Andalucia is one of the most varied and interesting places I've travelled to, and to be driven through it by Juan, probably the best driver in Spain, was a privilege. Margarita, our energetic guide, knew her Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque history very well indeed and also steered us to some unexpected joys at El Medinat and the wonderful Museum of Fine Arts in Seville.
The hotels the company booked for us were all good, and some very good indeed - the Hesperia in Cordoba comes to mind - and our route was well-planned. The journeys between cities were about the right length and took us through changing scenery and varied aspects of Spain which we gazed at from the comfort of a Mercedes minibus.
All the famous sites were wonderful and well-guided - the Alhambra, the Mezquita, the Alcazar in Seville, for example. We enjoyed too the old town streets of Cordoba and Jerez and Cadiz. Even the swarms of tourists in Ronda couldn't prevent the town itself being jaw-dropping.
It was the Ronda coachloads that confirmed for me my dislike of being in a large, mixed group that parachutes into a site for two hours then drives away again without seeing very much at all. This private tour with funtastespain might have cost a little more but it was good value, being more leisurely, more thoughtful, and more memorable. In only ten days, we saw many fine places.
Next time, we would be crystal clear in advance what exactly our expectations were, and would ensure these were communicated to all involved to avoid initial wobbles. But there is likely to be a next time, as this was an amazing journey through beauty, history, food, wine and enjoyment, and it has stayed with us.