2007 Tour of Spain and Portugal

Overview

Spain is a dynamic and diverse country.  Madrid is the political capital of Spain. Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, and Granada are each beautiful cities, rich in Moorish tradition and history.  Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol, located just east of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean, is one of the most exciting sun-and-fun destinations in the world.  Barcelona is the commercial center of Spain as well as its most lively city.  Portugal is one of the most rewarding travel destinations in Europe.  Our journey will take us to Lisbon, its capital, Salamanca, Sintra and Cascais.  The Tour of Spain and Portugal is a tour of Spain and a taste of Portugal.  It provides each participant an opportunity to experience the best that Spain and Portugal have to offer.

The Tour of Spain and Portugal commences on June 9, 2007 in Madrid (4 nights).  While in Madrid, along with attending class, you’ll visit the Spanish Parliament and travel on a day trip to Toledo where you’ll take in the sights of Spanish art and architecture including the famous Cathedral.  Next we’re on our way to Portugal.  Our first stop by coach is to the university town of Salamanca (1 night).  The day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.  From Salamanca our journey by coach continues west to Portugal’s capital, Lisbon (3 nights).  We meet our local guide for a city tour and a visit to the beautiful Belem Town monument.  Excursions to the coastal town of Cascais and the mountain town of Sintra are included before heading back into Spain.  Our first stop will be to the 1992 World Expo City of Seville (3 nights) where classes will continue.  A local guide will take us to visit the Royal Alcázar.  You will have the opportunity to see the sights of Seville on your own before we leave Seville and head to Cordoba (1 night).  You will want to see the magnificent Mezquita Cathedral or the Palace of the Christian Kings and wander through the Jewish Quarter.  Our journey continues the next morning by coach to Granada (1 night) and we meet our local guide for a city tour and visit to The Alhambra.  The rest of the day is yours at leisure to explore more of Granada.  The next morning we travel south toward the tiny island of Gibraltar where you will have time to head into Gibraltar on your own and explore the Rock of Gibraltar, famous for its Barbary Apes.  If time permits, we stop in Marbella for dinner before driving into Fuengirola (5 nights) where our journey by coach ends and classes continue. 

So that students may travel within Europe, a ten-day break period is incorporated at this juncture for the Tour of Spain and Portugal summer program.  Students may take advantage of a ten-day Italy Optional Trip.  Students must make their own air travel arrangements departing from Fuengirola (via Málaga Airport) to Rome and returning from Venice to Barcelona in order to participate in the Italy Optional Trip.  From Rome the tour travels by modern air-conditioned coach to Assisi, Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa, La Spezia, Cinque Terre, Verona, ending in Venice for two nights before departing for Barcelona.  The Tour of Spain and Portugal continues with twenty-four nights in Barcelona ending on August 1, 2007.  A three-day break period has been incorporated in Barcelona for self-directed travel to the south of France, the Pyrenees, etc. 

From Madrid through Granada housing including Continental breakfasts daily will be in twin-share Superior Tourist Class hotels arranged by Contiki Holidays, the world’s largest travel company for 18-35 year olds.  In Fuengirola (on the Costa del Sol) students will be housed in double occupancy self-catering apartments. In Barcelona housing in single occupancy apartments will be arranged through RESA (Residencias de Estudiantes, S.A.), the residence halls for Universitat Pompeu Fabra and operator of over forty university residence halls throughout Europe.  The residence self-contained apartments are located extremely close to UPF where classes will be taught.  Each apartment is equipped with an individual bathroom, a fully equipped kitchen, direct telephone, and access to all common services in the hall of residences.  The RESA residence halls are located near the Mediterranean and benefit from the ocean breeze; student apartments, like most residences in Barcelona, are not air-conditioned.

Courses will be taught by members of the faculty of the University of Miami School of Law and Universitat Pompeu Fabra.  The courses will be taught in English.  Twenty-seven students participated in the Tour of Spain and Portugal in 2006.  Fifteen students from ten American law schools other than the University of Miami School of Law participated in the 2006 Tour of Spain and Portugal.  Students from over 100 different law schools in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico have attended the first eight years of the Tour of Spain and Portugal summer abroad program.  It is anticipated that the year 2007 enrollment will be approximately 40 students.