Six Unique Islands Full of Character

The island of eternal spring, with its mild climate all year round and the entire network of man-made irrigation channels, is a garden of flowers with green mountains, charming valleys, rugged coastlines, and breathtaking views over the sea. Hydrangeas bloom in abundance on the streets, creating hedges of flowers, and in the capital Funchal, every balcony has a colorful floral display. Houses, palaces, churches, and monasteries nestle in steep winding lanes on the towering mountain slopes. The picturesque Monte, where high society used to reside, is set high up in the hills and sends its famous wickerwork toboggans down the steep Caminho hill all the way to Funchal.

The island of eternal spring boasts a pleasant climate throughout the year and a sophisticated irrigation network that transforms it into a beautiful flower garden. It features lush green mountains, enchanting valleys, rugged coastlines, and awe-inspiring views of the sea. The streets are adorned with abundant hydrangea blooms, forming flower hedges, while in the capital city of Funchal, colorful floral displays grace every balcony. Houses, palaces, churches, and monasteries are tucked into steep, winding lanes on the towering mountain slopes. The charming Monte, once a residence for high society, is nestled high in the hills and offers its famous wickerwork toboggans for an exhilarating ride down the steep Caminho hill to Funchal.

Climbing the rigging, untying ropes, setting sails – today is all about sailing. Time to lean back and relax in the deck chair and watch the passionate crew hoisting the sails by hand.

Santa Cruz is the perfect starting point if you want to discover Tenerife's diverse mix of beach, nature, and avant-garde culture. The capital and port city in the northeast of the island is not only decked out with historic buildings but also features a lively art scene and spectacular modern architecture by Calatrava or Herzog, and De Meuron. Santa Cruz is also not far from other highlights in the north. For example, the lively colonial town of La Laguna, with its impressive mansions, or quaint Taganana in the Agana Landscape Park, which has retained the charm of an old mountain village.

Many people consider La Gomera to be the most wildly romantic island in the Canaries. Rugged gorges, craggy hillsides, fertile valleys, and evergreen cloud forests characterize the landscape. The Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, embraces the whole central mountain area and is an unusual little spot. Ancient bay trees, heather bushes as high as trees, and meter-high ferns form a cloud forest where tree moss hangs from the trees and mosses cling to gnarled branches – a truly mystical natural spectacle that has existed for millions of years.

The combination of small size and great height make the lush green volcanic island of La Palma one of the steepest islands on Earth. The white houses in the island's capital shine out from wooded mountain slopes and the old town center of Santa Cruz is covered by a preservation order principally because of its Canarian houses with their artistically decorated wooden balconies. The Caldera de Taburiente towers above the north of the island. With a diameter of nine kilometers (5.6 miles) and surrounded by crater walls more than 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) high, it is one of the world's largest volcanic craters. Behind the caldera is the cloud forest of Los Tilos. The Biosphere Reserve was extended by UNESCO to cover the whole island of La Palma.

Volcanic activity has created a wildly romantic and varied natural landscape. A black lava desert and strange rock formations with oddly shaped, wind-defying juniper trees in the south, orchards, vineyards, fig, and almond groves in the north, lush green meadows and pastures in the high plateaus, and perhaps the most beautiful pine forests in the archipelago. El Hierro, the smallest and newest of the Canary Islands, is almost completely edged with steeply sloping, rugged cliffs and the spray from the surging ocean. UNESCO has designated it a Biosphere Reserve.

Even from afar, you can see the impressive panorama of Tenerife's landmark, Mount Teide. Its peak is the highest in Spain at 3,718 meters (12,200 feet) and is often covered in snow. The Las Cañadas National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a high volcanic plateau at the foot of Teide, surrounded by a circle of rock that rises up steeply. Volcanic activity has created strange-looking rock formations here which are adorned with a huge range of colors and seem like a unique synthesis of nature's art.

With its black volcano almost 2,000 meters (6,561 foot) high and endless white beaches along the coastline, the island of Gran Canaria displays a huge variety of landscapes. A "continent in miniature" with rugged rock formations, dense pine forests, dry valleys and reservoirs in the interior, lush vegetation in the north, shimmering dune landscapes in the south and weirdly shaped cliffs in the west. Almost half the island has been registered by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. The capital, Las Palmas, is no less colorful, with its port and history stretching back 500 years. The showpiece of this historic old town is the magnificent Santa Ana Cathedral.

Gran Canaria, known as a "continent in miniature," showcases a diverse range of landscapes, featuring a towering black volcano reaching nearly 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) and endless white beaches lining the coast. Its scenery includes rugged rock formations, dense pine forests, arid valleys, and reservoirs in the inland regions, lush vegetation in the north, shimmering dunes in the south, and peculiarly shaped cliffs in the west. UNESCO has recognized almost half of the island as a Biosphere Reserve. The capital city, Las Palmas, is equally captivating, with a history spanning 500 years and a vibrant port. The focal point of this historic old town is the splendid Santa Ana Cathedral.

Say goodbye to your fellow travelers and crew as you disembark.