A Maritime Fairy Tale from 1001 Nights

Malaga has undergone significant updates in recent years. In 2003, the Museo Picasso opened in a 16th-century Renaissance palace and is dedicated to the artist’s body of work. The historic old city is easy to explore on foot, and many of its buildings have been restored. The Alcazaba, a large walled fortress, stands above the city. The port was redesigned when the city expanded toward the sea, and it now includes a promenade for walking. In the surrounding region, visitors can see aspects of traditional Andalusia. From a distance, the typical villages appear as white structures set against the brown, dry mountain landscape.

Gibraltar covers an area of about 2.6 square miles, yet it contains a mix of cultural influences. British elements such as red telephone booths, double-decker buses, and high tea appear alongside Spanish-style architecture and tapas bars. Gibraltar functions as a hub for cross-border activity, and many visitors shop along Main Street in the old town. The Upper Rock is the area’s most recognizable landmark and can be reached by cable car. At the top, there are views across the strait toward Africa and a population of macaques that are commonly seen in the area.

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 splendour and rule, but also the age of discovery. This town sits on the Guadalquivir River 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.

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.

Around 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Casablanca is Rabat, one of the country's four imperial cities. This modern capital with its historic center was accepted onto the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2012. Hassan Tower, Rabat's landmark, dates back to the time when the city was the Sultanate's capital. Close by, and yet built hundreds of years later, is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. You can find this regal residence in the elegant French-influenced residential quarter, Ville Nouvelle, with its boulevards and splendid Art Deco colonial buildings.

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.

With more than 5 miles of beach, a modern promenade, and countless restaurants and bars, Agadir, the "White City by the Sea," is a mecca for sun lovers – and a starting point for exciting excursions into the back country. Taroudant, about 50 miles to the east, was once the residence of a Berber prince, a rich caravan centre, and an important trading post. Through one of the five massive city gates in the mighty clay walls, you enter the lively medina with its numerous souks, where Berber handicrafts, leather goods, silver jewellery, and the famous argan oil are traded.

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.

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.

With its black volcano almost 6,561 feet high and endless white beaches along the coastline, the island of Gran Canaria displays a huge variety of landscapes. It's a "continent in miniature" with rugged rock formations, dense pine forests, dry valleys and reservoirs inland, 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.