Iberian Peninsula: Barcelona to Bilbao

Arrive at Barcelona, a beautiful city full of elegant squares and boulevards, and home of many artistic treasures, like the Picasso Museum or the Joan Miró Foundation. Barcelona is the capital of Catalan Art Nouveau and its glory is epitomized in the spectacular Palau de la Música. At every turn you encounter the playfully opulent creations of architect Antonio Gaudi. His exuberant fantasies are evident in the numerous houses, idiosyncratic parks, and the famous uncompleted Sagrada Familia cathedral which he created. Board the Sea Cloud II and attend dinner as the ship sets sail.

Ibiza's motto is "live and let live". Artists, hedonists and the international jet set discovered the beauty of this Balearic island many years ago. The little island's character has a Moorish influence, which has given it the pseudonym of "the white island". The tidy old quarter in Ibiza Town, surrounded by huge fortified walls, has been carefully restored and, like the entire island, is under the protection of UNESCO. In contrast, the spectacular, sometimes wildly rugged island coastline with its innumerable bays and beaches shows the traditional side of Ibiza. The primordial backdrop is one of gentle hills criss-crossed with a scattering of fincas.

Enjoy this day offshore, relaxing and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean breeze up on deck.

Málaga has spruced itself up. 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. 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.

Visit the old city of Cádiz, around 3,000 years old, which 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 be transported back to the heyday of Moorish splendor and rule, but also the age of discovery. This town sits on the Guadalquivir River which was a center 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.

Enjoy the ship's luxurious amenities as it sails to Portugal.

The most beautiful approach to the Portuguese capital is to travel up the River Tagus. One of the city's most famous landmarks has been greeting visitors right on the estuary since 1521 - the Torre de Belém. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and transports you back to the glory days when Portugal was a naval power. There are many landmarks, such as the facades of the houses decorated with azulejos tilework and the ancient trams that rattle through the city. But Lisbon has many different sides. Joie de vivre comes face-to-face with the melancholy of Fado music, winding lanes in the old city meet wide boulevards, while magnificent churches and austere monasteries show the two sides of former religious faith.

Enjoy this day offshore, relaxing and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean breeze up on deck.
 

Porto considers itself the country's secret capital. The narrow lanes of the historic old town "Ribeira", a UNESCO World Heritage Site, extend in terraces up the slope overlooking the Douro. The former working class district has blossomed into a beautifully restored trendy neighborhood. A student of Gustave Eiffel created the bold design for the bridge, which stretches over the river in a wide arc and links the Ribeira with Vila Nova da Geia and its 50 port wineries that lie on the other side. The best way to reach the incredible Douro Valley and the countryside of the Alto Douro wine region, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is by river.

On the seventh day, when God had created the world, he took a rest from his work on Galicia's Cíes Islands. And you can well understand why. Today the Galician National Park encompasses large parts of the sea and three uninhabited islands which form the archipelago of the Cíes Islands. Walking along beautiful footpaths along impressive cliffs, through dune landscapes and small forests, you can discover the rich array of flora and fauna. Its beautiful beaches are still almost a secret - the Playa de Rodas was even selected by a British newspaper as the world's most beautiful beach.

Discover the old city of La Coruña, set picturesquely on a peninsula. Its landmark is the Tower of Hercules, over 2,000 years old, set on the headland in front of the city. Culture, history, and art come face-to-face with traditional Galician lifestyle. Santiago de Compostela, one of the world's most famous pilgrimage sites, is the goal and climax of the Camino de Santiago, a path that has existed since the 11th century. The beautiful cathedral, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Christendom next to Rome and Jerusalem, also dates back to this time. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the old city. A special ritual takes place here - the Botafumeiro, where a huge thurible is swung through the magnificent transept.

Enjoy this day offshore, relaxing and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean breeze up on deck.

Arrive at Bilbao, a pilgrimage destination for lovers of modern art and avant-garde architecture. Disembark after breakfast for your continued independent journeys.