Seven Seas Mariner - October 2, 2024

Lisbon is many cities, from the cobbled alleys of the Alfama district to the broad Parisian style avenues at its heart. View it all from the heights of St. George's Castle. Belem's Monument to the Discoveries recalls the seafaring past, while nearby Sintra's storybook palaces, and the seaside resort of Caiscais, have different tales to tell.

Funchal is a busy port exporting wines, fish, and fruit, it is best known for its beautiful setting and balmy climate, which make it a much-frequented resort. It has a late-15th-century cathedral and a convent church containing the tomb of Jose Goncalves Zarco, who founded the city in 1421.

La Palma is a stratovolcano, and is the largest of the western Canary Islands. At the island's east-coast is located the picturesque port-town of Santa Cruz. Behind it, like a colossal amphitheater, there is a mighty volcanic crater. This town, with its characteristical steeply inclined alleys, offers a really lively ambience.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a port on Tenerife island in the Canary Islands. Vegetables, tobacco, and bananas are exported. The construction of an oil refinery and the development of other industries has diversified the economy. The city's splendid scenery and mild subtropical climate make it a favorite tourist resort.

The island of Lanzarote has the most active volcanoes and the most bizarre landscape you'll see anywhere. In the National Park of Timanfaya, weird formations of cooled lava thrust cave-pocked formations into the sky like pieces of Swiss cheese. Right on the steep sided crater, circles of volcanic rock enclose vineyards producing the island's distinctive Malvasia wine. In contrast are the inviting, gently sloping beaches of the South side of the island.

Across the river from the gleaming new town of Agadir is ancient Taroudant, where you can meander within old city walls and see merchants selling handicrafts, fashioned by centuries-old methods. Follow caravan trails south along the coast; a view of Berber life awaits in the pink-walled town of Tiznit.

The economic capital of Morocco and the second largest city in Africa, Casablanca is an exotic blend of African, Arabian and European cultures. White-washed houses and peaceful mosques line the narrow streets of ancient Medina, the original Arab Section. Nearby, souks hum with the activity of contented shoppers bargaining for fine leather and handicrafts. The Ain Daib quarter in the southern part of the city boasts a strand of oceanfront resorts and restaurants set along the beach. Visit the mysterious "pink" city of Marrakech with its famed market and snake-charmers.

Barcelona is the cultural heartland of Spain, yet its first language is Catalan, the native tongue of the proudly independent Catalonia region. Stroll down the shady, tree-lined Ramblas between street musicians and elegant bistros. Then perhaps visit the venerable Gothic cathedral, Picasso Museum or enjoy the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi's Church of the Holy Family.