This sophisticated Monegasque city-state between Italy and France is one of the world's most exclusive addresses. Its densely-packed buildings extend up the rocky coastline and offer views of a gloriously azure sea, with three marinas where spectacular luxury yachts sway on the waves. In the center, set high up, is the beautiful old city of Monaco-Ville with the splendid Prince's Palace, cathedral and Oceanographic Museum of Jacques Cousteau. In the center of Monte Carlo you can find the famous casino in a beautiful Belle Epoque building, and the palatial opera house. Explore this dazzling city before boarding your ship and beginning your journey.

Relax aboard your ship as you cruise to your next destination.

Barcelona revels in contrasts. Many enthuse over the beautiful elegant squares and boulevards, while others look for medieval romance in the Gothic quarter. Some love the artistic treasures in the Picasso Museum or the Joan Miró Foundation, but for most people Barcelona is the capital of Catalan Art Nouveau and its glory is epitomized in the spectacular Palau de la Música. At every turn, encounter the playfully opulent creations of architect Antonio Gaudi. His exuberant fantasies are evident in the numerous houses, idiosyncratic parks and the famous, as-yet incomplete Sagrada Familia cathedral, which has been under construction since 1882.

By turns centuries old and totally modern, Valencia is everything all at once. Today the beautiful old town and the old silk market "La Lonja de la Seda," a UNESCO World Heritage Site, still bear witness to the city's wealth in the Middle Ages. A brand new part of the city is situated in a drained river bed and has avant-garde buildings including a futuristic opera house, the largest aquarium in Europe, a botanical garden and a public park. Valencia intriguingly combines its 2,000-year heritage with its visions for the future. 

Relax aboard your ship as you cruise to your next destination.

An important port as long ago as Carthaginian and Roman times, Cartagena can look back on an eventful history. The "La Manga" headland, over 20 kilometers long, is a geographical curiosity which divides the long sandy beach of the "Mar Menor" salt water lagoon from that of the Mediterranean. Inland, the Fuensanta convent is mainly famous for a vision of the Virgin Mary which appeared there around 200 years ago and sits high up above the town of Murcia. It affords a delightful view over this lively university town. The huge Cathedral of Murcia was built in 1394 on the former site of a Moorish mosque.

In 2003, the Museo Picasso opened in a 16th century Renaissance palace and is dedicated to the artist's extensive life's work. This historic old city invites you to take a stroll and its buildings gleam like new. And above everything towers the Alcazaba, a mighty walled fortress. The port was completely redesigned when the city was opened to the sea and you can now take a lovely stroll along the promenade. In Málaga's hinterland you can see the most beautiful aspects of traditional Andalusia. From a distance the typical Andalusian villages look like white dabs of paint shining out from the brown of the barren mountain landscape.

The old city of Cádiz, around 3,000 years old, has a picturesque location on a narrow headland, right by the Playa de la Caleta with its elegant beachside promenade. Visit the Andalusian capital of Seville and you will be transported back to the heyday of Moorish splendor and rule, but also the age of discovery. This town sits on the Guadalquivir River was a centre of Spanish maritime trade with the New World. Many buildings in the old town are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the splendid Moorish Alcazar fortress and the huge Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Sede. Seville is a fun-loving city that is still at the center of Andalusian culture, and is considered the proud birthplace of Flamenco.

This port city on the strait of Gibraltar has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. With artifact-filled museums and a medina with sweeping ocean views, this multicultural hub is sure to delight. 

Relax aboard your ship as you cruise to your next destination.

After breakfast, disembark the ship to explore Casablanca, make your way home, or continue your independent travels.