Colourful Cliffside Towns Of The Amalfi Coast

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.

It was from historic Lisbon, built on seven low hills beside the wide Tagus estuary, that some of Europe’s greatest explorers set sail in pursuit of the riches that built Portugal’s former global empire in the New World, Africa and the Indies. Memories of that glorious past linger amid the grand avenues and elegant squares of the attractive capital’s 18th century lower town – a vivid contrast with the colourful honeycomb of cobbled streets in the old Moorish Alfama quarter and the bohemian mood of the hilly Bairro Alto.

Dominated by ‘the Rock’, a towering 1, 396 ft sentinel that guards the Straits, the Arabs’ Gebel el Tarik or Tarik’s Rock is today simply ‘Gib’. Resolutely British for nearly 300 years, its unique setting unites the oddly familiar – from the helmeted policemen to Marks & Spencer – with an extrovert Mediterranean mood. Test the shops and pubs in Main Street and Irish Town, take a cable-car ride to enjoy the grandstand views to a nearby Africa, and of course make a call on those Barbary apes!

Fronted by glorious blue waters and surrounded by deep valleys, rugged cliffs and soaring mountains; Sorrento looks simply breathtaking as you glide along the Amalfi Coast towards the town. Once ashore, be sure to look back across the Bay of Naples to savour the incredible views of Capri Island and Mount Vesuvius.

Sorrento’s charming streets are an absolute delight to explore in search of an abundance of attractions and historic structures, many of which date back to Roman times. The Cathedral, St. Francis Monastery and the Basilica di Sant’Antonino are not-to-be-missed; while the Villa Pollio Roman ruins, Archaeological Museum and Puntacampanella Nature Reserve are well worth a visit too. You’ll also discover hundreds of tourist-centric shops, lovely cafes and fine restaurants.

Italy’s third largest city is as exuberant as it is rich in history. Naples is the gateway to exploring some of Italy’s richest sightseeing treasures like Pompeii and Heraculem, where the ancient Roman ruins stand preserved to this day courtesy of the ashes of nearby Mount Vesuvius. Or the fabled city of Sorrento whose vitality is only matched by the splendour of its coastal setting. Quintessentially Italian the resort is a bustling maze of shops, boutiques and open-air cafes. Capri and the picturesque villages of the Amalfi coast will all compete for your time.

Situated between two of Italy’s most beautiful and best-known destinations, the Amalfi Coast and Cilento National Park, the lively city of Salerno is – perhaps unsurprisingly, but not justifiably – overlooked by many visitors to, and explorers of, the gorgeous Campania region.

However, the loss of the ‘over lookers’ is certainly the gain of those who do take the time to visit and explore Salerno; there are centuries of rich history – influenced by the Romans, Goths and Byzantines – to delve into here, landmarks, monuments and museums and aplenty awaiting discovery, and authentic local life to immerse yourself in.

Whether you choose to see the medieval churches and capture the gritty elegance of the neighbourhood trattorias; sample traditional cuisine at the finest restaurants, or people watch at one of the cafés over a proper Italian espresso; or take a stroll along the picturesque, tree-lined promenade, Salerno is sure to get under your skin.

Overlooking a vast sweeping bay, Tangier is the traditional gateway to Morocco. Though no more than 15 miles across the Straits of Gibraltar from Europe, this is a cosmopolitan city that stands on the threshold of Africa. Its world of soaring minarets and domes, ancient casbah (once the sultan’s walled palace and gardens) and animated souks express the rich part-Arab, part-African heritage of a city that has seen occupation by 12 nations since the 5th century.

At the north western tip of Spain, La Coruna is Galicia’s largest city – from where in 1588 the Spanish Armada sailed to its fate. It’s the port of call for nearby Santiago de Compostela, in whose ornate 11th century cathedral rests the body of St James. With Jerusalem and Rome, it remains one of Christendom’s most holy places – to which in the middle ages up to two million pilgrims came each year.

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.