Lorna Roberts - Keytel in Ireland

If you are resident in the REPUBLIC of IRELAND or are interested in escorted tours to the Paradors, please contact our representative in Ireland:

 

Lorna Roberts Holidays Lorna Roberts Barr an Bhaille Barn Aillebrack Ballyconneely Co. Galway Tel: (00 353) 95 23511 Fax: (00 353) 95 23539 Email:lorna@lornarobertsholidays.com www.lornarobertsholidays.com

Throughout the year Lorna escorts small groups on 6 - 9 night holidays througout Spain and other countries such as Italy.  See below for some examples and contact Lorna for more information. Santiago de Compostela & Baiona Andalucia in September Pyrenees in October Madrid Circuit

Holidays in the Hidden Corners of Spain 2008

These holidays are designed to include some of Spain’s most beautiful and lesser known landscapes. This is "Real Spain" at its best. There will be no pressure, no early morning starts, and no compulsory sight seeing. Most Paradores are less than one hundred miles apart, but on the occasional day when a longer journey is necessary we will follow the advice of the AA which is to have a break every 2 hours or every hundred miles, so there will be no exhausting long journeys.

We aim to make the travelling a pleasure and organise lunch breaks in interesting places. The coach will be there to transport you from Parador to Parador, and will be on hand for optional excursions to places of interest. For the energetic there are spectacular walking routes, for the culturally inclined there will be visits to archeological sites and museums, and for nature lovers we include Nature Reserves and National Parks.

  SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA & BAIONA

7 nights: 6th - 13th May  

 

Tuesday 6th May - Fly to Santiago de Compostela and drive to the Parador at Baiona, on a headland with spectacular views, for a 4-night stay. Welcome drink and dinner in the Parador. Wednesday 7th May - Morning at Baiona. Afternoon drive to Tui and through the vineyards alongside the Mino River to La Guardia to visit Santa Tecla, the oldest Celtic settlement in Spain. Dinner at "Tonel" Restaurant in Baiona. Thursday 8th May - Morning in Baiona. Afternoon drive to local beaches and villages. The evening will be free to eat in the Parador or to sample one of the local restaurants (Dinner is not included). There will be a Golf competition at Ria de Vigo for those who wish. Friday 9th May - Visit Vigo. We will arrange a boat trip to Las Islas Cies if the boat is running and weather permitting. Dinner in the Parador. There will be a golf competition for those who wish. Saturday 10th May - Late morning departure for a drive into the heart of Galicia for a lunch break at Melide, a Medieval village on the Camino de Santiago. From there anyone who wishes to walk on the Pilgrims' Way can follow the Camino for 12 kilometres and meet the rest of the group at Arzua, a town famous for its cheese. We shall then drive to Monte do Gozo before driving into the city. Dinner and 3-night stay at the Parador alongside the Cathedral in Santiago.

Sunday 11th May - Day in Santiago. The famous Pilgrim's Mass is celebrated in the Cathedral at noon. Free evening to sample one of the many restaurants in the city (Dinner is not included). Monday 12th May - Morning in Santiago. Afternoon coastal drive either to La Isla de La Toja or to Muros and Cape Finisterre. Farewell drink and dinner in the Parador. We will arrange a golf competition if people wish. Tuesday 13th May - Morning in Santiago, before going to the airport for the return flight. Price per person: 1595 Euro + flights. Single supplement: 60 Euro. 1675 Euro will include 2 golf competitions with buggies or trolleys (golf must be booked in advance) Dinner Bed & Breakfast, including drinks with dinner, on 6 nights. Bed & Breakfast on 2 nights.

ANDALUCIA IN SEPTEMBER

8 nights: 20th - 28th September 

Saturday 20th September - Fly to Malaga.  Drive to Nerja and continue to Granada to Hotel Alhambra Palace for a 2-night stay.  Welcome drink and dinner in the hotel. Sunday 21st September - Morning visit to the Alhambra.  Afternoon walk to the city.  Free evening to give a choice - either to dine in the hotel or to sample the local restaurants - dinner is not included. Monday 22nd September - Morning in Granada.  Afternoon drive to Carmona to stay in the Parador in the Alcazar at the top of the typical Andalucian town.  Dinner in Parador. Tuesday 23rd September - Morning in Carmona.  Drive to Seville to check into Hotel Inglaterra in the city centre.  Walking tour of the city.  Free evening to choose a restaurant or flamenco show - dinner is not included.

Wednesday 24th September - Day in Seville. Late afternoon drive to Cadiz for a 3-night stay beside the Atlantic at the Parador which lies between La Caleta beach and the Genoves Park. Dinner in the Parador. Thursday 25th September - Day in Cádiz. Guided walking tour and optional ferry trip across the harbour to El Puerto de Santa Maria, famous for its seafood restaurants. Free evening to eat in the Parador or to sample the local restaurants - dinner is not included. Friday 26th September - Late morning drive to Tarifa, the most southerly point of Europe, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Return to Conil de la Frontera for a walk on the cliffs and dinner at “La Fontanilla” restaurant on the beach. Saturday 27th September Late morning departure for a spectacular drive alongside the Grazalema National Park to the picturesque village of Grazalema, one of the prettiest of the “pueblos blancos” (white villages) of Andalucia. After a lunch break, continue to the Parador at Ronda, perched above the famous gorge. Dinner in Parador. Sunday 28th September - Day in Ronda. Late afternoon drive to Málaga. Farewell drink at the Parador de Málaga Golf before going to the airport for the return flight home. Price per person sharing: 1475 Euro + flights. Dinner Bed & Breakfast, including drinks with dinner, on 4 nights. Bed & Breakfast on 3 nights.

  

THE PYRENEES IN OCTOBER

9 nights: 9th - 18th October

 

Thursday 9th October - Fly to Bilbao and drive to the Parador at Hondarribia, a 10th century castle overlooking the Bidasoa estuary which separates Spain from France, for a 3-night stay. Welcome drink in the Parador and dinner in restaurant close to the hotel. Friday 10th October - Coastal drive to San Sebastian and return to Hondarribia. Free evening to sample one of the many local restaurants - dinner is not included. Saturday 11th October - Afternoon visit to Biarritz across the border in France. Dinner in local restaurant. Sunday 12th October - Morning in Hondarribia. Afternoon drive along the Bidasoa River to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the Parador at Sos del Rey Catolico, a Medieval village which has been declared a Historical-Artistic area. Dinner in Parador. Monday 13th October - Drive to the Parador at Bielsa, high in the Pyrenees below Monte Perdido in the Ordesa National Park. Dinner in the Parador. Tuesday 14th October - Day at Bielsa to walk in the mountains, or simply relax. Dinner in the Parador. Wednesday 15th October - Spectacular drive, via Luchon in France, to Arties in the Val d’Aran, for a 2-night stay. Dinner in the Parador. Thursday 16th October - Day to walk in the Aiguestortes National Park and to visit the town of Vielha and the Romanesque churches in the area. Dinner in the Parador at Vielha.

Friday 17th October - Drive via the ski resort of Baqueira Beret through the mountains to the Parador at CARDONA, a Medieval castle with its own Romanesque church and views stretching as far as the Monastery at Montserrat. Dinner in the Parador. Saturday 18th October - Drive to Barcelona for the return flight to Dublin. OR….Drive to the coastal Parador at AIGUABLAVA for a 3-night stay. There will be local excursions from Aiguablava, but this is intended to be a relaxing time at the end of the holiday so there will not be any long trips. Dinner is included on 2 nights in the Parador and the other night will be free to give a chance to sample one of the many restaurants in the village of Begur. Tuesday 21st October - Drive to Girona for the return flight. Price per person sharing: 1695 Euro + flights for the 9-night holiday (return flight from Barcelona). Dinner B&B, including drinks with dinner on 8 nights. B&B on 10th October 2175 Euro + flights to include 3 nights at Aiguablava (return flight from Girona). Dinner B&B, including drinks with dinner on 10 nights. B&B on 10th & 19th October.

  

 MADRID CIRCUIT

7 nights: 25th October - 1st November

 

Saturday 25th October - Fly to Madrid and drive to the Parador at Siguenza- a 12th century Medieval castle. Welcome drink and dinner in the Parador. Sunday 26th October  - Morning in Sigüenza. Afternoon drive to Segoviafor a 2-night stay in the Parador. Dinner in the Parador. Monday 27th October - Day in Segovia. Guided tour of the city, visiting the Aqueduct, Alcázar, Cathedral etc. Free evening to give a choice - either to eat in the Parador or in one of Segovia’s famous restaurants - dinner is not included.

Tuesday 28th October - Drive to La Granja to visit the Palace and gardens and then drive into the Sierra de Guadarrama to Puerta de Navacerrada (6000’). Continue to Avila for a 2-night stay in the Parador Dinner in the Parador. Wednesday 29th October - Day in Avila. Free evening to eat in the Parador or to sample one of the local restaurants - dinner is not included. Thursday 30th October - Drive to Gredos in the mountains West of Avila. Time to walk or relax in the Parador at Gredos. Continue to the Parador at Toledo for a 2-night stay. Dinner in the Parador. Friday 31st October - Day in Toledo with a guided tour of the city. Farewell drink and dinner in the Parador. Saturday 1st November - Drive to Madrid for a short city tour and a lunch break in the heart of old Madrid. Evening return flight.   Price per person sharing: 1375 Euro + flights. Single supplement: 50 Euro per night. Dinner B & B, including drinks with dinner, on 5 nights. B & B on 2 nights.

Our prices do not include flights.   The reason for this is that some people prefer to make their own flight arrangements or might wish to extend the holiday by flying on a different day and meeting the group at the airport, or at the first hotel.  However MAP Travel - contact Nicole on 01 8783115 - will be happy to book your flights (if you wish).  At the moment flights are very reasonable so it would be advisable to book as soon as possible

 

SEPTEMBER IN CATALONIA - we were blessed with plenty of sunshine on our holiday in Catalonia where the group enjoyed walking on the cliff paths, swimming on the uncrowded beaches around the Parador at Aiguablava, and from the Parador at Vic, taking a rack railway journey to Nuria at 6000' in the Pyrenees.

Walking in the Monfrague Natural Park

The Mezquita, Cordoba

 

Grazalema National Park

Parador at Arcos de la Frontera

The "Real Fernando" which took us across the Guadalquivir River to the Donana National Park

Atlantic beach at Tarifa on the Cadiz coast

- ideal for people who would like to stay in Paradores with a group but do not want to do too much travelling.  

We arrange interesting optional excursions for non-golfers.

For golfers there are 3 competitions on each holiday organised by Con Cluskey of "The Bachelors" who has been involved in 

the celebrity and charity golf circuits for many years.

All green fees, buggies or trolleys are included

***Prizes from Marques de Caceres and the Connemara Smokehouse***

HOLIDAYS IN SPAIN'S HIDDEN CORNERS - 2008

 

These holidays are designed to include some of Spain's most beautiful and lesser known landscapes.  This is "Real Spain" at its best.   There will be no pressure, no early morning starts, and no compulsory sightseeing.  Most Paradores are less than one hundred miles apart, but on the occasional day when a longer journey is necessary we will follow the advice of the AA which is to have a break every 2 hours or every hundred miles, so there will be no exhausting long journeys.  We aim to make the travelling a pleasure and organise lunch breaks in interesting places.  The coach will be there to transport you from Parador to Parador, and will be on hand for optional excursions to places of interest.

 

For the energetic there are spectacular walking routes, for the culturally inclined there will be visits to archeological sites and museums, and for nature lovers we include Nature Reserves and National Parks.

 

These are value-for-money holidays which include accommodation, breakfast and dinner (most nights) including wine, coffee etc, in Spain's luxurious Parador hotels, or hotels of similar quality where there is no Parador.  By following a route via Paradores the most remote and scenic regions of Spain are discovered.

 

DEPOSIT and INSURANCE

 

A non refundable deposit of 250.00 Euro per person, together with a completed booking form, should be sent to MAP Travel.  When completing the booking form please advise if you have your own travel insurance.  Otherwise it will be automatically added to your invoice.  Should we have to cancel a tour the deposit will be refunded.

 

 

EXTRAS

 

There are no 'hidden' extras as all travel in the bus, drinks with dinner, porterage, restaurant tips and excursions are included.  Entrance fees to Museums etc. visited on optional excursions, bar and personal bills in hotels and snacks during the day will be charged for at the time.  On occasional nights we have not included dinner, to enable people to have a choice of restaurant.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

 

Each year we hold a competition and ask people who have been on our tours to send in their 3 favourite photographs from the holiday.  The winner receives a voucher for a 2-night break in a Parador, or a discount of 250 Euro on a future tour, so be sure to bring your camera.

 

 

EXCURSIONS

 

and journeys between hotels have been planned to see as much as possible en-route.  These are dependent on weather conditions and will be changed if necessary.

 

 

GOLF HOLIDAYS

These are Parador golidays with golf, combining the relaxation and interest of our tours with golf competitions at some of Spain's finest courses.  Green fees and buggies, or trolleys, are included in the price.  For non golfers there are optional excursions every day.

 

 

For further information, or to receive a booking form contact:

Lorna Roberts   Tel::  095 23511    Fax:  095 23539

Lorna Roberts - UK   Tel and fax:     01590 610698

email:   lorna@lornarobertsholidays.com

www.lornarobertsholidays.com

 

U.K.:  01590 610698

OR     MAP travel:   Tel:  01 8783115   Fax:  01 8783117

email:  nicole@maptravel.ie

  

LORNA ROBERTS:  IRISH REPRESENTATIVE OF  KEYTEL INTERNATIONAL  Barr an Bhaile, Aillebrack, Ballyconneely, Co Galway