Funchal to Bridgetown | Nov 01 2022

When colonists arrived in Madeira in July 1419, the valley they settled was a mass of bright yellow fennel, or funchal in Portuguese. Today the bucolic fields are gone, and the community that replaced them is the self-governing island's bustling business and political center. Funchal is the only town of any size on the island and the base for the the bulk of its tourism thanks to the plethora of hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés, phenomenal coastal and hillside views, and—of course—Madeira wine.

Despite the tropical vegetation, Funchal’s center feels decidedly Portuguese, though there's a heavy British influence, which is a holdover from the mid-16th-century marriage of the Portuguese princess Catherine of Bragança to England's King Charles II. The marriage contract gave the English the right to live on Madeira, plus valuable trade concessions. Charles in turn gave Madeirans an exclusive franchise to sell wine to England and its colonies. The island's wine boom lured many British families to Funchal, and many blue-blooded Europeans and famous vacationers such as George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill followed the pack to enjoy the mild winters.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Although Arrecife has fully 50,000 of the 130,000 people that live on Lanzarote, this small city remains a place where life moves at a more sedate pace than it does in bustling Santa Cruz or Las Palmas. The coastline here is strung with line after line of rocky reefs (in fact, "reef" is what arrecife means in Spanish). While you're here, don't miss its two castles or its inland saltwater lagoon, Charco de San Ginés, where there's a gorgeous fleet of small fishing craft. A stroll around the back streets near the lagoon gives you an idea of the old Arrecife. The local Playa del Reducto is a good place to get in some beach time if you’re spending the day here.

From Arrecife, you might want to walk or bike to Puerto del Carmen along the 12-km (7½-mile) seafront promenade, which takes in lovely stretches of golden sand and views of the Ajaches mountains in the south. You can stop for a bite to eat in Playa Honda. Take the bus back if you’re not up to the return trip.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island of La Palma. Because of its spectacular vegetation and exuberant natural beauty, it is considered by many the most beautiful of the Canary Islands and referred to as the Pretty Isle – La Isla Bonita. In addition to its outstanding natural attributes, the island boasts a culture full of traditions, cuisine, crafts and folklore from the time of the original inhabitants, who left a variety of archaeological riches. Once an important transatlantic port during colonial days, today Santa Cruz has the look of a genuine open-air museum. With colonial houses and carved balconies lining the streets, the port city retains the old-world charm of its glory days. Acclaimed attractions in the interior include the Taburiente National Park with its giant crater that has been photographed from the Space Shuttle, and the Roque de los Muchachos Astrophysics Observatory, standing on the island's highest point (7,260 feet) and considered the most important of its kind in the northern hemisphere. The green of the countryside, the abundant water and the floral wealth stands in sharp contrast to the many volcanic cones and lava flows that testify to the island's origins. The oldest volcanic rocks are estimated to be about 3 to 4 million years of age. There were seven recorded eruptions, the most recent one in 1971. While favored by pleasant temperatures in all seasons, the climate varies enormously between the south and the north of the island. The northeast is known to experience moisture-laden trade winds; the southwest is much drier and sunnier. Along the coastal strip, up to an altitude of 600 feet, temperatures are usually in the 70s, while higher up they drop in the winter time, even to freezing point at elevations above 6,000 feet. Our call to La Palma allows you to discover this island's amazingly different faces over a relatively small area. Mountains and volcanoes, beaches and forests, tiny villages and breathtaking views make up the impressive profile of La Isla Bonita.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Located 300 miles (483 km) off the coast of West Africa, the Cape Verde archipelago comprises ten islands and five islets, most of them of volcanic origin. They are divided into the windward and leeward groups and cover an area slightly larger than Rhode Island. Colonised by the Portuguese in the 15th century, they first settled on the island of Santiago to the south of São Vicente and established the town of Cidade Velha. It was from here that the main slave trade developed between the Cape Verde Islands, Europe and America. While Praia on the island of Santiago is the archipelago’s largest and capital city, Mindelo, with its brightly coloured colonial buildings, is considered the island’s prettiest town. It boasts an excellent deep-water harbour, Porto Grande, which is in close proximity to Mindelo. The official language is Portuguese, while the national language is Crioulo, a Creole dialect of archaic Portuguese mixed with many African elements and adapted English words.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

This bustling capital city is a major duty-free port with a compact shopping area. The principal thoroughfare is Broad Street, which leads west from National Heroes Square.

Amongst top attractions here, the Pelican Villagea cluster of workshops located halfway between the cruise-ship terminal and downtown Bridgetown where craftspeople create and sell locally made leather goods, batik, basketry, carvings, jewelry, glass art, paintings, pottery, and other items. It's open weekdays 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 2; things here are most active when cruise ships are in port.

Alternatively, sightseers will want to go to the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, which has been providing for the spiritual needs of one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the Western Hemisphere. This synagogue was formed by Jews who left Brazil in the 1620s and introduced sugarcane to Barbados. The adjoining cemetery has tombstones dating from the 1630s. The original house of worship, built in 1654, was destroyed in an 1831 hurricane, rebuilt in 1833, and restored with the assistance of the Barbados National Trust in 1987. Friday-night services are held during the winter months, but the building is open to the public year-round. Shorts are not acceptable during services but may be worn at other times.