Optional tours are available from most ports for an additional charge.
Itinerary
Day Lisbon, Portugal "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."
Day Lisbon - Fatima - Porto, Portugal Breakfast at the hotel and begin the morning touring in Lisbon. Enjoy a sightseeing tour to Lisbonââ¬â¢s major highlights ââ¬â take a tram ride passing the Old Quarter and walk through the tiny squares and alleys of Alfama and a visit to the Belem monumental area and Jeronimos Monastery, declared a UNESCO site. Continue to Fatima in central Portugal, for an included Portuguese lunch and a visit to this important Europe pilgrimage center. Your last stop will be Porto, Portugalââ¬â¢s second largest city, beautifully settled near the mouth of Douroââ¬â¢s river. Check in at the hotel followed by some free time. Early evening includes a tapas dinner at a local tavern, free time and overnight at the Pestana Porto A Brasileira Hotel.
Day Douro, Coimbra, Sintra, Portugal Breakfast is ncluded at the hotel. Drive for about 2.5 hours to Coimbra known as the student's city, located in central Portugal close to Mondego River. Visit the Coimbra Old University, UNESCO recognized as a heritage site since 2013. Enjoy some time at your leisure before heading to Sintra from Lisbon through a protected forest with narrow streets and stunning 19th century Romantic architecture. Overnight at Sintra Boutique Hotel, with free time to enjoy the village known for its numerous historic palaces and castles.
Day Pena Palace, Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal / Lisbon, PortugalDeparts 07:30 PM Start your day with breakfast at the hotel and spend the day discovering the splendid Sintra Pena Palace. The fabulous and impressive Pena Palace sits immersed in a stretch of woody terrain in the park of the same name. Associated with Portuguese discoveries, the palace was built to reflect a scene from an opera and erected to celebrate the sighting of Vasco de Gama's returning fleet from his explorations. Continue to the town of Cascais and enjoy some leisure time at the historical center of cobblestone streets, lavish mansions, interesting museums and an imposing fort. Drive to Lisbon, pass by the town center, charming Liberty Avenue and Rossio Square, and pause on the way for tasting the famous pasteis de nata (Portuguese egg custard tarts) before the arrival to the pier and your waiting Windstar ship.
Day Cadiz (Seville), SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 10:00 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 Gibraltar, British TerritoryArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM "Strategically located at the southern tip of Europe, facing Africa, Gibraltar offers a fascinating mix of cultures. With a history that includes Moorish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and English influences (among others), this tiny, 6.7-square-kilometer British Overseas Territory is most famous for the giant Jurassic limestone rock soaring above the territory's main commercial and residential areas. The Rock contains an abundance of history (military and otherwise), not to mention significant flora and fauna, and a labyrinth of caves and tunnels.
Venture into Gibraltar's densely populated streets for Spanish, British, Middle Eastern and Italian cuisine, as well as tax-free shopping on everything from luxury brands to handmade arts and crafts and artisanal edibles. Browsing and snacking around town is the perfect chance to hear Yanito, the singsong Spanish-English hybrid spoken here. There are also historic and holy places in Europa Point, and the Museum of Gibraltar provides an opportunity to learn about the region's history and prehistory, as well as the migration habits of its birds and marine life.
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Day Malaga, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 08:00 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 Almeria (Granada),SpainArrives 07:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM Founded by the caliph of Cordoba, this Andalucian city on Spain's southeast coast is a reminder of the region's Muslim history. The Alcazaba, a massive fort, dominates the city and affords amazing views. Also worth experiencing are the cathedral and the Almeria Museum. East of the city is the rugged, desolate Cabo de Gata-Nijar coast, a protected area. To the west is the resort area of Roquetas de Mar, featuring vast beaches.
Day Palma de Mallorca, SpainArrives 09:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM "Palma de Mallorca, the largest city and capital of its own island as well as the entire Balearic archipelago, is one of Spain's most delightful towns. Despite its proximity to tourist beaches where millions of Europeans take summer vacation, Palma maintains the traditional rhythm of a Mediterranean city: busy food markets, open-air terrazas for lazing and grazing and the Passeig del Born, perfect for an evening paseo (stroll) under its canopy of trees. But the city is also, increasingly, a hub of contemporary culture and cuisineâwitness the old town's buzzing gallery scene, and cutting-edge restaurants like Simply Fosh and Aromata.
If location is all, Palma's peerless setting, at the center of a glorious sweeping bay, counts for a great deal. The city has its own beaches and a working harbor where a state-of-the-art new marina, Moll Vell, has brought back locals to stroll and gawk at the giant yachts. "