Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.
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Mar 30, 2029 - Lisbon
Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.
Mar 31, 2029 - At Sea
Apr 01, 2029 - Funchal (Madeira), Portugal
Madeira has been described as "Island of Eternal Spring". It is renowned for its wine, which many feel ranks among the world’s best. Funchal has a wide selection of resort hotels where watersports, golf and tennis are popular. Visitors can tour the 15th-century cathedral, orchid gardens of Quinta das Cruzes, and buildings associated with Christopher Columbus. Madeira’s discoverer, Zarco, is believed to have lived in the house Quinta das Cruzes. Now it displays furniture and paintings and is surrounded by fabulous gardens. The stunning 15th-century design of Sé Cathedral features white stucco with contrasting black basalt and red tufa rock; the ceiling is inlaid with ivory. Located near Town Hall, the Museum of Sacred Art contains art from several islands, including a group of 15th- and 16th-century paintings of Portuguese and Flemish schools. Visit colorful Mercado dos Lavradores during the morning to see flower vendors and fish and produce stands.
Apr 02, 2029 - Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The Canary Archipelago, or Fortunate Islands, as they are often called, owe their fame and fortune to their geographical location and climate. Of volcanic origin, the islands lie off the African coast and encompass such a variety of features that in the course of a day it is possible to pick bananas, throw snowballs, swim in the Atlantic and climb mountains. Tenerife is the largest of Canaries. The south features a desert with grotesque rock formations and chunks of cooled lava. Further north stretch miles of green fields of bananas, tomatoes and potatoes. Mountain slopes are dotted with beech, eucalyptus and pine trees. The coastline is as varied as the areas inland, offering black, grey and golden sand, cliffs, tame beaches and wild capes. A spectacular example of past volcanic activity is Canadas crater which rings Mount Teide - the main feature of the island. At 12,198 feet, the cone-shaped Teide is the highest Spanish summit and nearly always snow-capped. A cable car is available to the top.
Apr 03, 2029 - Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)
Also known as Grand Canary, Las Palmas in the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. During Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage of discovery, he was forced to pull his ships into Grand Canary to make repairs to the “Pinta”. During three subsequent voyages, he stopped again in the Canary Islands on his voyage of discovery. During the late fifteenth century, the city of Las Palmas was established by the Spanish in the heart of a lush palm grove. It is today the largest city in the archipelago as well as one of Spain’s leading ports.
Apr 04, 2029 - Lanzarote, Canary Islands
At the northeastern tip of the Canaries, Lanzarote offers some of the most unusual
scenery to be found, with its unique "lunar" landscape of the Timanfaya National
Park. Wander in the well-preserved colonial town of Tequise, the island's former
capital, or visit the unusual house of the island's famed artist, the late Cesar
Manrique, who designed it as part of the volcanic landscape.
Apr 05, 2029 - At Sea
Apr 06, 2029 - Casablanca
Casablanca today boasts one of Africa's largest ports. The Place Mohammed V is the heart of the city; the main boulevards branch out from here. Casablanca is the kingdom's commercial capital; most of the cultural activities are concentrated here, from art galleries to excellent international restaurants. The Hassan II Mosque completed in 1993 is among the largest in the world, boasting the tallest minaret. Casablanca is no doubt Morocco's window on the world and is a fast-paced cosmopolitan city where trends are created and modernism parts company with traditionalism or tries to blend them. Casablanca is one of the world's most interesting and open Muslim cities. Some of the best restaurants are found along Boulevard Mohammed el Hansali and on the way to beach resorts. Casablanca's beaches and exclusive suburb are located to the east of the city along the Boulevard de la Corniche. This is a very trendy area, lined with four-star hotels, restaurants and bars.
Apr 07, 2029 - Tangier
The "Gateway to Africa," located at its northwestern tip, Tangier is a fashionable resort retaining its age-old mystery and excitement. French and Islamic influences meet and merge in this fascinating old city. Mosques and minarets overlook the shadowy streets of the bazaar, while the higher part of town, with its broad boulevards and lovely parks, looks down on the ocean.
Apr 08, 2029 - At Sea
Apr 09, 2029 - Barcelona
Barcelona, the self-confident and progressive capital of Spain, is a tremendous place to be. Though it boasts outstanding Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings, and some great museums – most notably those dedicated to Picasso and Catalan art – it is above all a place where there's enjoyment simply in walking the streets, stopping in at bars and cafés, drinking in the atmosphere. A thriving port and the most prosperous commercial centre in Spain, it has a sophistication and cultural dynamism way ahead of the rest of the country. In part this reflects the city's proximity to France, whose influence is apparent in the elegant boulevards and imaginative cooking. But Barcelona has also evolved an individual and eclectic cultural identity, most perfectly and eccentrically expressed in the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Scattered as Barcelona's main sights may be, the greatest concentration of interest is around the old town (La Ciutat Vella). These cramped streets above the harbor are easily manageable, and far more enjoyable, on foot. Start, as everyone else does, with the Ramblas.