23-Day World Cruise Segment - Western Mediterranean Transatlantic

Situated along Africa’s northernmost coastline, Agadir enjoys a year-round temperate climate and all the delights of a modern city. Relax on one of the many excellent beaches, browse through the shops and marketplaces in town and sample some of the local cuisine. You can also venture on a fascinating excursion to the 16th-century Bedouin city of Taroudant, cradled against the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. From the ancient walls there’s an incredible view
of the city, port and ocean far below. In the heart of the old medina, you may explore one of Morocco’s liveliest souks, a labyrinth of shops featuring local handicrafts.

The airport for Puerto La Cruz in northeast on the Caribbean. Isla de Margarita is off the coast.

Fort Lauderdale, (lô´der-dâl´) city (1990 pop. 148,377), seat of Broward Co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; settled around a fort built (c.1837) in the Seminole War, inc. 1911. The city has more than 270 mi (435 km) of natural and artificial waterways and one of the largest marinas in the world. A major beach resort, it has a performing arts center and art and science museums. Products include electronic devices, boats and yachts, and various light manufactures.

The birthplace of Christopher Colombus, Genoa is located in northwestern Itlay at the arm of the Ligurian Sea. It is an important industrial central for northwest Italy.

This island represents man’s triumph over a hostile environment. A pock-marked lunar surface with over 300 volcanoes, Lanzarote startles with crops of melons, potatoes, and tomatoes that thrive in the black volcanic ash.

Portugal is for explorers. Its valiant seamen first charted the Azores, discovered Japan, and unlocked the major sea routes the world over. Now you can share the anticipation they must have felt as you explore this exciting city.

You’ll discover an 8th-century Moorish castle, quaint cafes and a palm-studded coastline. The Alfama district is a maze of narrow, twisting streets, whitewashed houses, flowered balconies, archways, terraces and courtyards that charm your socks off. (And if you can find your way out of this dizzying array, 20th-century Lisbon is just as intoxicating.)

Of course, if you’d rather play by the sea, the Portuguese Riviera lies just outside town, offering something for everyone, from sun, sand and surf to thrilling casinos. Lisbon is a vast garden abounding with flowers and tropical plants. The city’s appeal lies in the magnificent vistas from its many belvederes and in the tree-lined avenues and squares decorated with mosaic pavements.

Madeira is an island of unbelievable beauty set in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about a one and one half hour flight from Lisbon. As it lies parallel to the coast of Africa, it has gentle weather — a moderated climate all year round. Perfect for golf. Mountains drop abruptly into the sea and surround small fishing villages at their base. Just west of Funchal, the capital city, lies Cabo Girao, the second highest cliff in the world. Discovered in 1420 under the sail of two officers of Henry The Navigator, Madeira has been a port of call for many ships over the centuries. The island is volcanic in origin, and the flowers that have been brought here have multiplied greatly over the centuries. The spectacular Blandy Gardens, northwest of Funchal and the neighboring property to Palheiro Golf and Casa Velha do Palheiro is a tribute to this flora.

After a round of golf at either of Madeira’s championship golf courses, Santo de Serra or Palheiro Golf, you can enjoy a glass of famous Madeira wine. Perhaps a visit to Camara de Lobos (Winston Churchill’s favourite place), a little fishing village at the base of Cabo Girao. How about a trip to Porto Moniz at the far northwest end of the island where you can soak in the natural pools. Funchal is the capital of Madeira. Ancient streets, beautiful churches, great shopping and many great restaurants dot the city.

France’s second city and a major seaport, Marseille is an important industrial center and produces many food products. It is the oldest French town, settled by Phonecians, Greeks and annexed by Rome in 49 B.C. During the Crusades, Marseilles was a commercial center and transit port for the Holy Land. Taken by Charles I of Anjou, it was absorbed by Provence and bequeathed to the French crown in 1481. It grew as a port in the 19th century, with the opening of the Suez Canal and the conquest of Algeria. It is known for its great avenue, the Canebière, and for the Chateau d’If, a castle in its harbor.

Today Marseille is France’s largest port and is as warm as the sun on the south of France. An ethnic stew of French, Arabic, and Italian cultures, Marseille’s slightly risque charm appeals to those who love the spice of a real melting pot. Nearby is the gracious Aix-en-Province. At the home and studio of Paul Cezanne, you can revisit the birth of impressionism exactly a century ago.

Rome wasn’t built in a day…but you can tour it in just over 10 hours. A teeming anthill of humanity and antiquity intermingled with awful traffic jams, Rome grew up on the Tiber (“Fiume Tevere”) among seven low hills that rise from the river’s soggy eastern banks. It’s a city of many peeling layers of history, of which the bottom layer–that of the earliest Roman centuries–is the most interesting and still astonishingly whole. The hub of this layer is the Palatine Hill, the Forum, the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus.

On the western bank is the Citta Vaticana, the independent papal city where the Pope blesses pilgrims from all over the world. Neighboring Trastevere (“Across the Tiber”) is a mix of Roman, Greek and Jewish subcultures, great for little restaurants and nightlife. Further north on the other bank is “vecchia Roma,” medieval Rome of the Pantheon and Piazza Navona; Renaissance Rome is centered south of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Commercial Rome is the city of the Via del Corso, the Piazza del Popolo, the controversial Victor Emmanuel monument and finally the Stazione Termini, the nexus for all trains and roads from Rome.

The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife boasts a rich variety of scenery and attractions, from lively resorts and volcanic beachs in the south to the lush interior of the Orotava Valley and the stunning lunar landscapes of El Teide National Park, dominated by 12,000 ft. snow-capped Mount Teide, Spain’s highest mountain. The historic capital, Santa Cruz, is in the north.

This historical city, located in Andalusia, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and contains many landmarks, including the Moorish Alcazar and the Gothic Cathedral. Seville was also the site of the 1992 world’s fair.