Mediterranean Adventures - 12 nights, October 2013

The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear. The port serves as your gateway to Southern England’s magnificent historic sites, national landmarks, charming villages as well as the great metropolis of London. Southampton is the ideal starting or ending point for a memorable voyage.

Portugal’s capital spreads its ancient sites on seven steep hillsides that overlook the Tagus River. Feast your eyes on St. George’s Castle which overlooks the city atop the highest hill, or the countless balconies ablaze with geraniums and wrought iron lamps that light up the medieval Alfama quarter. Wonder up to the Bairro Alto where you may hear the sorrowful fado singers ring out from cafés.

With a fascinating history dating back 3,000 years the natural harbour of Cartagena is a major naval port due to its unique position on the Mediterranean coast. A stroll amidst Cartagena’s more recent modernista-style architecture- all flamboyant curves, ornate balconies and striking mosaics- may make the ideal prelude to an asiático, the local liqueur coffee.

Delve into the Picasso Museum or Miró Foundation. Explore the genius of Gaudí too, as you survey the city from Parc Güell, witness the extraordinary Casa Mila and Casa Batlló, and marvel at his unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. After all that sight-seeing a shady spot in one of Barcelona’s numerous cafés provides the perfect vantage point for watching the colourful street performers on Las Ramblas.

An ancient city, Valencia is an exhilarating mix of history, art and intellectual activity. Brave the 200 steps to the summit of the amphitheatre and you’ll be rewarded with a scene of orange rooftops and blue-domed churches. Valencia’s rich Hispanic culture is visible everywhere in art and architecture reflecting Roman, Visigoth, Moorish, and Aragonese traditions.

Grab a cable car to carry you up the ancient Pillar of Hercules for views that will leave you breathless. For the wildlife enthusiast in you there’s a stop to appreciate the diverse birdlife and to meet those famous Barbary Apes, of course! Beneath Gibraltar’s white cliffs grow a profusion of palm, pine, and cypress. No fewer than 600 varieties of flowers grow here, some found nowhere else on Earth.

Explore inside the ancient city walls where a beguiling honeycomb of plazas, promenades, enchanting ruins and churches cluster around the gold-domed baroque cathedral. Saunter beneath sweeping palms, soak up astonishing sea views or simply watch the world go by in this busy, buzzing port. Alternatively head to Seville and soak up the atmosphere of the flamenco.

The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear. The port serves as your gateway to Southern England’s magnificent historic sites, national landmarks, charming villages as well as the great metropolis of London. Southampton is the ideal starting or ending point for a memorable voyage.