Travel with Blakes, travel with friends! - Blakes Coaches
Travel with Blakes, travel with friends! - Blakes Coaches
Travel with Blakes, travel with friends! - Blakes Coaches
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44<br />
GALICIA… NORTHERN SPAIN’S BEST KEPT SECRET<br />
10 DAY TOUR<br />
Departure: Tuesday 24th September – Thursday 3rd October<br />
This new tour invites you to explore <strong>with</strong> us an undiscovered part of Iberia, <strong>with</strong> its<br />
hidden villages, beaches, culture and history. This North-Western area of Spain<br />
offers a very natural coastline, small islands, sea-faring communities, all nestling<br />
in the shadow of the commanding mountain scenery of both Cantabria and<br />
Galicia.<br />
If you have <strong>travel</strong>led to Portugal <strong>with</strong> us you will have met Ken… our tour guide<br />
and expert in this part of Europe. We are delighted that he has put this holiday<br />
together and will be our guide during the tour. His knowledge, organisation, hard<br />
work and generosity mean you can have the very best holiday possible… and he<br />
makes a good cup of tea too!<br />
You are assured of a warm welcome at this delightful, family-run 3* hotel, situated<br />
in the centre of the small village of Reboredo. All rooms are en-suite, <strong>with</strong> TV, airconditioning,<br />
and have a balcony. Beautiful gardens <strong>with</strong> exotic plants, ponds and<br />
little bridges, compliment the indoor and outdoor pool areas and Jacuzzi. The<br />
restaurant serves a delicious choice menu, using fresh produce grown in their<br />
garden, <strong>with</strong> wine and coffee and a generous buffet breakfast. There is a lift and<br />
comfortable lounges, a bar and cafeteria. Delightful easy walks, <strong>with</strong> a lovely bay<br />
and sandy beach, and an Aquarium are just a short distance from the hotel.<br />
Itinerary<br />
Hotel Bosque Mar<br />
Reboredo, Galicia (0034 986 731 055)<br />
TUESDAY – We leave our home area and make our way to Portsmouth, where<br />
we board a luxurious ferry for a late afternoon departure and overnight sailing to<br />
Santander. The ferry boasts a fabulous swimming pool and leisure area, elegant<br />
bars and lounges and a superb choice of dining, from award-winning cuisine to a<br />
wide selection of self-service menus. There is also live entertainment and dancing<br />
until late, two cinemas showing the latest movies and great shopping in the stylish<br />
malls. All cabins are en suite and air-conditioned.<br />
WEDNESDAY – After a leisurely breakfast we continue our cruise, and you can<br />
continue to make use of the facilities on board and have lunch. Our ship arrives in<br />
Santander late afternoon and we rejoin the coach and make the short journey to<br />
our overnight hotel on Santillana in time for a buffet dinner <strong>with</strong> wine.<br />
THURSDAY – After breakfast we leave our hotel and <strong>travel</strong> across Northern<br />
Spain, <strong>with</strong> stops for coffee and lunch en route to our hotel in Galicia, where we<br />
stay for 6 nights. With time to settle in and freshen up, you are invited to a welcome<br />
drinks reception by the pool before dinner and an evening to relax.<br />
FRIDAY – The morning is free to spend as you please and familiarise yourself <strong>with</strong><br />
the new surroundings. This afternoon we enjoy a short coastal drive, passing the<br />
lovely little coves and bays, so typical of this area, before arriving at the quaint little<br />
village of Combarro, You may like to take a stroll along the promenade, and cross<br />
the village square to the granite paths of little shops, full of local crafts and locally<br />
produced food & drink… and to sample some in the cafés. It is easy to see why<br />
artists find their inspirations here, as you amble through the alleyways overlooking<br />
the Estuary of Pontevedra.<br />
TELEPHONE 01398 341160<br />
SATURDAY – Today we <strong>travel</strong> to Santiago de Compostela, a World Heritage site,<br />
and the third of the Holy Cities, <strong>with</strong> its narrow pedestrianised shopping streets,<br />
Cathedral, Palaces, Monuments and fine squares. It is also a University city, and<br />
a Market Place for Galician farmers. Whilst here you will have plenty of time to<br />
explore the very impressive Obradoiro Square, dominated by the Cathedral, and<br />
the impressive façade of the Parador., as well as browsing the shops and having<br />
lunch.<br />
SUNDAY – The whole day is free to spend as you please end enjoy the hotel<br />
facilities and beautiful surroundings. You may like to stroll down to the nearby<br />
beach, visit the local Aquarium, or take a swim in the indoor and outdoor pools -<br />
or just relax in the Jacuzzi!<br />
MONDAY –Today we make our way further south, passing the city of Vigo, to<br />
Baiona. This is where word came back in 1493 that Columbus had discovered<br />
America. Today, this rather sophisticated resort has a beautiful promenade and<br />
Marina, an excellent old quarter and shops, and waterfront cafés- just ideal for our<br />
free time here. We then continue south, keeping to the very natural coastline,<br />
passing through small villages <strong>with</strong> their stone houses, to the tip of Galicia, where<br />
we take the short local ferry across the River Minho to Caminha, in Portugal. A little<br />
further North, we arrive at Valença, the fortress-like border town, <strong>with</strong> its narrow<br />
shopping streets, and wrought-iron balconies <strong>with</strong>in its walls Time here for a little<br />
retail therapy, and a coffee in the Main Square, watching the world go by! We then<br />
return back over the border into Spain to reach our hotel in good time for dinner.<br />
TUESDAY – After a morning at leisure and an early lunch make the short journey<br />
to the little sea-faring town of O Grove, where we have a short Estuary cruise on<br />
a glass- bottomed catamaran, visiting the shellfish platforms. A stop will be made<br />
at one for an explanation about the cultivation of mussels, scallops and oysters.<br />
There will be an opportunity… for those who wish, to sample some freshly-cooked<br />
mussels as we return to O Grove. We then cross the bridge for a short visit to the<br />
little island of La Toxa <strong>with</strong> time to browse the local crafts predominantly made<br />
from shells, or have a look at the little church <strong>with</strong> its exterior walls clad <strong>with</strong><br />
scallop shells. We return to our hotel in time for a final evening dinner.<br />
WEDNESDAY – Sadly we say goodbye to our hosts in Reboredo and make our<br />
way north, <strong>travel</strong>ling along the spectacular coast of Spain to Santander where we<br />
rejoin our ferry for an evening overnight sailing to Plymouth giving you more time<br />
to continue to enjoy its many facilities.<br />
THURSDAY – We arrive in Plymouth mid afternoon and after disembarking, rejoin<br />
the coach and return to our home area.<br />
TOUR PRICE £745.00<br />
Price includes:<br />
7 nights’ dinner, bed & buffet breakfast<br />
2 nights’ ferry accommodation in lower berth inside cabins<br />
Estuary cruise on a glass- bottomed catamaran<br />
Ferry across the River Minho<br />
All excursions<br />
Supplements:<br />
Meals on board ferry<br />
Lower berth outside cabin £25.00 per person<br />
Single supplement £110.00<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> insurance £28.00<br />
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