Morocco & Canary Islands: Casablanca to Las Palmas

Arrive in Casablanca, board the Sea Cloud II, and attend dinner as the ship sets sail.

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

Taroudant, situated around 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Agadir, was once the residence of a Berber king, a rich caravan center, and an important trading place. In front of the immense protective mud walls are sprawling olive and orange plantations, and the snow-covered peaks of the High Atlas rise up picturesquely in the background. Through one of the five vast city gates you can reach the lively medina with its numerous souks where you can bargain for Berber handicrafts, leather goods, silver jewelry and the famous argan oil. The city is affectionately known as the "Little Sister of Marrakech".

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

The "Island of Fire", a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, has been continually recreated by volcanic eruptions. A third of Lanzarote is a bizarre lunar landscape of barren, beige-gray lines of hills and "fire mountains". In sharp contrast to this are the snow-white houses, golden beaches, and sparse green vegetation. Its quaint wine-growing areas of La Geria have been declared an all-embracing art form by the Museum of Modern Art. The painter, sculptor and architect César Manrique understood art as the link between man and nature and made a vital contribution to the look of his island home through his artistic creations.

Even from afar you can see the impressive panorama with 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. In contrast to this are the fertile valleys of the north, a barren, almost desert-like south, and the island's vibrant capital city, Santa Cruz.

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 treemoss hangs from the trees and mosses cling to gnarled branches - a truly mystical natural spectacle which has existed for millions of years.

Arrive at Gran Canaria and disembark after breakfast for your continued independent journeys.