Day Valencia, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 09:00 PM In an era when a homogenizing global culture can erase the differences between cities around the world, it's refreshing to find one with such a well-defined personality. Valencia, now the third-largest city in Spain, was once the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia which, during its golden age in the 14th and 15th centuries, eclipsed Catalonia in importance. And it still has a plump and prosperous air, thanks in part to its worldwide trade in citrus fruits and vegetables.
Day At Sea
Day Cadiz (Seville), SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM "Hanging off the southwestern edge of Spain, Cádiz is one of AndalucÃa's regional capitals and a place bursting with personality. Europe's oldest continually inhabited city, with a history stretching back 3,000 years, has fallen on hard times in recent years, but a combination of pride, good humor and stoicism keeps it on an even keel. The famous Carnival, one of Spain's most important in the genre, is a thrilling fiesta into which Cádiz pours all its energy and ingenuity.
The city's fond nickname, la tacita de plata (""little silver cup""), alludes to its curious geographyâit juts out on a long peninsula into a sheltered bay. Old town Cádiz is a warren of cobbled streets where the houses, painted white or dusty ochre, have the weather-beaten look of a place subjected to centuries of wind and salt. This ancient city has one good example of everything that matters: a great food market, a theater (the Teatro Falla, a grand Art Nouveau Moorish gem), a gorgeous cathedral, impressive fortifications and a beachâthe picturesque and famous La Caleta.
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Day Portimao, PortugalArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM With a population of almost 40,000, Portimão in Portugal's Algarve region, is one of the country's largest coastal towns. Its perennially sunny climate, beautiful beaches and historic buildings make it a tourist destination in its own right. The Bio-park Monchique is famous for its abundance of flora and spectacular views. Off shore, fishing and dolphin spotting make for exciting pastimes.
Day Tangier, MoroccoArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM "Tangier is a place that descended from the godsâits hilly setting makes it one of the possible real-world locations for the mythical Pillars of Hercules that flanked the Strait of Gibraltar and guarded the entrance to the Mediterranean. It has been a bustling port since antiquity, repeatedly fought over by everyone from the Phoenicians to the Arabs.
Today, Tangier is every bit a modern Moroccan city, but until recently its history as an international zoneâit was periodically under the administration of several countriesâattracted a libertine counterculture of artists, musicians and writers such as Henri Matisse (who was drawn by the dazzling quality of the light), Paul Bowles, Jack Kerouac and the Rolling Stones. Tangier now positions itself as a bridge between Europe and Africa, as well as the center of Morocco's booming manufacturing industries."
Day Motril (Granada), SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM Motril is the second highest town in the province after Granada. Enjoy its beautiful, sunny beaches, exquisite tropical products and the heritage of its long history in the shape of churches, hermitages, civil buildings and the Museum of Sugar. You can also catch ferries from here to Morocco.
Day At Sea
Day Cartagena, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM "There are more than two millennia of history to embrace in this port city in Spain's southeastern Murcia region. While Cartagena is famously home to the second-largest Roman amphitheater on the Iberian Peninsula, the city is much more than just spectacular ancient ruins.
In addition to Cartagena's architectureâalong with that amphitheater, there are striking Art Nouveau buildings, neoclassical churches and ultramodern edifices throughout the cityâyou'll find many opportunities to shop for local and regional artisan wares. In the city, investigate the restored medieval fortress looking out on the bay from the city's highest point. Or take a short trip by car or bus to the historic Agrupa Vicenta Mines, the remarkable palm forest at Elche and the holy city of Caravaca. "
Day At Sea
Day Cavalaire-sur-Mer, FranceArrives 09:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM Cavalaire is the southernmost beach resort along the Cote d'Azur, and takes pride in its distinction from nearby St. Tropez. Where the latter is all about glamour and glitz, and notably expensive in season, Cavalaire has a family-friendly atmosphere that mainly exploits its three-mile sandy beach and a wide variety of watersports to be enjoyed in the clear, clean waters. The beach was used by the Allies during the invasion of the Provence coast in 1944, but today it hosts a battalion of tots with sand pails and couples with coolers. Along the coast in both directions are a scattering of the hidden coves with creeks and small sandy beaches that give privacy to those with skills to handle the descents. Others, such as Bonporteau and Le Dattier are more easily accessed. Offshore, the playgrounds of the Iles d'Or beckon, and Porquerolles is a short ferry ride away. In the Massif des Maures behind the town, villages like Collobrieres and La Mole invite a pleasant stroll. The 17-acre Domaine de Rayol contains a variety of the sorts of scenic seaside gardens that are the pride of the Cote d'Azur.
Day Monte Carlo, MonacoArrives 07:00 AM "The tiny and wealthy principality of Monaco, ruled by Prince Albert II, is dominated by the attractions in the resort quarter, Monte Carlo, with its casino, internationally acclaimed Opera House and the Triangle d'Or shopping area. The cliffs of Le Rocher de Monaco rise above the Mediterranean, the strategic stronghold of the Grimaldi family of Genoa who assumed power of this unstable region in 1297. The principality was a quiet backwater until the 1850s when trains put the sun-soaked destination within easy reach of affluent French and British travelers looking for an escape and relaxing things to do. Prince Charles III quickly understood what it would take to seduce the new tourists, and created a Belle Epoque resort featuring the mythic Casino de Monte-Carlo.
Sitting on the coast like a precious gemstone, Monte Carlo and Monaco still draw an international jet-set crowd. The Palace commands from Monaco-ville, called Le Rocher by locals, and high-rises make the most of precious land with public elevators in lieu of sidewalks in this steep country. Superyachts fill the port, ultraluxury cars dominate the road and outrageous jewels sparkle under the night sky in an eternal promise that in some places, fairy tales really do come true."