Iberian Peninsula Small Ship Cruise: Spain & Gibraltar - 2019

Your journey begins with an overnight flight to Lisbon, Portugal.

If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, a Vantage representative will meet you and arrange transfer to your centrally located Lisbon hotel. This evening you’ll get better acquainted at a Welcome Briefing and Dinner at the hotel.

En route to our ship you’ll enjoy a panoramic city tour of Lisbon, where you'll spot sights such as the ornate Hieronymites Monastery, an exquisite example of Portugal’s unique Manueline architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While here, you’ll also enjoy a taste of pastéis de Belém, a buttery custard confection based on an old recipe from the Hieronymites Monastery monks, and still Portugal’s favorite pastry. From here we'll drive through the lovely countryside to the western Algarve region, stop for lunch in a local restaurant, then continue to Portimão to embark ship. Settle in, relax, and enjoy an informative port talk followed by our Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

After breakfast, adjourn to the deck for a narrated cruise up the Guadalquivir River. Our route takes us through the beautiful wetlands of Doñana National Park, an important waterfowl habitat and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After lunch onboard you’ll tour Andalusia’s storied capital, Seville, including the Real Alcázar, a monumental complex of fortifications, palaces, and gardens spanning the Arabic period through the 19th century. Another stop is the old University of Seville, whose main building is housed in the former Royal Tobacco Factory where Bizet set the famous opening scene of his opera Carmen. At the Plaza de España, you’ll admire a series of tiled fountains, bridges, and arcades. Another UNESCO site featured today is the Archivo General de Indias, a Renaissance building housing priceless historic records of the Spanish Empire. You’ll also see Seville Cathedral and have the opportunity to climb to the top of its soaring La Giralda Tower.

This evening, look forward to some homemade Spanish fare and eye-opening cultural exchange during your home-hosted dinner with a local family.

Relax onboard this morning or join an optional tour to the Palacio Andaluz, where you’ll participate in a flamenco dance workshop. This afternoon enjoy an excursion to romantic Cádiz, one of Europe’s oldest ports with roots pre-dating the Phoenician era. Your tour introduces you to some of the city’s most important landmarks including the old Puertas de Tierra, the city gates that date to the 16th century; the baroque Cathedral; and the Plaza San Juan de Dios with its City Hall. Stroll the gardens of Alameda Apodaca and Genovés Park, then enjoy some free time to further explore the city’s atmospheric cobbled alleys and before reboarding our ship, which has sailed to meet us here in Cádiz. Tonight you’ll enjoy some musical entertainment onboard.

Step ashore on “The Rock,” and take in the expansive views of both Europe and Africa. Our tour includes a funicular ride to the Castle of Gibraltar. Keep your eyes peeled and cameras ready in case you catch a glimpse of the famed Barbary apes (macaques) that live here. British-flavored Gibraltar is a great spot for pub-hopping and duty-free shopping before we return to ship for dinner.

Today we drop anchor in Puerto Banús, a luxury port on the Costa del Sol, where you might enjoy a dip off our ship’s swim deck. Then you’ll head inland for an excursion to Ronda, set high in the sierras. Ronda was first settled by the Celts and has since seen a procession of Phoenicians, Arabs, Romans, Moors, Berbers, Visigoths, and other Europeans — all of whom have left their cultural mark in the town’s white stuccoed neighborhoods. You’ll see the old Roman Bridge spanning the deep El Tajo Gorge below, the stately Casa de Don Bosco, and Mondragon Palace before we visit the Plaza de Toros — the oldest bullring in Spain. Here, a docent will provide an informative talk on the history of Spanish bullfighting. Return to ship for dinner onboard, as we set sail for Málaga, arriving late this evening and docking overnight.

This morning you’ll enjoy a city tour of Málaga, a provincial capital that recently remade itself into a popular cultural hub with a restored historic center. You’ll see the wide boulevards with their turn-of-the-century apartments, the Gothic Cathedral, and Gibralfaro Castle, an 11th century Moorish fortification. Back on board you’ll have the afternoon to relax or explore on your own. You can also join an optional tapas tour that stops at some of Málaga’s liveliest bars where you can sample the famous bite-sized delicacies that are a national passion. This evening, enjoy an informative lecture.

Today you have a day at leisure. Alternatively, you can join our full-day optional tour to Córdoba, a stage-set of history and beauty that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, complete with an included lunch.

From our berth in Motril we travel inland for a full-day excursion to storied Granada, the last stronghold of the Spanish Moors. Set in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada boasts one of the world’s most spectacular fortified palace complexes, the legendary Alhambra, the centerpiece of our tour here. You’ll see its most famous attractions, including the Lion Court, the Court of the Myrtles, and the famous Generalife with its fountains and gardens. In Granada proper, you will also tour the Albaicín, the medieval Moorish quarter which, along with the Alhambra, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After lunch in a typical Spanish restaurant, you‘ll have free time to explore more of Granada. Then we’ll ride back to our ship, which awaits us in nearby Almería.

Around breakfast we arrive in Cartagena, then depart for a city tour. Cartagena is a major naval center that dates back to 227 B.C., when it was founded by the Carthaginians. You’ll get acquainted with its history at La Concepción Castle, which overlooks the old Roman Theater. Walking down the Calle Mayor, you’ll also see some of the Cartagena’s noteworthy Art Nouveau buildings including the Cervantes House and Grand Hotel. After returning to ship for lunch we set sail for Valencia.

Founded as a Roman colony, Spain’s third largest city now presides over the sparkling Mediterranean on what's called the Costa del Azahar or “Orange Blossom Coast.” Your city tour showcases important locations such as the Plaza de la Reina, Plaza de la Virgen, Plaza Redonda, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the Cathedral, and the Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. A highlight will be our visit to the late-Gothic Lonja de la Sede de Valencia, the old Silk Exchange, which is a UNESCO Word Heritage Site. You’ll return to your ship for a late lunch and have the balance of the day free.

We set sail after breakfast and arrive in the port city of Tarragona in time for an afternoon tour. Once the capital of the Roman Empire, the city is an alluring mix of fascinating remains and beautiful beaches. Back on board this evening, enjoy a Captain’s Farewell dinner with your fellow passengers. 

Please note:  The Tarragona tour may not be available on all tours, depending on the sailing schedule.

This morning we’ll bid adios to our ship and crew, and transfer to one of Europe's most enchanting and historic capitals: Barcelona. We'll set off on a panoramic city tour that spotlights highlights such as the port and Olympic Village, the beaches of Barceloneta, the Plaza de España, and the Gran Via. You’ll also see the exterior of the surreal Sagrada Família basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the modernist masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí, the visionary architect responsible for much of Barcelona’s design profile. After enjoying lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll continue to our hotel in Barcelona. This afternoon you’ll have time on your own to wander the shops and tapas bars of the famous Las Ramblas pedestrian thoroughfare on your own before returning to the hotel for dinner.

After breakfast you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S., or commence your Barcelona post-trip extension.