63-Day West Coast Of Africa, Iberia & France Cruise

Day 1 - Buenos Aires

Arrive: Sat 04 March 2028

Founded in 1536, Buenos Aires was administered by a Spanish viceroy for nearly three centuries before winning its independence in 1816. A sleepy port town for most of that time, it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that the city finally emerged as an important shipping center. Today, Argentina's democratically elected government has made it South America's safest (and most expensive) country. This cosmopolitan city is characterized by broad boulevards with huge shade trees, beautiful residential districts, plazas containing monuments and fountains, interspersed with 20th-century high-rise buildings. It is a truly great walking city.

Day 2 - Buenos Aires

Depart: Sun 05 March 2028 at 17:00

Founded in 1536, Buenos Aires was administered by a Spanish viceroy for nearly three centuries before winning its independence in 1816. A sleepy port town for most of that time, it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that the city finally emerged as an important shipping center. Today, Argentina's democratically elected government has made it South America's safest (and most expensive) country. This cosmopolitan city is characterized by broad boulevards with huge shade trees, beautiful residential districts, plazas containing monuments and fountains, interspersed with 20th-century high-rise buildings. It is a truly great walking city.

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - At Sea

Day 6 - At Sea

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - Scenic Cruising Inaccessible Island

Day 9 - Tristan da Cunha

Arrive: Sun 12 March 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 12 March 2028 at 18:00

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha including Gough Island.

Day 10 - Nightingale Island

Arrive: Mon 13 March 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 13 March 2028 at 17:00

Nightingale Island is an active volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 3 square kilometres in area, part of the Tristan da Cunha group of islands. They are administered by the United Kingdom as part of the overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - At Sea

Day 13 - At Sea

Day 14 - At Sea

Day 15 - At Sea

Day 16 - At Sea

Day 17 - Richard's Bay, South Africa

Arrive: Mon 20 March 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 20 March 2028 at 17:00

Richards Bay is in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, the traditional homeland of the Zulu people on the Indian Ocean coast. Not surprisingly, most visitors are attracted here by interest in the Zulu culture and the indigenous wildlife of the region. Richards Bay offers Seabourn guests opportunities to experience both. The Zulu Nyala Private Game Reserve is one option, for an evening including a game drive and a dinner on the reserve. The Dumazulu is a fascinating living museum of traditional Zulu life and culture, populated by members of the group and endorsed by the tribal authorities. Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve is famous for its population of rare white rhinos, while a cruise on Lake St. Lucia gives visitors a view of two of South Africa’s most notorious animals: hippopotamus and crocodiles, on the iSimangaliso Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 18 - Maputo

Arrive: Tue 21 March 2028 at 12:00 / Depart: Tue 21 March 2028 at 21:00

The interests of the Portuguese in Africa were the earliest of any European power. And the independence of Africa’s Lusophone colonies was invariably the most bitterly disputed during the revolutions of the mid-20th century. As elsewhere, the departing colonials took much of the value and the skills with them when they fled. Maputo has been slowly rebuilding itself into a city worthy of its setting along the Indian Ocean coast, and you will be among only a few travelers to see the architectural treasures of its past and the spirit of its future.

Day 19 - At Sea

Day 20 - Durban

Arrive: Thu 23 March 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 23 March 2028 at 21:00

At its founding in 1835, the city was named in honor of the then Governor of the Cape, Sir Benjamin D'Urban. Sugar cane transformed Durban into a vital port city, and its attractive parks and meticulously groomed gardens continue to testify to the land's richness. Today, the city sprawls along the coast, its golden beaches hugging the ice-blue Indian Ocean.

Day 21 - At Sea

Day 22 - Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa

Day 23 - Mossel Bay

Arrive: Sun 26 March 2028 at 09:00 / Depart: Sun 26 March 2028 at 20:00

South Africa’s Garden Route is among the world’s most attractive destinations, and Mossel Bay will welcome Seabourn guests to the heart of it. Those interested in wildlife will be thrilled with a visit to the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve for the chance to spot a rare white rhino and interact with huge, gentle African elephants at a feeding. The Diaz Museum Complex is named for Bartolomeu Diaz, the Portuguese explorer who was the first European to set foot in South Africa right here. It contains historical displays including the famous Post Office Tree that served as the message station for early sailors, a maritime museum and an aquarium. Another option is to travel along the coast to the famous seaside resort community at Knysna Heads and up into the arid, scenic Outeniqua Mountains.

Day 24 - At Sea

Day 25 - Cape Town

Arrive: Tue 28 March 2028 at 06:45

Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and flanked by Devil's Peak and Lion's Head, Cape Town is known by South Africans simply as 'the Cape,' an acknowledgment of its uniqueness and its status as the Mother City. The first area to be settled by Europeans in the 17th century, it is today a major seaport and the legislative capital of South Africa. The feeling here is not African but cosmopolitan, and a sense of history remains.

Day 26 - Cape Town

Depart: Wed 29 March 2028 at 22:00

Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and flanked by Devil's Peak and Lion's Head, Cape Town is known by South Africans simply as 'the Cape,' an acknowledgment of its uniqueness and its status as the Mother City. The first area to be settled by Europeans in the 17th century, it is today a major seaport and the legislative capital of South Africa. The feeling here is not African but cosmopolitan, and a sense of history remains.

Day 27 - At Sea

Day 28 - Luderitz

Arrive: Fri 31 March 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 31 March 2028 at 17:00

In 1883, a German businessman, Adolf Luderitz, purchased a parcel of land enclosing a small bay for purposes of speculation. The so-called Skeleton Coast had limited potential in many ways, being largely made up of the shifting sands of the Namib Desert. Then, in 1906, a local railway worker noticed an oddly sparkly stone beside the tracks. It proved to be a diamond, and it became clear that there were many like it lying literally on the surface of the sands. By 1909 a diamond rush was in full sway, and a thriving, German-styled town called Kolmanskop sprouted out of the desert to house the gem-seekers. When the easy pickings ended, the townspeople simply walked away, and the desert climate preserved the town as it was slowly engulfed by the shifting sands. Today it makes an evocative and haunting place to visit. The bay still hosts a bounty of wildlife as well, including seals, whales and flamingos. Other endeavors have started, too, such as the culture of delicious oysters in the clean, cold ocean waters.

Day 29 - Walvis Bay

Arrive: Sat 01 April 2028 at 12:00

Its name in Afrikaans means "Whale Bay," but those days are long gone. Today its dramatic setting is inseparable from any impression of this deep-water port on Namibia's desolate, but beautiful "Skeleton Coast." Here the undulating dunes of the Namib Desert meet the sea, and its lagoon is spangled with white pelicans, pink flamingos and other seabirds. Up the coast road is Dune Seven, the highest along Namibia's coast, and a great place to take off your shoes and feel some sand between your toes after your Atlantic crossing.

Day 30 - Walvis Bay

Depart: Sun 02 April 2028 at 17:00

Its name in Afrikaans means "Whale Bay," but those days are long gone. Today its dramatic setting is inseparable from any impression of this deep-water port on Namibia's desolate, but beautiful "Skeleton Coast." Here the undulating dunes of the Namib Desert meet the sea, and its lagoon is spangled with white pelicans, pink flamingos and other seabirds. Up the coast road is Dune Seven, the highest along Namibia's coast, and a great place to take off your shoes and feel some sand between your toes after your Atlantic crossing.

Day 31 - At Sea

Day 32 - At Sea

Day 33 - Luanda

Arrive: Wed 05 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 05 April 2028 at 18:00

Luanda looks to be booming. Development and construction is fueled by extractive industries such as petroleum and diamonds. However over half the city’s residents live in poverty. It has for several years dominated the chart of the most expensive cities in the world for expatriates, outstripping such notorious places as Hong Kong and London. Like the rest of Portugal’s African colonies, Angola won its independence under force of arms in the mid-1970s. But the country immediately descended into a disastrous civil war that lasted decades, severely stunting development. Sites of interest include the 16th century Fortess of Sao Miguel, which looms over the harbor. Any visitor will assuredly be directed to the towering monument at the mausoleum of Agostinho Neto, the hero of the revolution. The National Museum of Anthropology is a good place to learn about the folkloric traditions, including a collection of exemplary masks.

Day 34 - At Sea

Day 35 - At Sea

Day 36 - Sao Tome

Arrive: Sat 08 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 08 April 2028 at 18:00

Day 37 - At Sea

Day 38 - Cotonou

Arrive: Mon 10 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 10 April 2028 at 18:00

Cotonou is a large port city on the south coast of Benin, in West Africa. At the eastern end of central Boulevard St. Michel is the huge Dantokpa Market, which features religious items and spices alongside everyday objects. To the southwest, the 19th-century Cotonou Cathedral has a striking red-and-white striped facade. Nearby, in the Haie Vive district, the Fondation Zinsou museum shows contemporary African art.

Day 39 - Tema (Accra), Ghana

Day 40 - Takoradi

Arrive: Wed 12 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 12 April 2028 at 17:00

Takoradi is a very important and busy West African seaport on Ghana’s Cape Coast, a main transport depot for container ships and oil tankers. Two of the main tourist sites near Takoradi are the village of Nzulemo and the old Portuguese slave depots called “castles.” The village of Nzulezo, on Lake Tadane, is a stilt community inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique architectural and cultural characteristics. At Akatekyi, crocodiles play part in the activities of a fetish priest. Elmina Castle is about an hour away, and one of the best preserved slave barracoons on the coast.

Day 41 - At Sea

Day 42 - At Sea

Day 43 - At Sea

Day 44 - Dakar

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

One of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan African cities, the Senegalese capital bears many visual reminders of its past as a French colonial outpost. Despite the Parisian-style boulevards and buildings, however, there is a distinctly African feel to the city. Bankers and executives can be seen going about their businesses dressed in the flamboyant traditional Grand Boubou costume, and women wear the feminine version with an equally striking headpiece. The common language is French, although many citizens may also speak as many as five or six ethnic languages, since the whole coast of West Africa has been steeped in a heritage of mutual trade for centuries. Among the many sights and sounds greeting visitors, none is more evocative and sobering than a visit to Goree Island and its House of Slaves. This fortress, just offshore of the city waterfront, displays many reminders of the brutal trade in human beings, including an unimposing doorway, set just above the waterline in the seaside wall, identified simply as the “Door of No Return.”

Day 45 - At Sea

Day 46 - Mindelo, Cape Verde

Arrive: Tue 18 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 18 April 2028 at 18:00

The most important city on the Cape Verde island of São Vicente, Mindelo originally thrived as a coal depot for steamships plying the Atlantic. With the advent of diesel engines, its importance waned, although it is still an important port for the maritime trade. The island is volcanic, dry and mostly low. The town has replica of Lisbon’s Belem Tower, located near the fish market, in an interesting part of the city. The late Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora started her career singing in the taverns of Mindelo, and later brought the uniquely lilting Cape Verdean form of fado music to the world through her bestselling records and concert tours.

Day 47 - At Sea

Day 48 - At Sea

Day 49 - Gran Canaria

Arrive: Fri 21 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 21 April 2028 at 18:00

Las Palmas is a large Spanish city, which just happens to be on the island of Gran Canaria. That fact adds the exotic, slightly African and international flavor to the place. It played an important part in the early exploration and exploitation of Africa and the New World, some of which is recounted in the Casa de Colon Museum. Columbus may have slept there, but it was never his house. It was actually the mansion of early governors. Other museums of note are the Museo Canaria with a number of Cro Magnon skulls, and the fascinating Elder Museum of Science and Technology. For shopping, strolling and general local interest, head to La Vegueta, the oldest quarter and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the adjacent Triana high street shopping district. Most visitors are here for the beaches, and the municipal Playa de Las Canteras is a long, clean and safe option if that is your intention. The Canaria in the name of the islands refers to the indigenous Presa Canaria breed of dogs, which are large, strong and made quite an impression on the earliest Spanish visitors.

Day 50 - Lanzarote

Arrive: Sat 22 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 22 April 2028 at 18:00

Lanzarote is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, often known as "volcano island." Its capital is Arrecife, a quiet town of about 30,000 inhabitants. Present day Lanzarote consists of two quite distinct massifs: Famara in the north, and Los Ajaches in the south, where centuries of erosion have sculpted abrupt cliffs and deep ravines, contrasting sharply with the smoothly rounded hills of the island's central region.

Day 51 - At Sea

Day 52 - Casablanca

Arrive: Mon 24 April 2028 at 06:00 / Depart: Mon 24 April 2028 at 20:00

Casablanca, located on the Atlantic coast, is with 4 million inhabitants Morocco's largest city, and at the same time the largest port in Africa. Built on the site of ancient Phoenician Anfa, it remained a small fishing village for many centuries until the French arrived in 1912. Since then Casablanca has become a vast modern city, ever on the increase since Morocco's independence from France in 1956. A successful blend of oriental-style, white cubic dwellings with modern Moroccan quarters gives the city an interesting flair. Lovely beaches and attractive hotels make for a popular year-round holiday resort. To help understand Moroccan culture a visit to the Medina, the quaint old Moorish quarter, is a must for all visitors.

Day 53 - Tangier, Morocco

Arrive: Tue 25 April 2028 at 09:00 / Depart: Tue 25 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 54 - Cadiz

Arrive: Wed 26 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 26 April 2028 at 23:00

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 55 - At Sea

Day 56 - Lisbon

Arrive: Fri 28 April 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Fri 28 April 2028 at 17:00

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 57 - Leixoes, Portugal

Arrive: Sat 29 April 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 29 April 2028 at 17:00

The commercial center of northern Portugal and hub of the port wine trade, Porto is a gracious, cosmopolitan city noted for its 12th century cathedral and medieval churches, picturesque narrow streets and wine lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia. It is clustered on hills overlooking a river, and is a northern European style city with granite church towers, narrow streets and hidden Baroque treasures.

Day 58 - La Coruna, Spain

Arrive: Sun 30 April 2028 at 10:00 / Depart: Sun 30 April 2028 at 19:00

A Coruna is the largest Galician city with a culture uniquely its own, a rich folkloric tradition and its own language. Of historically remote origin, A Coruna has preserved a considerable heritage of monuments and ancient buildings, among which are Romanesque churches and a Roman lighthouse. Its most beautiful and original feature is perhaps the characteristic façade of its houses, which are completely covered by mirador windows.

Day 59 - At Sea

Day 60 - St Malo, France

Arrive: Tue 02 May 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 02 May 2028 at 19:00

Saint-Malo is a port city in Brittany, in France's northwest. Tall granite walls surround the old town, which was once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the center of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history. Nearby is La Demeure de Corsaire, an 18th-century privateer’s house and museum.

Day 61 - Cherbourg

Arrive: Wed 03 May 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 03 May 2028 at 17:00

The seaport and naval station of Cherbourg is situated along the English Channel northwest of Paris at the mouth of the Divette River. Believed to rest on the site of an ancient Roman station, Cherbourg has been occupied since ancient times and was frequently contested by the French and English in the Middle Ages because of its strategic location. Most recently passed to France in the late 18th century, the town was extensively fortified by Louis XVI. During WWII the Germans held Cherbourg until it was captured by the American forces shortly after the Normandy landings. Following a vast rehabilitation program that returned it to working condition, Cherbourg became an important Allied supply port. Today, Cherbourg is important for transatlantic shipping, shipbuilding, electronics and telephone equipment manufacturing, yachting and commercial fishing.

Day 62 - Rouen, France

Arrive: Thu 04 May 2028 at 10:30

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city's most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The "City of a Hundred Spires" as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet's impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the "City of Light."

Day 63 - Rouen, France

Depart: Fri 05 May 2028 at 13:30

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city's most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The "City of a Hundred Spires" as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet's impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the "City of Light."

Day 63 - Scenic Cruising Seine River

Day 64 - Southampton

Arrive: Sat 06 May 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 06 May 2028

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline which encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downland and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton, the United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, and home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear, has a rich and varied heritage. The remains of the medieval town walls are among the best preserved in the country and fascinating monuments can be found all around the city.