Iberia Golf Cruise

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart for Lisbon

Depart your home city for an overnight flight to one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, Lisbon.

Day 2: Lisbon, Portugal

Upon arrival, you are greeted and transferred to the five-star Pestana Palace. Spend the afternoon at your leisure before our welcome reception this evening.

Day 3: Play at Penha Longa Golf Club

Golfers play Penha Longa Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed championship course. The dramatic terrain with rock formations will remind many of Arizona, but the stone aqueduct and distant church spires confirm that we are golfing in Europe. History is evident at every turn. Touring passengers will visit Lisbon’s numerous treasures, including the picturesque cobbled alleys of the historic Alfama Quarter, the magnificent Jerónimos Monastery, and the city-protecting sentinel, the Bélem Tower. Later this afternoon we board Sea Cloud II.

Day 4: Day at Sea

What better way to settle in aboard Sea Cloud II than to delight in a day at sea? Sit back and watch skilled deckhands scale the rigging and set the sails for the first sailing maneuver of our voyage. Enjoy the serenity of a tall ship gliding under full sail at sea. Visit the bridge where the officers will explain the operation of this fabulous ship. Relaxing on the sun-soaked deck of Sea Cloud II, you will find it hard to imagine a better setting to reflect on the golf that lies ahead.

Day 5: Play at Montecastillo Golf Club.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Montecastillo has hosted many of the European tour’s most prestigious events, including the Volvo Masters. The rolling hills of the Andalucian countryside provide the perfect terrain for golf. From the port of Cádiz, our tour heads to Seville. We visit La Giralda, a Moorish tower with a Christian super-structure; the Alcázar, a Moorish palace rich in medieval legends; and Seville Cathedral, the third largest in the world. Those touring will enjoy lunch in the Old Quarter amid the city’s winding streets.

Day 6: Play at Club de Golf Valderrama

Regarded as the “Augusta National of Europe,” Valderrama has consistently been voted the #1 golf course in Europe and is also ranked among the world’s top 100 courses. An abundance of venerable cork oak and olive trees give each of Valderrama’s golf holes a distinctive shape and look. The playing conditions are impeccable and the setting is bucolic. Having been the site of the 1997 Ryder Cup, Valderrama provides a historic golf location as well. All passengers will have the opportunity to visit one of the most famous geological silhouettes in the world, Gibraltar. The view from the Rock provides a spectacular panorama of North Africa, the Costa del Sol and the Mediterranean Sea. Touring passengers will delight in our special visit to St. Michael’s Cave and the Nature Reserve to see Gibraltar’s most famous inhabitants, the Barbary apes.

Day 7: Gibraltar, Great Britain San Roque Golf Club

Golfers play the Old Course at San Roque, designed by Dave Thomas and former host site for the European Tour Qualifying School. Beautiful views and well-crafted holes have made San Roque a favorite among golfers. Touring passengers will be treated to a culinary experience in Puerto Banus. Here, we will learn how to prepare the traditional Spanish meal of la paella, created with shrimp, calamari, peppers, rice and other savory ingredients.

Day 8: Day at Sea

Nine days on board Sea Cloud II allows us to respond to the most common request from passengers—one more day at sea. Relax as we sail the Mediterranean Sea along the coast of Spain. Enjoy a day of rest before we play our last two rounds of golf.

Day 9: Valencia, Spain

Today’s tour begins with a panoramic exploration of this lively city’s cultural and historic treasures. We stop to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Lonja de la Seda, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, and the Valencia Cathedral, which holds an agate cup claimed to be the Holy Grail. We will also see the architectural marvels of Valencia’s City of Arts and Science.

Day 10: Play at Campo de Golf El Saler

This course is authentically Spanish from its design by native son, Javier Araña, to its ownership, the government of Spain. El Saler is wonderfully diverse, combining the ocean and dunes of links golf with inland holes set among lush pine forests. Today we visit Valencia’s Central Market, a grand collection of shops, and explore some of the city’s famous sites, including the Plaza del Ayuntamiento historical center and Plaza de Toros, Valencia’s bullring. There will also be plenty of free time for shopping and strolling.

Day 11: Play at PGA Golf de Catalunya

Recognized as one of Spain’s top ten courses, PGA Catalunya’s undulating land, dense with mature trees, is set dramatically against the Pyrenées Mountains. The surroundings are quite different from the courses we play in southern Spain. Barcelona offers a cosmopolitan flavor and some of the best known architecture in Europe. Touring passengers will enjoy a panoramic overview of the city with visits to some of its most historic sites, including the Park Guell, Passeig de Gracia and Gaudí’s famed Sagrada Familia.

Day 12: Barcelona, Spain • Home

We bid farewell to the captain and his crew as we begin transfers for homebound flights or you may wish to extend your stay in Madrid.

Madrid EXTENSION TOUR (Dates TBA):

Internationally acclaimed museums, outstanding Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture, a royal palace and charming plazas typify Madrid, Spain’s capital city. We tour the city’s most important sites, including the spectacularly ornate Royal Palace, the Prado, Gran Via, and the Old Town.

One round of golf is planned at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo located just outside the city. Designed by Robert von Hagge and inaugurated in 1997, the North Course is rated as Spain’s fourth best course. Accommodations are at the historic Hotel Ritz built in 1906 and located a few minutes walk from the Prado and Parque del Retiro.

Inclusions:

Pricing