Christmas Spain Portugal Canary Islands

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.

The largest of the Portuguese islands in the Madeiran archipelago, Madeira offers a wealth of sites of historical interest, marvellous fish cuisine and, of course, its own famous Madeira wine. Unusually, Madeira has no sandy beaches, but it does offer the visitors wonderful walks, not only through its towns, but through its mountains and hills.

Looking for a holiday that combines culture and exploration with comfort and relaxation? Tenerife is a true slice of paradise. Explore its foodie treasures, tranquil sunsets burning with tones of pink, orange and yellow and put your underwater camera to good use. There are countless experiences to be had, yet also peaceful and idyllic with sparkling waters and powder-soft sand.

Visiting the largest of the Canary Islands, our Tenerife cruises bring you close to one of the world’s most dramatic and varied landscapes, ranging from verdant valleys and lush plantations to glorious beaches, vast pinewoods and the volcanic `moonscape’ of Mount Teide National Park. Tenerife’s cruise port Santa Cruz has grown from a fishing village to a splendid city with classy bars and restaurants, varied shops, fine architecture and interesting museums. With our cruises to Tenerife the action begins right outside the port gates, where you will find a caf-lined boulevard leading to the Plaza de Espana, at the heart of the port’s main shopping area. Look out for bargain electrical goods and cut-price CDs, Tenerife’s speciality. Prefer museums and galleries? Try the Museo de Bellas Artes, which contains works by Bruegel, or discover the island’s history, topography, flora and fauna at the Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre.

With its 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, Fuerteventura is the perfect place to enjoy the rays and top up a tan especially when taking into account its excellent beaches. The mix of trade winds and Atlantic Ocean swells offer the perfect mix for watersports enthusiasts, so it is no wonder that they are attracted to the island all year round. Like its near neighbours, Fuerteventura has a rugged charm found only in the bays and volcanic slopes of the Canary Islands. However, unlike the busier islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote, Fuerteventura has managed to avoid over development and still offers a great deal of tranquillity and stark beauty.

Las Palmas is a capital of Gran Canaria, one of Spain’s Canary Islands off northwestern Africa. A major cruise-ship port, the city is known for duty-free shopping and for its sandy beaches. At Playa de Las Canteras, a coral barrier lines the beach and shelters swimmers. The annual Las Palmas de Gran Canaria carnival brings together flamboyantly costumed performers, music and dancing.

Lanzarote is known for its rugged terrain, volcanic pits and black sand beaches. Indeed, many would say that this easy going island really is out of this world.

You cruise right into the heart of historic Cadiz as immediately across the busy Avenida del Puerto from the Spanish port is the main square and shopping area. From there, it is easy to find your own way around this compact city. Behind is the 18th century cathedral (El Nueva) and the view from the top is worth the long climb up its internal stairs. The narrow streets of the old town below are lined by tall Moorish-style houses with flower-decked balconies mixed in amongst some small shops and tapas bars. Cadiz dates back to the 12th century BC so is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the western world but sultry Seville has long since outgrown its neighbour. La Giralda (the bell-tower next to its Gothic cathedral), is in Sevilles historic Jewish quarter which also has the whitewashed houses and exquisitely coloured bougainvillea that everyone associates with this lovely city.

Some of the best views of the Portuguese capital come as your ship cruises along the Tagus River. You pass the Belem Tower and the impressive Monument to the Discoveries with its statue of Henry the Navigator before arriving at the Lisbon cruise terminal. Although small for a European capital, this city does sprawl a little so you would do best to concentrate on three districts – Baixa, Bairro Alto and Alfama, each with its own distinctive style, making Lisbon cruises a must see. Baixa has busy streets of inviting shops, cafes and restaurants while Alfama is the atmospheric old town with narrow cobblestone streets, medieval and Moorish-style buildings, wrought-iron balconies with trailing flowers and a mix of small shops and bars. Bairro Alto is another historic district with narrow streets and is a steep climb from Baixa so look out for the 100-year-old lift (Elevador do Carmo) near Rossio Square. With such a variety of destinations to explore, cruises to Lisbon bring to your holiday a balance of both modern and historical grounds.

The name of Coruna’s cruise dock – Transatlantic Quay – reflects its location on the northwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsular making it – you might be surprised to learn – the closest European port to New York. It is a charming mixture of old town and new town also with a couple of beaches along the two-mile stretch of coastline it overlooks. The colonnaded Maria Pita Square is at the heart of the old town, with many shops, bars and restaurants all around. There are various fascinating museums including the interactive House of Mankind plus an aquarium and planetarium. La Coruña is also the main Atlantic gateway to one of the most ruggedly scenic regions in Spain – Galicia. Among its attractions is one of the worlds great pilgrimage destinations: Santiago de Compostela, with its Romanesque cathedral.

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.