Granada has for 50 years been host to one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe. Renowned for the beauty of its settings, which makes extensive use of the Alhambra, the Festival's success is also due to imaginative direction and the commitment of performers of world-class calibre. The balmy nights of late June and early July are perfect for the open-air concerts, held in the Moorish and Castilian palaces and gardens of the Alhambra. The sound of cicadas and the scent of jasmine and myrtle set the scene for the music and dance.
We have Category A tickets for both performances.
Hotel: Hotel Villa Oniria is located in the city centre of Granada, five minutes walk to the cathedral. It provides a luxurious place to escape, in traditional Andalucian palatial architecture. The spacious rooms are set over two floors, with a refined decoration and studied ambiance. There is a small and well-appointed garden, full of aromatic plants, leading onto a beautiful inner patio, and a fine restaurant.
Itinerary
Day 1 – We fly to Malaga and transfer to our hotel in Granada. Early evening we have a guided stroll along the 17th-century Carrera del Darro before drinks and dinner in a restaurant with terraced gardens which look out on the floodlit Alhambra palaces.
Day 2 – Ubeda and Baeza, north of Granada, are two largely undiscovered towns with many Renaissance palaces and churches within the Moorish city walls. After lunch in Baeza there will be free time for independent exploration.
Day 3 – This morning there is a guided visit to Casa-Museo Manuel de Falla and Fundacion Rodriguez-Acosta. Afterwards visit the gardens of Carmen de los Martires, an Italianate villa surrounded by formal gardens. Tonight we have the first Festival performance, in the auditorium of the Generalife in the Alhambra.
Day 4 – This morning we discover the streets of the Albaicin district, a UNESCO world heritage site, visiting a Moorish palace of the 15th century and a carmen villa now housing a museum. Late afternoon there is a guided tour of the Alhambra palaces and Generalife gardens, followed by dinner. Tonight we have the second performance in the Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra.
Day 5 – Free morning in Granada for independent sightseeing. Late afternoon we venture into the Sacromonte, an area renowned for its cave dwellings and gypsy culture. There will be a farewell dinner tonight and an optional flamenco show.
Day 6 – Travel to Malaga, to visit the Picasso Museum located in the old quarter near where the artist was born and raised. Lunch in the cathedral district is included before we continue to the airport for the return flight to London.
Departure: 26 Jun – 03 Jul 2010
Tour Code: GRA10
Performance Details
30 Jun: Ballet Nacional de España in the auditorium of the Generalife in the Alhambra.
01 Jul: Philharmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria in the Palace of Charles V in the Alhambra.
Granada International Festival of Music and Dance
Price: £1,395 per person sharing a twin room
Single Supplement: £300
Deposit: £300
Price Includes: 5 nights accommodation at the 4-star Hotel Villa Oniria in Granada, continental buffett breakfast, 2 lunches and three dinners, two Category A tickets to the performances, excursions to Ubeda, Baeza and Malaga as listed, guided walks in Granada's historic quarter, transfers to the performances, transfers to suggested flights.
Travel: Air travel to and from Spain is not included.
