Hidden Gems Of Spain, Corsica & Sardinia Cruise

Day 1 - Lisbon

Arrive: Thu 06 April 2028 / Depart: Thu 06 April 2028 at 18:00

The great period of "the Discoveries" accounted for phenomenal wealth brought back from India, Africa and Brazil by the great Portuguese navigators. Gold, jewels, ivory, porcelain and spices helped finance grand new buildings and impressive monuments in Lisbon, the country's capital city. As you sail up the Tagus River, be on deck to admire Lisbon's panorama and see some of the great monuments lining the river. Lisbon is one of Europe's smallest capital cities but considered by many visitors to be one of the most likeable. Spread over a string of seven hills, the city offers a variety of faces, including a refreshing no-frills simplicity reflected in the people as they go unhurriedly through their day enjoying a hearty and delicious cuisine accompanied by the country's excellent wines.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Cadiz

Arrive: Sat 08 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 08 April 2028 at 19:00

To taste the true flavor of this ancient port city, one should stroll its seaside promenade, pausing to rest beneath the huge banyan trees. The narrow, winding streets of the old town fan out from the port, leading you to sunny, palm-lined plazas. Visit the Catedral Nueva (New Cathedral), begun in the early 1800s but not completed for 116 years. Its dramatic, golden dome rises over a striking interior. For those who enjoy people-watching as much as sightseeing, the seafood restaurants along the eastern edge of the port provide the ideal setting.

Day 4 - Tangier, Morocco

Arrive: Sun 09 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Sun 09 April 2028 at 19:00

Situated just across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar from Europe, Tangier has long comprised a hybrid culture that is nearly as European as it is African. Standing atop Cap Spartel, one can gaze down on the place where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. The “Hollywood” district where the foreign embassies have traditionally been located reflects the European influence. But ascending the hill above the waterfront, one enters the narrow, winding alleys of the Kasbah, the city’s oldest, most Moroccan section. Down the coast, nearby Tetouan retains a nearly untouched walled medina, with sections originally occupied by Andalusian, Berber and Jewish populations. It is small enough that visitors can explore it without risking becoming lost, making it a perfect choice as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 5 - Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, Spain

Arrive: Mon 10 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 10 April 2028 at 19:00

Spain maintains this tiny slice of the Moroccan coast as its own, and the beaches are popular with visitors from across the Gibraltar Strait. A day-trip across the border brings you to Tetouan, a picturesque Moroccan town.

Day 6 - Puerto Banus, Spain

Day 7 - Motril, Granada

Arrive: Wed 12 April 2028 at 09:00 / Depart: Wed 12 April 2028 at 19:00

This city of the Mediterranean coast is the second largest on the so-called Costa Tropical. But for us it is the port from which to ascend the slopes of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada to the ethereal Moorish city of Granada and the astounding complex of the Alhambra, the most beautiful display of Islamic architecture in Europe. Dramatically sited overlooking the city, the walled series of halls, courts, gardens and colonnades drip with airy carving and elaborate decorative reliefs that embody the term Arabesque. The sprawling Generalife Gardens adjoining the fortress are a memorable site unto themselves. Elsewhere in Granada, the Capilla Real is a purely Spanish Gothic building, holding the marble tombs of the Reyes Catolicos Ferdinand and Isabella behind a gilded wrought-iron screen.

Day 8 - Cartagena, Spain

Arrive: Thu 13 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 13 April 2028 at 19:00

Founded by Carthaginians in the third century BC, this ancient Mediterranean port city exemplifies the region's tumultuous history. Romans, Visigoths, Castilians and Moors have all left their marks. Under King Philip II, Cartagena's naturally deep, sheltered harbor was developed into the nation's premier naval base, a position it still enjoys today. Ancient ramparts remain, as does a lighthouse erected in Moorish times.

Day 9 - Tarragona

Arrive: Fri 14 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Fri 14 April 2028 at 19:00

This quaint city on the Costa Dorada recalls the glory of the Roman Empire, and promises rich classical remains- she does not disappoint. Its ancient amphitheatre, circus and walls are clustered high on a hill, with a beautiful beach hidden below. As capital of the Roman province of Tarraconensis (from 218 BC), Tarraco, as it was then called, formed the empire's principal stronghold in Spain. Tarragona hosted the 1993 World Archaeology Conference and is clearly divided into old and new by the wide Rambla Vella boulevard.

Day 10 - Barcelona

Arrive: Sat 15 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 15 April 2028

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians, and was once the rival of the powerful states of Venice and Genoa for control of the Mediterranean trade. Today, it is Spain's second largest city and has long rivaled, even surpassed Madrid in industry and commerce. The medieval atmosphere of the Gothic Quarter and the elegant boulevards combine to make the city one of Europe's most beautiful. Barcelona's active cultural life and heritage brought forth such greats as the architect Antonio Gaudi, the painter Joan Miro, and Pablo Picasso, who spent his formative years here. Other famous native Catalan artists include cellist Pau Casals, surrealist Salvador Dali, and opera singers Montserrat Caballe and Josep Carreras. Barcelona accomplished a long-cherished goal with the opportunity to host the Olympics in 1992. This big event prompted a massive building program and created a focal point of the world's attention.

Day 11 - Roses, Spanien

Arrive: Sun 16 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 16 April 2028 at 18:00

Founded by Greeks in the pre-Christian era, the Catalan town is set on a lovely curve of beaches on Spain’s Costa Brava. It is crowned by the Castell de la Trinitat, which anchored the wall that encircled the entire town in medieval times. It was the site, until 2011, of Ferran Adria’s Michelin three-star restaurant El Bulli, which will reportedly reopen in 2014 as a culinary creativity center. Shop for a souvenir from the back of a street hawker’s donkey, or wander to nearby Figueres or Cadaques to visit one of Salvador Dali’s museums.

Day 12 - At Sea

Day 13 - Sanary-Sur-Mer, France

Arrive: Tue 18 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 18 April 2028 at 18:00

Along the Cote d'Azur, nothing is so rare as a genuine, old-fashioned fishing village. Strolling the inner harbour here, you'll see the men of the working fishing fleet going about their business as if they weren't a part of the world's most glamorous seacoast. Simply put, Sanary and her old streets and charming quay invite discovery.

Day 14 - Calvi

Arrive: Wed 19 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 19 April 2028 at 18:00

Settled first by the Romans, then ruled by Genoans for nearly half a millennium, Calvi was freed by Corsica's native son Napoleon in 1791. In 1982 it was given special status and now enjoys a uniquely autonomous position within the realm of France. Ringed with alternating precipitous cliffs and fine sand beaches, the island resembles a mountain thrust up out of the water, but its ruggedness is tempered by brilliant sunlight and groves of olive and orange trees. Napoleon once said that he could recognize Corsica with his eyes closed - by its perfume alone. While touring Corsica, be advised that the roads about this mountainous island are quite winding with many curves.

Day 15 - Olbia/Sardinia

Arrive: Thu 20 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 20 April 2028 at 19:00

The rugged Italian island of Sardinia is blessed with a rocky coastline interrupted by soft sand beaches and washed by limpid seas. Olbia is a very ancient town. It was founded by Phoenicians, and later occupied by Greeks and Romans in their turns. The church of San Simplicio dates from the 11th or 12th century, and that dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle is medieval. The town’s Museum of Archaeology can help you visualize the timeline. Everything changed dramatically in the 1960s, when the Prince Karim Aga Khan selected a 20-kilometer stretch of the nearby coastline to develop an exclusive resort complex he called the Costa Smeralda. Today this enchanting shoreline is encrusted with jewel-like resorts and hotels, private villas and beach facilities, yacht marinas and heliports. It is reputedly the most expensive real estate per square meter in Europe. Without doubt it is beautiful, and it is not necessarily that expensive to just look.

Day 16 - Porto Santo Stefano, Italy

Arrive: Fri 21 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Fri 21 April 2028 at 18:00

Day 17 - Rome

Arrive: Sat 22 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 22 April 2028 at 19:00

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter. Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.