Day Palamos, SpainArrives 07:00 AM Departs 04:00 PM "Palamós is a quaint fishing village turned summer-vacation spot along Spain's sun-drenched Costa Brava. The town still thrives on fishing: Visitors can peruse the fish market and view the day's catch at the bustling harbor, or check out the nearby Fishing Museum to learn more about both Palamós's past and the history and techniques of angling around the world. (Make sure you sample the local prawns at one of the town's seafood restaurants.)
Palamós is also a convenient departure point for attractions around the region, from wine and olive oil tastings in the countryside to the home and museums of legendary Catalan artist Salvador DalÃ. Ancient historic sites dot the landscape up and down the coast, including the Greek and Roman ruins at Empúries and the medieval Castle of Begur. For an infusion of urban culture, plan a day trip to nearby Girona, where narrow, cobbled lanes wind around an imposing Gothic cathedral. Or simply take a stroll to one of the nearby beaches to swim and sunbathe along the Mediterranean coast.
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Day St Tropez, FranceArrives 08:00 AM Departs 09:00 PM On the southern shore of one of the most beautiful bays of the Riviera, the little port of St. Tropez has become one of the best known resorts in Europe, a crossroads where journalists, photographers, writers, artists and celebrities meet. Guy de Maupassant discovered the town, but it was the painters who made it more widely known - Signac, Matisse, Bonnard, Marquet, Camoin - who all stayed for varying amounts of time. The harbor teems with life. Fishing boats, excursion craft and hundreds of yachts share the harbor. On the waterfront are old pink and yellow houses, which have been converted into cafes, cabarets and restaurants, luxury boutiques, galleries and antique shops. A picturesque and cosmopolitan crowd strolls the streets in season.
Day Portofino, ItalyArrives 08:00 AM Departs 09:00 PM Portofino is a charming, popular resort village on the Italian Riviera, a favorite with artists and seasoned travelers. Situated on a beautiful bay, the surrounding mountains covered with dense vegetation of olive and cypress trees, form a unique setting of incomparable beauty. The ship will anchor in the bay and tenders will transport you to this tiny resort village, which is closed to vehicle traffic. Everything is concentrated around a small square offering an opportunity to stroll around on foot, shop, or just relax at one of the many open-air cafes.
Day Portovenere, ItalyArrives 07:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM The Gulf of La Spezia has been so frequent a subject for poets over the years - from Dante and Petrarch to Byron and Shelley - that it is often referred to as the Golfo dei Poeti. The elongated yellow and orange houses, which line the harbor stretch up the steep slope toward ancient battlements beyond. Mentioned as a landing place in Claudius Ptolemy's "General Geography" (150 AD), today Portovenere is a resort with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Day Le Lavandou, FranceArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM Named for the lavender that adorns the nearby fields, Le Lavandou is a favorite with visiting yachtsmen. Another nearby village, also named for flowers, is Bormes-les-Mimosas, adjudged one of France's loveliest towns.
Day Sete, FranceArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM "The quiet, old fishing village of Sète, known as the Venice of Languedoc for its canals, is a fine antidote to some of the splashier destinations along France's Mediterranean coast. Connected to the rest of France by the Canal du Midi, Sète in the past was a vital port in the spice trade. Since the early 19th century the town's identity has been marked by waves of immigrants from Italy, mostly Neapolitans who brought their recipes and strongly affected the local French dialect.
With a handful of fine museums, Sète puts a remarkable emphasis on the arts and culture for a town its size. But just strolling the Canal Royal and watching boats pass under all its lovely stone and iron bridges, many of which swing open, can be satisfying enoughâfollowed, of course, by a canalside meal of bourride sètoise, the local monkfish stew, or just by a sip of coffee or an aperitif as the sun sets. Sète also serves as an ideal base from which to visit other famous nearby cities in the Languedoc and Provence regions.
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Day Valencia, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 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 Cartagena, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 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 Melilla, Spanish Morocco, SpainArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM Melilla is one of Spainââ¬â¢s two enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, a remnant of the colonial past. As a pocket of Europe on the African continent, its border is rather heavily watched. But the town exists as a resort community and serves visitors well. Overlooking the harbor is Melilla La Vieja, a 15th century fortress converted to a holiday destination. Among its restored fortifications, the site hosts a number of museums, churches, memorials and a multi-storey complex of manmade caves that lead down to the beach. The town also holds the second largest trove of architecture in the modernist style, after only Barcelona, many by the prominent architect Enrique Nieto. It is a fascinating city much praised for its tradition of multiculturalism.
Day Tangier, MoroccoArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 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 Departs 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 At Sea
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."