Take a Breather

Arrive in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Board the Sea Cloud Spirit and attend dinner as the ship sets sail.

With its black volcano almost 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) high and endless white beaches along the coastline, the island of Gran Canaria displays a huge variety of landscapes. This is 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.

While sailing towards your next destination, experience the Sea Cloud Spirit's facilities while enjoying the best panoramic views.

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.

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.

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.

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.

While sailing towards your next destination, experience the Sea Cloud Spirit's facilities while enjoying the best panoramic views.

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-grey 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.

Disembark after breakfast and return home individually.