10-night Islands of Iberia Cruise

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.

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.

The Canary Islands 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. La Palma is the most western of the Canary Islands — and probably the greenest. Over seventy percent of the island is a natural preserve. La Palma has an abundance of wild plants and wild flowers, many of which only occur on La Palma, or only on the Canary islands.. For the adventurous, there are national parks with miles and miles of hiking trails to explore. Hike along the coast, through forests and up mountain peaks of up to 8,000 feet. There are also extinct and active volcanoes to hike around as well. Santa Cruz, the main port and capital of the island, is a charming Spanish town complete with a 17th century castle, a Renaissance church and an exquisite 16th century town hall. Here one can also find a mock-up of Columbus's ship The Santa Maria near the northern end of the boulevard by the maritime museum.

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.

Arrecife is not only the capital of Lanzarote or the main locality of Lanzarote's smallest municipality, but also of the chain of small islands which flanks it. What gives the area most character is the coastline with its small islets, most of which become covered during high tide. Places which must be visited are the Castle of San José, seat of the Contempory Art Museum which contains works by Piscasso, Miro, Mompó and César Menrique among many other painters and sculptors from all over the world. This fortress is situated in the east, on a small cliff, and houses different receational installations with a view of the port of Naos and of the Marbles. Another place of unusual interest is "Charco de San Gines" (San Ginés Pool) where water enters the land and where the hermitage was built, around which was formed the first nucleous of fishermen's cottages. This village has changed progressively, but still preserves its fishing village atmosphere. Visitors admire the old "calle real" (Royal Road) which leads to Avenida Marítima, the location of the municipal park.

Poised between the Atlantic and the snow crowned Atlas Mountains, Agadir is a lively resort set beside a vast beach. Agadir is the most important shipping port in southwestern Morocco, but there are also beautiful sandy bays with year-round warm seas. It’s a very modern city, built with the tourist vacation in mind, a city which boasts a number of good hotels, restaurants, shops and a lively nightlife. It is the perfect base for excursions to Taroudant and Tafrefout.

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.

Cadiz is an old city with Andalusian character. The magnificent Baroque cathedral and impressive mansions were built with gold. Cadiz’s modern-day treasure lies 30 minutes to the north in the rolling hills of Jerez - where production of the liquid gold, as the famous sherry is often called, ensures a booming economy. Visit one of the bodegas for a tour and tasting. The Historic City Center of Old Cadiz is a pedestrian zone for a pleasant stroll. The monument to "Las Cortes" is the Spanish Parliament established in Plaza de España. The 18th-century golden-domed Cathedral of Santa Cruz looms over the whitewashed houses. The dazzling interior contains a magnificent collection of sculptures and art objects. The Museum of History features an outstanding model of Cadiz in ivory and mahogany that illustrates what the town looked like at the end of the 18th century. The small, colorful Flower Market offers much local flavor. The Moorish-style Alameda Apodaca Gardens serve as a reminder of the Moors’ occupation in past centuries.

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.