26-night Africa Navigator Voyage

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

Walvis Bay is the principal port for Namibia. Its harbor, protected by Pelican Point peninsula, provides one of the few safe deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast of south-western Africa. It is also a magical spot for birdlovers and a gateway to Namibia's hauntingly beautiful lunar-like desert landscapes. Visit Namibia's pretty seaside resort of Swakopmund, whose elegant turn-of-the-century German buildings belong more to Bavaria than Africa! Easily reached is famous Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home of up to 100,000 Cape fur seals - and the grandeur of the Namib-Naukluft Park, whose sand dunes rising to over 1,000 ft are the world's highest.

Walvis Bay is the principal port for Namibia. Its harbor, protected by Pelican Point peninsula, provides one of the few safe deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast of south-western Africa. It is also a magical spot for birdlovers and a gateway to Namibia's hauntingly beautiful lunar-like desert landscapes. Visit Namibia's pretty seaside resort of Swakopmund, whose elegant turn-of-the-century German buildings belong more to Bavaria than Africa! Easily reached is famous Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home of up to 100,000 Cape fur seals - and the grandeur of the Namib-Naukluft Park, whose sand dunes rising to over 1,000 ft are the world's highest.

Luanda is a charming costal city and the capital city of Angola. As a former Portuguese colony Luanda has many colonial buildings reminiscent of European architecture. Luanda is considered the cultural capital of Angola and boasts a vibrant musical nightlife. Visitors looking  to learn more about the culture will find an excellent introduction at the Museu de Antropologia. The city is also the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Angola, and you will find many interesting colonial churches to explore.

Renowned for its beautiful white beaches and clear blue waters, the country's main island offers a perfect setting for those wishing to sunbathe, snorkel, scuba dive or go deep-sea fishing. If you want to swim, head to Praia Grande, Praia das Sete Ondas (best waves on Sao Tome), Praia das Pombas, Praia Piscina or Praia Jale. Divers and snorkelers will prefer the reefs off Lagua Azul, Ilheu das Cabras, Praia Pequena and Praia das Conchas.

But sand and surf aren't the whole story: At the southern end of the island, Pico de Ana Chaves—an extinct volcano that rises 5,300 ft/1,630 m—offers a challenging hike, a cool atmosphere and a beautiful view of the island. The one main road on the eastern side of the island takes about four to five hours to drive and passes many small, colorful villages.

The main city, also called Sao Tome, is attractive, quiet, clean and has many old (and decaying) Portuguese colonial buildings. Tour the 16th-century cathedral and 400-year-old Ft. Sao Sebastiao, which now houses the National Museum (lots of displays about the colonial era). Outside town, excursions can be made to the Boca de Inferno (the Mouth of Hell), a natural waterspout flowing from volcanic rock. Also worth visiting is the expansive Agustinho Neto manor house, an old colonial plantation outside of town. For a good day trip, head to Pousada Boa Vista for a bird's-eye view of the coastline and the 80-ft/25-m Sao Nicolau waterfall.

South of the capital is the village of Sao Joao dos Angolare, which has traditional bamboo homes with thatched roofs. Near Angolares is Roca Sao Joao, an estate run by local artist Joao Carlos. It contains a coffee plantation, a comfortable guest house and a restaurant serving authentic local cuisine. Porto Alegre, another plantation farther south, also has a guest house. Set on a bluff overlooking the ocean, Porto Alegre is one of the most beautiful spots on the island. (While food must be arranged in advance, aguadente—the local rum—is always available.) Just offshore from Porto Alegre is Ilheu das Rolas, a tiny island with traditional thatched huts, a blow hole and a monument marking the location of the equator. The island of Sao Tome merits three nights.

Lome, capital of West African republic Togo, is the country’s principal administrative, transport, and economic center. It is a city divided between Togo and its western neighbor, Ghana. Most of Togo’s international trade passes through the city’s port. Its huge market, one of the biggest in Francophone Africa, is home to the famous "mercedes-ladies", those formidable queens of the wholesale cloth trade.

Abidjan, former capital and largest city of Ivory Coast, is dominated by the Plateau, the central commercial district, and for nightlife, Abidjan is the liveliest area with its hotels and lagoon-side tourist resorts.

The capital of Senegal is a modern city of 1.5 million with beautiful contemporary buildings and some historical colonial houses. It is a vibrant city with active open-air markets, cafe terraces, a wide range of hotels, delicious food and a great night life. You can discover Dakar by taking a walk along the ocean or the busy city streets. Art lovers will find an abundance of galleries, artists' studios, museums, and festivals. Senegal is a shopper's paradise and exquisite crafts can be found in markets, on the streets, and in stores everywhere in Dakar. For the sport enthusiast, this city by the beach offer all water sports and golf, tennis, biking, and more.

The volcanic peaks of the Cape Verde Islands appear like stepping-stones across the Atlantic. Porto Grande on Sao Vicente boasts a charming waterfront area where the pace is pleasantly slow and the people friendly.

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.

Puerto del Rosario is the cultural center of the Fuerteventura region. A sprawling promenade along the coast with benches, outdoor art and fitness equipment lines the scenic shoreline. Relax and sit, watching the boats come and go from the marina while enjoying ice cream or resting from your walk. At the end of the path, find Playa Blanca and the Puerto del Rosario beach, with soft sands and opportunities for surfing. In town, you'll find white-washed homes, Nuestra Senora del Rosario church and the museum dedicated to the writer Miguel de Unamuno. Further afield, you'll find several nature reserves.

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.

Located beneath the coastal hills of the sun-warmed shores of the Andalusian coast, midway between Malaga and Almeria, ancient Motril is a seaport and thriving beach resort that has drawn Phoenicians, Romans and Moors during its long history. Visit beautiful churches, Carchuna Fortress and the 16th century Casa de la Palma. This Andalusian city is gateway to Granada and the famed Alhambra, located inland at the foothills of the former capital to the Caliphs and Almoravids, which is 40 miles away.

Alicante is located on Spain’s Costa Blanca in the Levant Region, along the country’s southeastern coast and is a tourist resort and commercial port. The region is marked by lush mountain ranges. During the Gothic era of the fifteenth through sixteenth centuries centuries, art and architecture flourished in Alicante and the remainder of the Levant Region. Immense palaces and grandiose churches were built with elaborate baroque details. Visitors can see a third century BC fortress - the citadel of Santa Bárbara built by ruler Amilcar Barca, a Carthaginian, Arrabal Roig - the old quarter, the Baroque town hall (1701-60), the Church of Santa María (14th century), and the Renaissance church of San Nicolás de Bari (18th century).

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.