Spain and Portugal

Iberian Romance

For honeymooners seeking a true escape into the most sultry, exotic, and lyrical aspects of Europe's past and present, Spain is the perfect destination. The Iberian peninsula's widely varied terrain offers deserts, expansive highlands, plains, and mountains with rain-forested roots and snow-capped summits. At its edges, cliffs plunge into ocean water, their convergence gilded by fine sandy beaches or pebbly strands. Ways of life have been carved into every niche, and the music of fado and Celta and flamenco and the scent of sherry and olives welcomes the roads to lush Portugal, rocky Gibraltar, and sun-drenched Seville and Malaga.

Days spent here on your honeymoon feature mountain biking or horseback riding, walking through vineyards, orchards or olive groves, traversing hillside towns, exploring the cosmopolitan labyrinths of Madrid and Barcelona, or simply relaxing at the beachside resorts of the southern coast or in the trendy Balearic Islands. At various points around the peninsula, sparkling resorts, nightclubs and restaurants blend into a background of ocean, mountains, ancient ruins and traditional villages.

While many travelers expect to find welcoming smiles, luxurious resorts, grand city hotels and attractions such as bullfights, castles, opera, and vibrant nightlife, most are surprised to discover how charming and inexpensive Spain and Portugal can be. This is especially true when including idyllic backcountry experiences such as staying in ancient inns, converted monasteries, or clifftop retreats, many lovingly restored and modernized while retaining their historical significance.