Iberian Historia: Lisbon, Seville, Granada

The Iberian Peninsula carries more layers of history per square kilometre than almost anywhere in Europe. Lisbon was built by Romans, Visigoths and Moors before the Portuguese sent their ships out to map the world in the 15th century — and the city still orients itself toward the Tagus River and the sea. Faro is the quieter face of the Algarve, worth a morning for its cobbled old town before the road continues east into Andalusia. Seville is where the Moorish and Christian inheritances collide most dramatically: the Alcázar, the cathedral built on the site of the great mosque, and the Plaza de España all within walking distance of each other. Córdoba gets a half day on the route from Seville to Granada, which is exactly enough time to stand inside the Mezquita-Catedral — the Great Mosque that became a cathedral without losing its Islamic architecture — and understand why it was once the second largest mosque in the world after Mecca. Granada is the emotional centre of the itinerary. The Alhambra is the most visited monument in Spain, and the only way to understand why is to go with a local guide who can point at a specific arch or tile and explain what was built under which sultan and why. The Generalife gardens are included. Toledo arrives on Day 7 — a fortified city on a hill above the Castilian plain, where Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments stand within the same walled old town — before the coach reaches Madrid for two final days. This is a ground-only tour. Flights are arranged independently. Halal meals and mosque visits are built into every day of this itinerary. This tour is for you if you want the full sweep of Iberian history — Islamic, Christian and Portuguese — covered properly in nine days.

• ◆Alhambra & Generalife, Granada — guided tour of Andalusia's Moorish palace complex
• ◆Mezquita-Catedral, Córdoba — the great mosque that became a cathedral
• ◆Alcázar de Sevilla — Moorish royal palace still in use by the Spanish crown
• ◆Belém, Lisbon — where Portugal's Age of Discovery set sail from the Tagus
• ◆Plaza de España, Seville — the most photographed square in Andalusia
• ◆Toledo — Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in one walled old city
• ◆Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid — photo stop at Real Madrid's home ground
• ◆Galería Canalejas, Madrid — the city's most elegant covered shopping gallery

Day-by-Day