A journey by train from Marrakech to Madrid
Guided Walking Holidays - The Moorish Trail
Follow in the footsteps of the mysterious Moors as you forge a path from Marrakech to Madrid. Barter with the locals in the Djemaa El Fna as the smell of exotic spices invades your senses. Immerse yourself in rural Morocco as you walk in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains and through Berber villages, where little has changed for centuries. Discover the influence of the Moorish culture in Spain by exploring the impressive buildings, taking in the glorious colours and sampling local delicacies over a glass or two of local wine.
The bustling medina of Marrakech encircled by miles of rose coloured ramparts greatly contrasts with the golden silence of the countryside. As colourful carpets air in the sunshine and donkeys carry the day’s crops back to the villages, workers gather to sip mint tea. Leaving Marrakech, on the first of our train journeys, we travel to Rabat, one of Morocco’s imperial cities, and its modern capital. From the northern port of Tangier, we take the ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to southern Spain, into Andalucia.
We board the train to Ronda, our journey giving us spectacular views of the mountains with the beautiful Pueblos Blancos coming into view as we travel. Ronda, with its arched bridge spanning the Tajo gorge, and little cobbled streets, is an endearing town. Continuing to Granada, we visit the spectacular Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens, originally designed for the military and later becoming a royal residence.
Córdoba, once the Iberian Peninsula’s Islamic capital, is famous for the Mezquita with its lustrous decoration. We take the high speed AVE train to Madrid to explore the capital city with the opportunity to visit its galleries, museums and parks.
Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make a difference to the communities we visit on our holidays, particularly in less developed countries. Heart & Sole offers direct financial aid and much-needed support to projects and charities in the UK and overseas, dealing with both large issues such as animal welfare as well as small, and more personal, ventures such as providing schools equipment to the communities we visit. Heart & Sole proudly supports SPANA in Morocco who work on animal welfare projects through education and medical care