MARIAN SHRINES of FATIMA,
SPAIN and LOURDES

Every year, more and more Catholic believers congregate at the two greatest shrines of Marian apparitions in Europe, Lourdes and Fátima. Within the pleasant natural surrounding awaits the beautiful experience of visiting and living, discovering and participating in the religious message, processions and Masses.

During our pilgrimage we will visit some of the oldest Marian shrines in Spain such as Montserrat and El Pilar.

EL CAMINO, THE WAY OF SAINT JAMES

The Way of Saint James continues to seduce pilgrims time and again because of its religious nature, its historical continuity, its large cultural heritage throughout cities, towns, villages, convents, bridges and chapels.

We will enjoy its diversity of landscapes and cultures accompanied by the constant presence of contemporary pilgrims. Participating in mass and enjoying walks along El Camino will help us better appreciate and understand the endurance of this millenary fact.

ANDALUSIA:
ART, LANDSCAPE AND PEOPLE

Many are the peoples, religions and cultures that since prehistoric times have arrived from the Mediterranean to the south of Spain.

Important reminders of the Carthaginians, the Romans, and the Hebrews still remain, but what will most draw our attention are the remnants of the Arab civilization, its great capitals, magnificent monuments and the respect they enjoyed during more than five centuries, as well as the influence they bore on the Christian culture.

Only in this way can we explain the villages, the art, the society and the landscape of modern day Andalusia.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN CENTRAL SPAIN

When Alfonso VI conquered Toledo in 1085, the Christians were able to begin to organize what would be at the end of the Middle Ages the heart of a vast empire.

The entire area between the Duero and Tajo Rivers would be filled with cities inhabited by proud nobles, an authoritative church and bellicose kings ever more powerful. We will see their origins, their splendor and their projection towards America.

These and their excellent state of preservation allow us to find five historical districts along this route that have earned the designation of World Heritage sites: Toledo, Cáceres, Salamanca, Ávila and Segovia.

WINE AND GASTRONOMY IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

“Basques stew, Castilians bake and Andalusians fry”… but they all partake of wine, cheese and sausages. You will have the chance to visit different wine areas in Spain and Portugal.

It was during their march to the south through La Rioja that the Christians first integrated Mediterranean agriculture: the olive grove, the vineyard and the irrigation system. For centuries this junction would be both a disputed territory between the people of Castile and Navarre, and the centre of cultural creation; for here is where the language of Spain was born, where the Route of Santiago de Compostela was consolidated, and where superior wines were nurtured.

Due to its particular geographic location and climate, the region of Castile and León is renowned for its Iberian ham and sausages, while the Duero River serves as the source of such notable appellations or origin as Ribera del Duero, Cigales, Rueda and Toro, extending into Portuguese territory where Port Wine and Vinho Verde are produced.