Multi-Country · Private and tailor-made
Two Countries, Two Islands: Spain and Portugal
Taste rare vintage ports among the barrels of Graham's lodge in Gaia, poured for your party alone.
Suggested length
16 days
Price guide
From $15,968 per person, excl. international flights, based on two sharing. Family rates for 2+ children under 21.
Includes hotels, private guiding, experiences and transfers
When
April to June and September to October
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American precision with local expertise · Planned from Europe since 2002 · 17,000+ American travelers · Never cancelled a journey
Sixteen days through Spain and Portugal with two islands, Mallorca in the Mediterranean and Madeira in the Atlantic, at your pace.
- Stand in the Valldemossa cell where Chopin finished his Preludes, Mallorca
- Walk old terraced paths in the Serra de Tramuntana high above the sea
- Study Las Meninas with Ana, an art historian, at the Prado
- Climb the 35 ramps of the Giralda above Seville’s orange trees
- Walk a levada through Madeira’s UNESCO laurel forest
- Taste rare vintage ports, poured for your party alone, in Graham’s lodge in Gaia
“Hi from Europe. After planning luxury travel from Iberia since 2002, we have key relationships across our destinations and the judgment to tailor trips wisely for our discerning clients. Get our experience, relationships and insider savvy on your side. See our reviews and request a custom itinerary.”
Dan O’Beirne, American Founder · Iberia-Based Travel Specialist · Travel Leaders Network member. As featured in USA Today, & Euro Business News · Game of Thrones location consultant.
A Journey Designed Just for You
This itinerary was created by our Spain & Portugal experts and is ready to be customized to your interests, pace, and travel style.
What do our American travelers say?
The 16-day Spain and Portugal itinerary at a glance
The route uses seven bases and fifteen nights: two in Barcelona, three in Palma de Mallorca, two in Madrid, two in Seville, two in Lisbon, two in Funchal on Madeira and two in Porto. Nine nights fall in Spain and six in Portugal. Mallorca holds the extra night, so the island gives you two full days with no transfer, one for the mountain villages and one for the Serra de Tramuntana.
Five short direct flights and one high-speed train link the bases, and no road day runs longer than the drive into the Douro Valley. A direct flight links Barcelona and Palma in under an hour, and another links Palma and Madrid in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The high-speed train runs from Madrid to Seville in about 2 hours 30 minutes. From Seville a direct flight reaches Lisbon in about 1 hour, a flight from Lisbon reaches Funchal in about 1 hour 45 minutes, and a flight from Madeira reaches Porto in about 2 hours. A licensed driver meets every arrival in Spain and Lisbon, and in Madeira, Porto and the Douro a licensed driver-guide looks after you.
Spring and autumn suit a route this varied. Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, records average daily highs in Seville of about 23°C (74°F) in April and 26°C (79°F) in October, against 36°C (97°F) in July, and in Palma about 20°C (68°F) in April and 24°C (75°F) in October. Portugal’s weather institute, IPMA, records average highs in Lisbon of about 20°C (68°F) in April and 23°C (73°F) in October, while Funchal on Madeira stays mild all year, at about 21°C (69°F) in April and 25°C (77°F) in October.
Licensed guides we work with on this route include Irma and Mariona in Barcelona, Ana and Alicia in Madrid, Andrés and Rosario in Seville, Luisa and Anabela in Lisbon, Isabel in Sintra, Susana and Tania in Porto, and Nuno in the Douro. Each is a highly educated local expert who cares about the people in their group. We request your guides by name, and your planner confirms who leads each day once your dates are set.
Why the route runs from Barcelona to Porto
The route crosses the peninsula from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and it places one island in each half. Barcelona opens the trip, and Mallorca lies a short flight offshore, so the first island comes before the long run of cities. From Palma a flight lands you in Madrid, the high-speed train carries you south to Seville, and a short hop across the border brings you to Lisbon. The cities come in a line, east to west, with no doubling back.
Portugal then turns out into the ocean. From Lisbon a flight crosses to Madeira, the second island, and a flight from Funchal returns you to the mainland at Porto, at the mouth of the river, with the Douro Valley a day away. Porto’s airport sits about 11 kilometers from the center, so the last transfer stays short.
The thread through the sixteen days is contrast. Each island follows a run of city days and gives the trip a slower register: dry-stone terraces and olive groves above the Mediterranean on Mallorca, water channels and laurel forest on Madeira. The cities give you the Gaudí buildings, the Prado, the Alcázar, the Jerónimos Monastery and the port lodges. Your planner treats the route as a starting point and moves nights between bases to fit your dates.
View Full Itinerary
Day One
Barcelona: The Gothic Quarter and the Passeig de Gràcia
Your licensed driver meets you at Barcelona airport. In the afternoon, your licensed guide walks you into the Gothic Quarter, where stretches of the Roman wall stand among medieval lanes and the carved bridge over Carrer del Bisbe looks medieval yet dates from 1928. Toward evening, stroll the Passeig de Gràcia past Gaudí's Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, and your guide suggests a table for tapas, with a glass of cava if you like.
Day Two
Gaudí's Barcelona
Your licensed guide leads you through Gaudí's best-known works, starting at the Sagrada Família and the Nativity Façade, the first he completed. Then head up to Park Güell, where Jujol's serpentine bench curves in bright ceramic mosaic and the salamander locals call El Drac guards the stairway. Where it suits your party, trade one site for a morning at La Boqueria market and a cooking class with a chef.
Day Three
Palma de Mallorca: The Cathedral and La Llotja
Fly to Palma, and the afternoon belongs to the city. The cathedral, La Seu, rose on the site of the great mosque, and inside, a rose window nearly 14 meters across fills the east end, with much of the interior reshaped by Gaudí. Your licensed guide walks you past La Almudaina, still a royal residence, to La Llotja, the merchants' exchange, where spiral columns rise like palm trees. Before dinner, taste an ensaïmada, the island's spiral pastry.
Day Four
Valldemossa and Deià
Head into the hills to Valldemossa, where Carthusian monks once lived in the charterhouse above the village. Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 here, and Chopin's piano still stands in the cell where he finished his Preludes. Your licensed guide also shows you the monks' old pharmacy. In the afternoon, follow the coast to Deià, a village of orange and olive groves on cliffs above the sea, where the poet Robert Graves lived.
Day Five
The Serra de Tramuntana
Spend the day in the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO range where farmers shaped the slopes over centuries into terraces held up by dry-stone walls. Your licensed guide leads a walk on old paths between the olive terraces, at the pace your party sets, with the stone warm in the sun and the sea below. Those who prefer a gentler day stay among the mountain villages, with lunch on a terrace above the valley.
Day Six
Madrid: The Royal Palace and Sunset at the Temple of Debod
Fly to Madrid. Your licensed guide starts at the Royal Palace, with its 3,418 rooms, then walks you to the Plaza Mayor and into Las Letras, the old literary quarter, for a round of tapas. At sunset, choose the Temple of Debod, an Egyptian temple given to Spain in 1968, or the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, high above Calle de Alcalá under a bronze Minerva.
Day Seven
The Prado, the Retiro and Flamenco
Where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads the morning around the Prado paintings you care about, from Velázquez's Las Meninas to Goya, El Greco and Rubens. Those drawn to the 20th century opt for the Reina Sofía and Picasso's Guernica instead. In the afternoon, walk into the Retiro, 120 hectares of gardens. In the evening, opt for a flamenco performance close enough to feel the handclaps.
Day Eight
Seville: The Alcázar, Santa Cruz and the Giralda
Take the high-speed train south to Seville. Your licensed guide spends the afternoon among the city's UNESCO trio, from King Pedro I's Mudéjar palace in the Real Alcázar to the cathedral, where Christopher Columbus lies. Climb the 35 ramps of the Giralda, the old minaret, to the bells, with the orange trees of the Patio de los Naranjos below. End in Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter, where the painter Murillo lived.
Day Nine
Seville: Plaza de España, Triana and Paella with a View
Your licensed guide walks you through María Luisa Park to the Plaza de España, a vast half-circle of tiled alcoves and bridges over a canal. Then cross the river into Triana, where potters and tile makers have worked for centuries and the market keeps food stalls and tapas counters. Where your dates allow, opt for a paella lunch at a table above the river, with a view across the rooftops to the Giralda.
Day Ten
Lisbon: Alfama and the Castle
Fly to Lisbon, and the afternoon belongs to the city. Where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides in Lisbon and Sintra, leads you up through the Alfama, which came through the earthquake of 1755, to São Jorge Castle and its view over the red roofs to the river. Where time allows, add Belém and its custard tarts, warm from the oven since 1837. Opt for fado in a small room in the Alfama.
Day Eleven
Sintra, Azenhas do Mar and Cabo da Roca
Where your dates allow, Luisa leads the day in Sintra, from the red and yellow Pena Palace above the forest to the gardens of Monserrate or Quinta da Regaleira. In the afternoon, take the coast road to Azenhas do Mar, a village of white houses stacked along a cliff above the Atlantic, and on to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, where the wind carries salt off the waves.
Day Twelve
Madeira: Funchal and Pico dos Barcelos
Fly to Madeira, and the afternoon belongs to Funchal, named for the wild fennel which grew on its slopes. Your licensed driver-guide climbs first to the Pico dos Barcelos viewpoint, where the city falls away to the bay. In town, the Mercado dos Lavradores sells fruit, flowers and fish behind Art Deco tiles, and artists have painted the doors of Rua de Santa Maria. For dinner, try espetada, beef on bay laurel skewers, with the island's warm flatbread.
Day Thirteen
Madeira: Levadas, Laurel Forest and Pico Ruivo
UNESCO listed the laurel forest of Madeira in 1999, the largest surviving stretch of a forest once common across southern Europe. Islanders cut levadas, water channels, from the 16th century onward, and their paths now serve as walking trails. Opt for sunrise on Pico do Arieiro and the mountain trail to Pico Ruivo, or a level levada through the forest beside running water. Your licensed driver-guide sets a picnic of local bread, cheese and fruit in the hills.
Day Fourteen
Porto: Tiles, Books and the Port Lodges
Fly to Porto. Your licensed driver-guide starts at the Capela das Almas, its outer walls covered in blue and white tiles showing the lives of Saint Francis and Saint Catherine. Our team books your entry to Livraria Lello and its forked staircase. Walk down through the steep lanes of Barredo to the Ribeira, then cross to Vila Nova de Gaia, where rare vintage ports are poured for your party alone among the barrels of Graham's lodge, if you wish.
Day Fifteen
The Douro Valley
Head into the Douro, a UNESCO wine region where narrow terraces held up by schist walls climb the hills. Where your dates allow, your licensed driver-guide arranges a visit to a family quinta to walk the vineyard and see how the estate makes its wine, with a tasting if you like. In the afternoon, choose a trip on the river in a rabelo, the flat-bottomed boat once used to carry wine, or Pinhão station and its 24 tile panels.
Day Sixteen
Departure from Porto
The morning stays free for a last coffee in the Ribeira or a walk along the river under the Dom Luís I bridge. Your licensed driver-guide collects you at a time set around your flight, with VIP airport assistance on request. With more time, our team adds a few nights in the Douro.
Getting around
- Day 1: Barcelona airport to central Barcelona with your licensed driver.
- Day 2: A full guided day in Barcelona, with your licensed driver for the transfers.
- Day 3: Barcelona to Palma by direct flight, under an hour, met by a licensed driver.
- Day 4: Palma to Valldemossa, about 25 minutes, then on to Deià and back to Palma.
- Day 5: Palma into the Serra de Tramuntana by road, with a licensed guide for the walk.
- Day 6: Palma to Madrid by direct flight, about 1 hour 30 minutes, met by a licensed driver.
- Day 7: The Prado and the Retiro sit side by side, so the day runs on foot.
- Day 8: Madrid to Seville by high-speed train, about 2 hours 30 minutes, met at Santa Justa by a licensed driver.
- Day 9: A walking day in Seville, with a licensed driver for the transfers.
- Day 10: Seville to Lisbon by direct flight, about 1 hour, met by a licensed driver.
- Day 11: Lisbon to Sintra, about 30 minutes, then the coast and back to Lisbon.
- Day 12: Lisbon to Funchal by direct flight, about 1 hour 45 minutes, met by your licensed driver-guide.
- Day 13: A full day by road across Madeira, with the walk set to your pace.
- Day 14: Funchal to Porto by direct flight, about 2 hours, met by your licensed driver-guide.
- Day 15: Porto to the Douro, about 1 hour 15 minutes each way to Peso da Régua and longer to Pinhão.
- Day 16: Hotel to Porto airport with your licensed driver-guide.
- In Spain, including Mallorca, a licensed guide leads each visit and a licensed driver handles every transfer. In Portugal and Madeira, a licensed driver-guide travels with you, with Luisa in Lisbon and Sintra.
What does a 16-day Spain and Portugal itinerary look like?
A good 16-day Spain and Portugal itinerary gives about nine nights to Spain and six to Portugal, and uses a few short flights so no day goes to a long transfer. This route spends days one and two in Barcelona, days three to five on Mallorca, days six and seven in Madrid, days eight and nine in Seville, days ten and eleven in Lisbon and Sintra, days twelve and thirteen on Madeira, and days fourteen and fifteen in Porto and the Douro Valley. It flies into Barcelona and home from Porto, with every base two or three nights long.
How do you combine Mallorca and Madeira with Spain and Portugal?
You place each island between two runs of city days and reach it by a short direct flight. Mallorca sits under an hour by air from Barcelona and about 1 hour 30 minutes from Madrid, so it fits between Gaudí and the Prado without a lost day. Madeira lies about 1 hour 45 minutes by air from Lisbon and about 2 hours from Porto, so it fits between Sintra and the Douro. Three nights on Mallorca and two on Madeira give each island its full days. Our Madeira destination guide sets out what else the island offers.
Is 16 days enough for Spain and Portugal?
Sixteen days covers the four best-known cities of the two countries, Sintra, the Douro Valley and two islands at a steady pace, with two or three nights in each base. It leaves out Granada and the Alhambra, Toledo, Córdoba and the north of Spain, which the 14, 18 and 22-day routes include. Most travelers find the balance right if they want the coast and the mountains as much as the monuments. Our Spain and Portugal destination guides set out what else each country offers if you want to swap a region in.
This island route, or a mainland Spain and Portugal tour?
Choose this 16-day route if you want Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Lisbon and Porto in one trip and would rather spend five nights on two islands than in more mainland towns. It suits travelers who enjoy walking in the hills and by the sea, and who prefer a short flight to a long road day. The trade is five flights and no Alhambra.
The 14-day private Spain and Portugal tour serves you better if the Alhambra matters most. It runs Madrid, Toledo, Granada and Seville, crosses into Portugal by road through Évora, and continues to Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, Porto and the Douro, mostly by road and with no islands. The Barcelona to Lisbon private tour suits travelers who want Barcelona and Granada on the same trip, with a road crossing into Portugal along the Algarve coast.
The 14-day Barcelona to Lisbon tour trades the islands for Granada, Seville and the Algarve coast, and reaches Lisbon with a day in Évora. The 22-day Spain and Portugal tour runs Barcelona to Lisbon through Bilbao, La Rioja, Andalusia, Porto and the Douro, for travelers with three weeks. The 16-day active Spain and Portugal tour matches this route in length but builds its days around hiking, kayaking and biking, from the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees to the Algarve coast and the Douro, so choose it if the outdoors leads your plans.
If one country fits your time better, the 14-day Portugal tour with Madeira keeps the Atlantic island inside a Portugal-only route, and the 12-day luxury honeymoon in Spain pairs Madrid and Barcelona with Mallorca. Our multi-country journeys page collects every combination.
Who this journey suits
Couples and friends who want both countries in one journey and like to balance city days with time on the water and in the hills. The islands give the trip two slower stretches, and the private format sets the pace around you, with lunches and rest afternoons where they help.
Walkers, since the route holds a guided walk on the terraces of the Serra de Tramuntana and a levada or mountain trail on Madeira, each set to the pace of your party. Art and music travelers, since the same days run from Gaudí and Velázquez to Chopin’s cell in Valldemossa, flamenco in Madrid and fado in Lisbon.
Returning visitors, who saw Madrid or Andalusia years ago and now want the islands and Porto around the cities they remember. Families with teenage or adult children, who share the guide and the vehicle and set their own rhythm.
The people behind the route
Two people lead the visits many travelers remember on this route. In Madrid, where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads our Prado visits. On this route she takes the morning of day seven and builds it around the paintings you care about, from Las Meninas to Goya’s Black Paintings. Our article on the highlights of the Prado covers the collection in more depth.
In Lisbon and Sintra, where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides, leads days ten and eleven alongside a licensed driver, from Alfama and the castle to the Pena Palace and the coast. On Madeira, in Porto and in the Douro Valley, a licensed driver-guide, one person holding both licenses, looks after you. Everywhere else our team works with top licensed guides selected for their experience, knowledge and engaging personalities, not egos.
What the 16-day journey costs and what it includes
The 16-day route starts from $15,968 per person, double occupancy. The from-price covers fifteen nights in deluxe four-star properties selected for comfort, location and service. Five-star luxury properties are available by request. It includes licensed guides for the visits described, licensed drivers for airport, station and road transfers in Spain and Lisbon, and a licensed driver-guide on Madeira, in Porto and in the Douro Valley.
Four things move the price: the season, the hotel category, the size of your party and the options you add, such as the cooking class in Barcelona, flamenco in Madrid, fado in Lisbon, a sunrise start on Madeira or a rabelo trip on the Douro. Magical Private Travel maintains excellent ratings on Trustpilot and Google’s independent review platforms. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.
To shape these sixteen days around your dates and your party, speak with our team about your Spain and Portugal journey.
Frequently asked questions about the 16-day Spain and Portugal tour
How much does a 16-day private tour of Spain and Portugal cost?
This 16-day route starts from $15,968 per person, based on two people sharing a room. The from-price covers the route as written: fifteen hotel nights, licensed guides for the visits described, and licensed drivers or driver-guides for the road transfers, with the full list of inclusions set out in your written quote. Four things move the price. The season matters most, since hotel rates on Mallorca and in the cities rise and fall through the year. Five-star properties raise it. Party size changes it, because the guides and drivers serve the whole party, so larger private parties pay less per person. Added options, such as the cooking class in Barcelona, flamenco in Madrid, fado in Lisbon, a rabelo trip on the Douro or a sunrise start on Madeira, add to it. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.
When is the best time for Spain, Portugal, Mallorca and Madeira?
April to June and September to October suit this route best. AEMET, Spain’s weather agency, records average daily highs in Seville of about 23°C (74°F) in April and 26°C (79°F) in October, against 36°C (97°F) in July. Madrid averages about 18°C (65°F) in April and 19°C (67°F) in October, Barcelona about 18°C (64°F) and 22°C (72°F), and Palma about 20°C (68°F) and 24°C (75°F). IPMA, Portugal’s weather institute, records average highs in Lisbon of about 20°C (68°F) in April and 23°C (73°F) in October, and in Porto about 18°C (64°F) and 20°C (69°F). Funchal stays mild all year, from about 20°C (67°F) in January to 26°C (80°F) in September. Summer departures work well with early starts in Seville and a swim on Mallorca. Our Madeira seasonal weather guide covers the island month by month.
How does the route travel between Spain, Portugal and the islands?
Five short direct flights and one high-speed train carry you between the seven bases. A direct flight links Barcelona and Palma in under an hour, and another links Palma and Madrid in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The high-speed train covers Madrid to Seville in about 2 hours 30 minutes. A direct flight links Seville and Lisbon in about 1 hour, another links Lisbon and Funchal in about 1 hour 45 minutes, and a flight of about 2 hours returns you from Madeira to Porto. A licensed driver meets every arrival in Spain and in Lisbon, and a licensed driver-guide meets you on Madeira and in Porto, so you never handle luggage between airport and hotel. On the ground the longest drive is the day trip into the Douro Valley, about 1 hour 15 minutes each way to Peso da Régua. Your planner times each connection around your hotel check-out and the day’s visits.
Why include Mallorca and Madeira instead of more mainland cities?
The islands give the route its own character and a slower pace between the cities. Mallorca brings the Serra de Tramuntana, which UNESCO inscribed in 2011 for its dry-stone terraces and old water channels, along with Valldemossa, where Chopin finished his Preludes, and Deià on its cliffs. Madeira brings the Laurisilva, a laurel forest UNESCO inscribed in 1999, the levada paths beside more than 2,170 kilometers of irrigation channels, and Pico Ruivo at 1,861 meters. Each island follows a run of city days, so the trip alternates museums and monuments with walks and lunches. American travelers who prefer more monuments often choose the Alhambra and Toledo instead, and the decision section above points to the routes built around them.
Are the guide and the driver the same person?
In Spain they are two different people, on the mainland and on Mallorca alike. A licensed guide leads the visits and a licensed driver handles the vehicle and the road transfers, so your guide focuses on the site and your driver on the road. Your guide changes from city to city, so the guide in Seville knows Seville in depth and the guide in Palma knows Mallorca. In Lisbon and Sintra, where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides, leads the days alongside a licensed driver. On Madeira, in Porto and in the Douro Valley a licensed driver-guide, one person holding both licenses, looks after you. Where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads the Prado visit in Madrid. Our team coordinates every handover, so you meet each new guide at the hotel, the station or the airport.
Which airports should we fly into and out of?
Fly into Barcelona and home from Porto. An open-jaw ticket of this kind avoids doubling back across two countries at the end of the trip. Barcelona-El Prat lies about 15 kilometers southwest of the city, and Porto’s airport about 11 kilometers northwest of the center, so both transfers stay short. Your licensed driver meets you at arrivals in Barcelona on day one, and your licensed driver-guide takes you to Porto airport on day sixteen. Our team arranges VIP airport assistance at both ends on request, covering the meet-and-greet and help through the terminal. If your flights fit better the other way, the route runs from Porto to Barcelona with the same bases in reverse. Our article on flying into Porto or Lisbon compares the two Portuguese gateways, and our team aligns the itinerary with your flight times.
How much walking do the island days involve?
As much or as little as your party prefers. On Mallorca, your licensed guide leads a walk on old paths between the terraces of the Serra de Tramuntana and sets the distance to your pace, and a day among the mountain villages replaces it for those who prefer. On Madeira, the trail from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo runs about 7 kilometers and about 3 hours 30 minutes, and suits regular walkers. Many levadas run almost level beside the water, and your licensed driver-guide chooses an easy stretch through the laurel forest where it helps. Several city days also involve cobbled slopes, especially in Alfama, Sintra and the Barredo lanes of Porto. Your guide is glad to advise on suitability before booking. Our page on accessible travel sets out how our team plans for travelers who need step-free routes or extra support.
Is it possible to add Granada and the Alhambra?
Yes, and the cleanest way adds two nights. Granada fits between Madrid and Seville: the high-speed train runs from Madrid to Granada, and the road from Granada to Seville takes about 2 hours 45 minutes, so the route keeps its order. Our team books the timed entry to the Nasrid Palaces once you confirm your dates, and where your dates allow, Israel, one of our licensed guides in Granada, leads the Alhambra day. The extra nights turn the journey into eighteen days. Travelers who want the Alhambra and have no strong pull toward the islands often choose the 14-day private Spain and Portugal tour or the 14-day Barcelona to Lisbon tour instead. Your planner prices both options side by side.
How flexible is the 16-day route?
The route works as a starting point, and your planner shapes it around your party. Common changes include a third night on Madeira for a second walking day, a night in the Douro Valley instead of the day trip from Porto, a day trip from Madrid to Toledo, or a swap of Mallorca for more time in Barcelona and Montserrat. Some travelers drop one island to slow the pace, and others add the Algarve coast between Seville and Lisbon. Food lovers often add the market visit and cooking class in Barcelona, and art lovers add the Reina Sofía in Madrid for Picasso’s Guernica. Our team confirms timings, ticketed entries and hotel nights once you settle the shape of the trip, and sends a revised written quote for each version.
Who do we contact if something goes wrong or we want a change?
Your planner designs your journey with you and stays in touch after you land. For the fastest response at any hour, message your private WhatsApp group, where our 24/7 support team works alongside Rachel or Dan. Because we begin no more than five journeys per country each week, peak spring and fall dates fill early, and that limit is what lets us stay this close to every trip.
We keep a list of vetted four- and five-star hotels, well located and enjoyed by our past travelers and by our own team.
Examples for each overnight stop on this route. Choose a deluxe boutique hotel or a five-star stay, and your travel advisor matches each night to your wishes, the season and availability.
Barcelona
Boutique: H10 Casa Mimosa. A listed 19th-century Modernista building on Pau Claris, on the same block as Gaudí’s La Pedrera.
Five-star: Mandarin Oriental Barcelona. A former bank on Passeig de Gràcia turned into a calm, pale-toned hotel with a rooftop pool.
Mallorca
Boutique: Hotel Cort. A design hotel on Palma’s Plaça de Cort, facing the 17th-century town hall and its olive tree.
Five-star: Sant Francesc Hotel Singular. An 1860 mansion beside the Basilica of Sant Francesc, with a rooftop pool over the old-town roofs.
Madrid
Boutique: Tótem Madrid. A restored 19th-century building on Calle Hermosilla, steps from Serrano’s shops in the Salamanca district.
Five-star: Rosewood Villa Magna. Reopened by Rosewood in 2021 on the Paseo de la Castellana, with a leafy front garden.
Seville
Boutique: Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla. A 19th-century mansion with a patio and a rooftop pool facing the cathedral and Giralda.
Five-star: Hotel Alfonso XIII. Built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, a neo-Mudéjar palace of tiles and arches near the Alcázar.
Lisbon
Boutique: Memmo Alfama. A design hotel on an Alfama lane, with a pool beside its wine-bar terrace over the Tagus.
Five-star: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. A 1959 landmark beside Eduardo VII Park, filled with mid-century Portuguese art and tapestries.
Madeira
Boutique: Quinta do Monte Panoramic Gardens. A manor estate in Monte above Funchal, set in old gardens two minutes from the cable car.
Five-star: Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel. An 1891 clifftop hotel above Funchal, known for afternoon tea on its ocean terrace.
Porto
Boutique: Torel 1884. An 1884 palace near São Bento station, with rooms themed on Portugal’s voyages of discovery.
Five-star: The Yeatman. Terraced into the Gaia hillside among the port lodges, every room with a terrace facing Porto.
What's Included
A Very Personalized Itinerary, Just For You and Your Schedule
Hand-Picked Ultra-Luxury & Boutique Hotel Options
Insider Experiences + Inspiring Sightseeing + Magical Upgrades
Private Touring with Your Own Personal Expert Guide
Private Airport & Train Station Luxury Transfers
Full Breakfasts + Food & Wine Tasting Options
Your Choice of Activities on “Design Your Days”®
Expert Advice, Restaurant Ideas & Reservations
24/7 Support & Concierge Service from Spain, Portugal & Morocco
Magical is an award-winning luxury travel agency
Private journeys with soul & stories
Excellent independent reviews
Your private WhatsApp group with our 24/7 team and Rachel or Dan
Hidden gems, insider fun & vetted hotels
Your private guide, deluxe vehicle & flexible pace
24/7 concierge-style support
Life is short, vacation memorably
American Precision, Local Soul
Our Unforgettable Trips Are Tailored Just For You
Hi from Europe,
Along with our local partners across Portugal, Spain, Morocco and beyond we believe that our clients deserve the truly tailor-made private luxury trips, not generic "one-size-fits-all" plans.
Get inspired with our sample trips then get in touch about an expert-made personalized custom luxury itinerary, just for you.
Kind regards,
Dan O'Beirne & the MPT team
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