Day Malaga, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM While Málaga was long considered just a stopover on the way to southern Spain's Costa del Sol beach resorts, in recent years a buzz has developed around the Andalucian city. There is a brand-new $100 million port promenade filled with restaurants and a bold new branch of Paris's Centre Pompidou built in the form of a colorful glass cube. A handful of other major new museums include one devoted to one of the city's most famous sons, Pablo Picassoâit's also the hometown of another famous Spanish export, actor Antonio Banderas. Where once many buildings were dilapidated, an entire swath of the historic center is now pedestrianized and filled with shoppers, diners and street musicians. Tapas bars with outdoor tables line the old town's Calle Strachan, while all over Málaga a boom in fine dining is taking place. The city makes a fine base for day trips to many of AndalucÃa's most famous sites. Unlike many southern Spanish cities, Málaga doesn't really shut down over the hot summer months; its waterfront location helps keep temperatures from soaring to uncomfortable heights. The 10-day summer Feria is becoming more popular each year, drawing visitors with its calendar of bullfights as well as dancing and drinkingâactivities the city's residents enjoy before and after the Feria too.
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 Casablanca, MoroccoArrives 07:00 AM Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its most important port. While Rabat is the country's official capital, Casablanca is its economic and cultural hub, the place where Moroccans go to make it big. There has been a settlement here since before the Romans, and although the Barbary pirates and Portuguese also left their marks, it wasn't until the French colonial period that Casablanca truly came into its own. The modern city was the first in the world to be laid out by aerial survey, and was barely 20 years old when its name was framed forever in the Hollywood classic of the same name.
Day Casablanca, MoroccoDeparts 11:00 PM Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its most important port. While Rabat is the country's official capital, Casablanca is its economic and cultural hub, the place where Moroccans go to make it big. There has been a settlement here since before the Romans, and although the Barbary pirates and Portuguese also left their marks, it wasn't until the French colonial period that Casablanca truly came into its own. The modern city was the first in the world to be laid out by aerial survey, and was barely 20 years old when its name was framed forever in the Hollywood classic of the same name.
Day San Sebastian de la Gomera, Canary Islands, SpainArrives 09:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM The second smallest of the Canary Islands maintains features unique in all the world. Deeply corrugated by gorges cut into its volcanic slopes, its highest peaks continually wring mists from the Trade Winds, resulting in a lush laurel forest ecosystem that UNESCO has designated a valuable natural heritage for all mankind. Those same precipitous gorges isolated the inhabitants from each other, and gave rise to the Silbo Gomero, a unique language that is whistled rather than spoken. This has been designated by UNESCO as a precious cultural heritage. It is taught to children in the primary schools, as a way of preserving it. Visit the photogenic, 15th Century Conde Tower, to see early nautical charts, or travel to bizarre volcanic features such as the columnar rock formations known as Los Organos. This was Christopher Columbus's last port of call before sailing west in 1492. He carried a gift from the local governor: the first sugarcane plants to reach the New World.
Day Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canarias, SpainArrives 07:00 AM Departs 10:00 PM A visit to the wild island of La Palmaóthe most northern and westerly of the Canary Islandsóis about as close as it gets to visiting Jurassic Park. Prehistoric junglelike forests with wispy waterfalls and babbling streams blanket the north of the isle, while the south feels dry and scorched with simmering dormant volcanoes. The craggy coastline and black-sand beaches sit below the soaring ridgeline of the eight-kilometer-wide (five-mile-wide) Caldera de Taburiente. Itós no wonder the entire island was classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002. Exploring nature should be priority number one when visiting La Palma, but itós impossible to understand the islandós culture without a visit to Santa Cruz, La Palmaós second-largest city and its only port. Its claim to fameóother than being the birthplace of the world-famous shoe designer Manolo Blahnikóis its clutch of colorful colonial buildings with traditional Canarian wooden balconies. Wandering down Calle OóDaly (also called Calle Real) and watching the waves crash along Avenida Marótima will give you the most photo-worthy views of the city. Donót let the ship sail before youóve tasted the islandós volcanic wines in Fuencaliente, or sampled local cheese and mojo at the daily market in Los Llanos.
Day Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Canary Islands, SpainArrives 08:00 AM "Though part of Spain, the Canary Islands sit in the open Atlantic Ocean, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Morocco. The mild climate mixed with a rich volcanic landscape and beautiful sandy beaches makes the main city of Santa Cruz, on the largest island of Tenerife, a welcome stop for many cruise voyages. The isolated island is dominated by the Teide volcano, the tallest mountain in Spain and site of one of the world's most popular national parks. A cable car carries visitors to the top, offering unrivaled views of the island.
Travelers interested in learning about the history of the island, its unique wildlife and the population of indigenous people that lived here before the arrival of European settlers should visit the Museum of Nature and Man in Santa Cruz, while architecture buffs can stroll the streets of La Laguna to see colonial-era mansions. And travelers keen on food and wine should venture into the countryside to sample local dishes or make the drive to Casa del Vino, where they can learn about, and taste, local wines while shopping for a bottle or two to bring home.
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Day Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Canary Islands, SpainDeparts 12:00 PM "Though part of Spain, the Canary Islands sit in the open Atlantic Ocean, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Morocco. The mild climate mixed with a rich volcanic landscape and beautiful sandy beaches makes the main city of Santa Cruz, on the largest island of Tenerife, a welcome stop for many cruise voyages. The isolated island is dominated by the Teide volcano, the tallest mountain in Spain and site of one of the world's most popular national parks. A cable car carries visitors to the top, offering unrivaled views of the island.
Travelers interested in learning about the history of the island, its unique wildlife and the population of indigenous people that lived here before the arrival of European settlers should visit the Museum of Nature and Man in Santa Cruz, while architecture buffs can stroll the streets of La Laguna to see colonial-era mansions. And travelers keen on food and wine should venture into the countryside to sample local dishes or make the drive to Casa del Vino, where they can learn about, and taste, local wines while shopping for a bottle or two to bring home.
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Day Lisbon, PortugalArrives 07:00 AM "Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a wealth of sights, tastes and sounds. An ensemble of neighborhoods both old and new, it's a city full of history, culture and tradition. After the devastating earthquake that struck in 1755, reconstruction began and the rebuilt Baixa area quickly became one of the city's busiest districts. From there, you can glance up at São Jorge Castle on one hill while in another direction you'll find Chiado, one of the trendiest and most elegant neighborhoods.
The spirit of Lisbon can be encapsulated by the soulful musical genre, fado, which can best be enjoyed in the Alfama, the city's oldest neighborhood. Enter one of the area's old-school taverns and listen to passionate renditions of Fado Vadio, sung by amateurs, often after a round of aguardiente, an anise-flavored liquor."