San Juan to Nice

Glowing turquoise waters, lazily bowing palm trees, and pristine white sand beaches – it’s all waiting for you in Jost Van Dyke’s picturesque Caribbean splendour. Slip off your shoes, you won’t be needing them too much in these parts, as you wander soft, heavenly sands, and paddle out into impossibly clear waters. The island escape of choice for dallying yachts, which visit to soak up the off-the-beaten-path good life. Join them around the pristine beaches of this tiny celebrity magnet of an island. View less

If this is your first experience of the Caribbean’s splendour, you may be a little sceptical about the reality of those famed, shockingly bright colours that you see in photographs. If so, Jost Van Dyke will be love at first sight. Splash into water that glows with a bright teal hue and is blotched with occasional swells of deeper royal blue. Snorkellers will adore the explosions of colourful fish beneath the waves. White Bay is a slice of island perfection, with a neat hill of trees framing a sandy sweep of shaded beach bars. There’s nothing for it but to indulge on a bed of soft pearly-white sand, and soak in the staggering beauty of it all. The wander up to Majohnny Hill is the most exertion needed to explore this four-square-mile island, and it’s worth it to see the heavenly beaches emerging from tranquil waters below. Even the natural sea formations here encourage you to unwind, with waves gurgling and frothing over the rocks to create Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi. Jost Van Dyke has a reputation as the off-the-radar island getaway of choice for celebrities like Keith Richards. A lot of that comes down to the calypso charm of its rustic beach bars – especially the legendary Foxy’s Bar, which is run by island legend Foxy Callwood. Rum-drenched cocktails and icy buckets of beach beers await – sure to get you into the island’s party spirit in no time.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island of La Palma. Because of its spectacular vegetation and exuberant natural beauty, it is considered by many the most beautiful of the Canary Islands and referred to as the Pretty Isle – La Isla Bonita. In addition to its outstanding natural attributes, the island boasts a culture full of traditions, cuisine, crafts and folklore from the time of the original inhabitants, who left a variety of archaeological riches. View less

Once an important transatlantic port during colonial days, today Santa Cruz has the look of a genuine open-air museum. With colonial houses and carved balconies lining the streets, the port city retains the old-world charm of its glory days. Acclaimed attractions in the interior include the Taburiente National Park with its giant crater that has been photographed from the Space Shuttle, and the Roque de los Muchachos Astrophysics Observatory, standing on the island’s highest point (7,260 feet) and considered the most important of its kind in the northern hemisphere. The green of the countryside, the abundant water and the floral wealth stands in sharp contrast to the many volcanic cones and lava flows that testify to the island’s origins. The oldest volcanic rocks are estimated to be about 3 to 4 million years of age. There were seven recorded eruptions, the most recent one in 1971. While favored by pleasant temperatures in all seasons, the climate varies enormously between the south and the north of the island. The northeast is known to experience moisture-laden trade winds; the southwest is much drier and sunnier. Along the coastal strip, up to an altitude of 600 feet, temperatures are usually in the 70s, while higher up they drop in the winter time, even to freezing point at elevations above 6,000 feet. Our call to La Palma allows you to discover this island’s amazingly different faces over a relatively small area. Mountains and volcanoes, beaches and forests, tiny villages and breathtaking views make up the impressive profile of La Isla Bonita.

Although this busy port city is smaller, quieter and less attractive than Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz has its own share of elegant monuments. Until 1837, the island’s capital was La Laguna, not Santa Cruz, so there are only a few of the buildings in the city center that are any older than that. At the busy Plaza de España, there are several pedestrian streets leading north and to the area west of the port, where you’ll find the city’s stunning auditorium and maritime park. View less

A real highlight of the city are its ramblas, long tree-lined boulevards that fall steeply from the north end of the city to the sea.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a city open to the sea and carefully planned with 18th-century elegance. Its founder is said to be the legendary Ulysses, but the theory of an original Phoenician settlement is probably more realistic. Known in Portugal as Lisboa, the city was inhabited by the Romans, Visigoths and, beginning in the 8th century, the Moors. Much of the 16th century was a period of great prosperity and overseas expansion for Portugal. Tragedy struck on All Saints’ Day in 1755 with a devastating earthquake that killed about 40,000 people. The destruction of Lisbon shocked the continent. As a result, the Baixa (lower city) emerged in a single phase of building, carried out in less than a decade by the royal minister, the Marques de Pombal. His carefully planned layout of a perfect neo-classical grid survived to this day and remains the heart of the city. Evidence of pre-quake Lisbon can still be seen in the Belém suburb and the old Moorish section of the Alfama that sprawls below the Castle of St. George.
Lisbon is a compact city on the banks of the Tagus River. Visitors find it easy to get around as many places of interest are in the vicinity of the central downtown area. There is a convenient bus and tram system and taxis are plentiful. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. After a fire destroyed parts of the historic neighborhood behind Rossio in 1988, many of the restored buildings emerged with modern interiors behind the original façades.
The city boasts a good many monuments and museums, such as the Jeronimos Monastery, Tower of Belém, the Royal Coach Museum and the Gulbenkian Museum. High above the Baixa is the Bairro Alto (upper city) with its teeming nightlife. The easiest way to connect between the two areas is via the public elevator designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Cruising up the Tagus River to the ship’s berth, you can already spot three of Lisbon’s famous landmarks: the Monument to the Discoveries, the Tower of Belém and the Statue of Christ, which welcomes visitors from its hilltop location high above Europe’s longest suspension bridge.

Located on the estuary of the Arade River, Portimao has made its living from fishing since pre-Romans times. Today a sprawling port and a major sardine-canning centre, the town is also a base for the construction industries generated by the tourist boom.
Although summer is the busiest time of the year, the mild climate of the Algarve and many sunny winter days attract multinational tourists in all seasons, coming here to visit historical sites, playing golf, strolling along the river boulevard or exploring the many shopping opportunities. Stunning rock formations and warm seawaters make the beaches particularly alluring. The most beautiful on the entire coast is Praia da Rocha, the first one of several Algarve resort developments. Its wide expanse of sand is framed by jagged sea cliffs and the walls of an old fort that once protected the mouth of the Arade River.
From Portimao, explorations can be made along the coast all the way to Cape St. Vincent, Europe’s most westerly point, and inland to Lagos and Silves, once the residence and capital of the Moorish kings.

More than a hundred watchtowers gaze out across the waves surrounding this ancient Andalusian city. Sprinkled with evocative cobbled side streets, you’ll explore 3,000 years’ worth of history, while stumbling across palm-tree lined plazas of shaded coffee sippers. Cadiz claims the mantle of Western Europe’s oldest city, and every piece of architecture – and every wrong turn – offers a chance to discover fascinating new tales. Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100BC, Christopher Columbus used the city as a base for his exploratory, map-defining voyages of 1493 and 1502.

The port grew in importance and wealth as Cadiz’s strategic location close to Africa’s northern tip helped it blossom into a centre for New World trade. Catedral de Cádiz, is a display of the city’s wealth and importance, looming spectacularly over the Atlantic’s waves, with cawing seagulls sweeping between its twin bell towers. Inside, treasures from the city’s trading exploits in the West Indies and beyond – which helped fuel the growth of this historically prosperous city – are on display. Enveloped by ocean on almost every side, Cadiz has something of an island feel, and you can cool off from southern Spain’s unrelenting sunshine on the sweeping golden sand beach of Playa Victoria. The two towers of the new El Puente de la Constitución de 1812 mark a contemporary landmark in this most ancient of cities, in the form of a spectacular new road bridge. Torre Tavira, meanwhile, is the most famous of Cadiz’s army of watchtowers, and the highest point in the city. Reach the top for a view of the ocean fringing the city’s expanse, and to learn about the towers – constructed so trading merchants could survey the harbour from their lavish homes. The Central Market is a chaotic place of bartering, where flashing knives dissect fresh fish. Stop in at the orbiting bars to enjoy tapas, freshly prepared with the market’s produce.

Whether you pronounce it Seville or Sevilla, this gorgeous Spanish town is most certainly the stuff of dreams. Over 2,200 years old, Seville has a mutli-layered personality; home to Flamenco, high temperatures and three UNESCO-World Heritage Sites, there is a noble ancestry to the southern Spanish town. Not forgetting that it is the birthplace of painter Diego Velazquez, the resting place of Christopher Columbus, the inspiration for Bizet’s Carmen and a location for Game of Thrones filming, Seville is truly more than just a sum of its parts. View less

This city is a full on experience, a beguiling labyrinth of centuries old streets, tiny tapas restaurants serving possibly the best dishes you’ll taste south of Madrid and a paradise of Mudejar architecture and tranquil palm trees and fountain-filled gardens.

Whether you pronounce it Seville or Sevilla, this gorgeous Spanish town is most certainly the stuff of dreams. Over 2,200 years old, Seville has a mutli-layered personality; home to Flamenco, high temperatures and three UNESCO-World Heritage Sites, there is a noble ancestry to the southern Spanish town. Not forgetting that it is the birthplace of painter Diego Velazquez, the resting place of Christopher Columbus, the inspiration for Bizet’s Carmen and a location for Game of Thrones filming, Seville is truly more than just a sum of its parts. View less

This city is a full on experience, a beguiling labyrinth of centuries old streets, tiny tapas restaurants serving possibly the best dishes you’ll taste south of Madrid and a paradise of Mudejar architecture and tranquil palm trees and fountain-filled gardens.

Valencia is Spain’s third largest city and capital of the region. It was originally founded by the Romans on the banks of the river Turia in 138 BC. In 711 AD the Moors arrived and converted the area into a rich agricultural and industrial center, establishing ceramics, paper, silk and leather industries. Muslim rule was briefly interrupted in 1094 by the legendary Castillian knight, El Cid. Valencia boomed in the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming one of the strongest Mediterranean trading centers.
Valencia is a vibrant, friendly and chaotic city that boasts an outstanding fine arts museum and one of the most exciting nightlife scenes in Spain. The city center is about 3 miles inland from the coast. Plaza del Ayuntamiento marks the center of Valencia. Surrounded by flower stalls, it is also home to the town hall and the main post office. The cathedral was begun in the 13th century and finished in 1482. It has many architectural styles, including Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque. The octagonal bell-tower, called Miguelete, is one of the city’s landmarks. The small cathedral museum boasts a tabernacle made from 550 pounds of gold, silver, platinum, emeralds and sapphires. It also purports to be the home of the Holy Grail, the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper.
West of the cathedral is the oldest part of the city, known as El Carme. Situated across the river in the Jardines del Real is the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Fine Arts Museum. Works include those by El Greco, Goya and Velázquez.

The infinite variety of street life, the nooks and crannies of the medieval Barri Gòtic, the ceramic tile and stained glass of Art Nouveau facades, the art and music, the throb of street life, the food (ah, the food!)—one way or another, Barcelona will find a way to get your full attention. The capital of Catalonia is a banquet for the senses, with its beguiling mix of ancient and modern architecture, tempting cafés and markets, and sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches.

A stroll along La Rambla and through waterfront Barceloneta, as well as a tour of Gaudí’s majestic Sagrada Famíliaand his other unique creations, are part of a visit to Spain’s second-largest city. Modern art museums and chic shops call for attention, too. Barcelona’s vibe stays lively well into the night, when you can linger over regional wine and cuisine at buzzing tapas bars.

Today, Marseille is the country’s most important seaport and the largest one in the Mediterranean. The city is divided into 16 arrondissements fanning out from the Old Port. The large industrial port area virtually rubs shoulders with the intimate, picturesque old harbor, the Vieux Port. Packed with fishing boats and pleasure crafts, this is the heart of Marseille. Two fortresses guard the entrance to the harbor: Fort Saint Nicolas and, across the water, Fort Saint Jean.

The small village of Villefranche, with its prominent citadel, colorful buildings, fishing boats and old town, has managed to retain much of its original charm. Visitors enjoy strolling along the waterfront and climbing the narrow streets to the upper town.

Located behind the sheltering promontory of Cap Ferrat, the pretty village offers easy access to many sites of the French Riviera.The enclave of Monaco is a short drive to the east, while Nice and Cannes lie to the west. Each can be reached by the Lower Corniche, Middle Corniche or Grand Corniche, the Riviera’s three major scenic roads.

In Monaco, the celebrated Monte Carlo Casino is no longer exclusively patronized by ladies and gentlemen in formal dress; it has adapted to the modern age with a new relaxed atmosphere including a room full of slot machines. The famed Hotel de Paris, however, retains its grand and elegant air. In Nice, department stores and specialty shops offer luxury French merchandise.