Bellingham, WA

$3099

$3519

$3959

Billings, MT

$3049

$3509

$3809

Birmingham, AL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Bismarck, ND

$3049

$3509

$3809

Boise, ID

$3049

$3509

$3909

Bozeman, MT

$3049

$3509

$3909

Bristol/Tri City, TN

$2999

$3539

$3759

Brownsville, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Buffalo, NY

$2699

$3159

$3459

Burlington, VT

$2619

$3079

$3379

Calgary, Alberta

$3099

$3519

$3959

Cedar Rapids, IA

$2899

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$3759

Charleston, SC

$2819

$3379

$3779

Charleston, WV

$2749

$3209

$3589

Charlottesville, VA

$2749

$3209

$3589

Chattanooga, TN

$2799

$3259

$3659

Cheyenne, WY

$3249

$3669

$4109

Colorado Springs, CO

$3099

$3519

$3959

Columbia, SC

$2819

$3379

$3779

Corpus Christi, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Dayton, OH

$2819

$3279

$3779

Daytona Beach, FL

$2949

$3309

$3809

Des Moines, IA

$2899

$3359

$3759

Duluth, MN

$3049

$3509

$3809

Durango, CO

$3099

$3519

$3959

El Paso, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Elmira, NY

$2699

$3159

$3459

Erie, PA

$2799

$3259

$3759

Evansville, IN

$3019

$3379

$3779

Fairbanks, AK

$3319

$3739

$4179

Fargo, ND

$3049

$3509

$3809

Fayetteville, AR

$3019

$3559

$3779

Fayetteville, NC

$2849

$3309

$3709

Flagstaff, AZ

$3099

$3559

$3959

Flint, MI

$2799

$3259

$3659

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$2649

$3109

$3489

Fort Myers, FL

$2919

$3279

$3779

Fort Wayne, IN

$2799

$3259

$3659

Fresno, CA

$2949

$3309

$3809

George Town, Grand Cayman Island

$2999

$3459

$3839

Grand Forks, ND

$3099

$3559

$3859

Grand Junction, CO

$3099

$3519

$3959

Grand Rapids, MI

$2799

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$3659

Great Falls, MT

$3049

$3509

$3909

Greenbay, WI

$2849

$3309

$3709

Greensboro, NC

$3049

$3509

$3809

Greenville, SC

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$3809

Harlingen, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Harrisburg, PA

$2699

$3159

$3539

Hartford, CT

$2599

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$3359

Hilo, HI

$3299

$3659

$4159

Honolulu, Oahu, HI

$3249

$3609

$4109

Huntington, WV

$2849

$3309

$3589

Huntsville, AL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Idaho Falls, ID

$3099

$3559

$3959

Jackson, MS

$3049

$3509

$3809

Jacksonville, FL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Kalamazoo, MI

$2799

$3259

$3659

Kalispell, MT

$3049

$3509

$3909

Kauai, HI

$3349

$3709

$4209

Kona, HI

$3299

$3659

$4159

La Crosse, WI

$2849

$3309

$3709

Lafayette, LA

$3019

$3479

$3779

Lake Charles, LA

$3019

$3479

$3779

Laredo, TX

$2999

$3419

$3759

Las Vegas, NV

$2899

$3259

$3759

Lexington, KY

$2999

$3359

$3759

Lincoln, NE

$2849

$3309

$3709

Long Beach, CA

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$3309

$3809

Lubbock, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Madison, WI

$2819

$3279

$3679

Manchester, NH

$2699

$3119

$3359

Maui, HI

$3249

$3609

$4109

McAllen, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Midland/Odessa, TX

$3019

$3439

$3779

Milwaukee, WI

$2849

$3309

$3709

Missoula, MT

$3049

$3509

$3909

Mobile, AL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Moline, IL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Monroe, LA

$3049

$3509

$3809

Montgomery, AL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Montreal

$2799

$3219

$3459

Mosinee, WI

$2849

$3309

$3709

Myrtle Beach, SC

$2819

$3379

$3779

Nassau

$2849

$3309

$3689

New York City, NY

$2499

$2959

$3259

Newark, NJ

$2499

$2959

$3259

Norfolk, VA

$2719

$3179

$3559

Omaha, NE

$2899

$3359

$3759

Ontario, CA

$2949

$3309

$3809

Ottawa, Ontario

$2799

$3219

$3459

Panama City, FL

$2849

$3309

$3709

Panama City, FL

$2849

$3309

$3709

Pasco, WA

$2999

$3419

$3859

Pensacola, FL

$2849

$3309

$3709

Peoria, IL

$2819

$3279

$3679

Phoenix, AZ

$2899

$3359

$3759

Pierre, SD

$3099

$3559

$3859

Pocatello, ID

$3099

$3559

$3959

Portland, ME

$2699

$3119

$3359

Providence, RI

$2599

$3059

$3359

Rapid City, SD

$3049

$3469

$3909

Reno, NV

$2949

$3309

$3809

Richmond, VA

$2719

$3179

$3559

Roanoke, VA

$2719

$3179

$3559

Rochester, NY

$2649

$3109

$3409

Roswell, NM

$3049

$3489

$3809

Sacramento, CA

$2949

$3309

$3809

San Antonio, TX

$2999

$3419

$3759

San Diego, CA

$2899

$3259

$3759

San Jose, CA

$2949

$3309

$3809

San Juan

$2799

$3259

$3639

Santa Ana, CA

$2899

$3259

$3759

Sao Paulo

$2999

$3459

$3839

Sarasota, FL

$2949

$3309

$3809

Savannah, GA

$2849

$3309

$3709

Shreveport, LA

$2999

$3459

$3759

Sioux Falls, SD

$3049

$3509

$3809

Sitka, AK

$3399

$3819

$4259

Smithers, BC

$3519

$3939

$4379

Spokane, WA

$2999

$3419

$3859

Springfield, IL

$2849

$3309

$3709

Springfield, MO

$3019

$3479

$3779

St. Croix

$2899

$3359

$3739

St. George's

$2899

$3359

$3659

St. John, NB

$2899

$3319

$3559

St. Martin

$2799

$3259

$3639

Sudbury, Ontario

$3149

$3609

$4009

Syracuse, NY

$2649

$3109

$3409

Tallahassee, FL

$2849

$3309

$3709

Thunder Bay, Ontario

$3149

$3609

$3909

Toledo, OH

$2799

$3259

$3659

Toronto, Ontario

$2949

$3409

$3809

Traverse City, MI

$2849

$3309

$3709

Tucson

$3099

$3559

$3959

Twin Falls, ID

$3099

$3559

$3959

Valparaiso, FL

$2849

$3309

$3709

Vancouver

$3019

$3439

$3879

Victoria, British Columbia

$3019

$3439

$3879

Washington, D.C.

$2599

$3059

$3439

Wenatchee, WA

$3049

$3469

$3909

West Palm Beach, FL

$2699

$3159

$3539

Wichita, KS

$2849

$3409

$3809

Wilmington, NC

$3049

$3509

$3809

Winnipeg, Manitoba

$3099

$3559

$3859

Yuma, AZ

$3099

$3559

$3959

Add $95 membership fee, $549 airport taxes, and $40/$50 per leg for Fri, Sat, or Sun flights. Double room guarantee extra. Depart July 16- October 31 ... deduct $100.