Spain, Portugal from Las Palmas

Las Palmas is a capital of Gran Canaria, one of Spain's Canary Islands off northwestern Africa. A major cruise-ship port, the city is known for duty-free shopping and for its sandy beaches. At Playa de Las Canteras, a coral barrier lines the beach and shelters swimmers. The annual Las Palmas de Gran Canaria carnival brings together flamboyantly costumed performers, music and dancing

The port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the city’s access to the sea and characterized by a mix of cultures that have managed to coexist in harmony with each other. Santa Cruz is a cosmopolitan city of different influences and varied trends, as you can see from the mix of historic buildings and modern architecture. After leaving the port, start your tour with a visit of the Auditorio de Tenerife and the “Circulo de Amistad." Then take a visit to the Nuestra Señora de África market, where you will find crafts and artisanal products made from natural ingredients, as well as the famous wine of the region. Finally, check out the local cuisine made with potatoes, chilies and exotic spices.

The strategic location of the Moroccan city of Tangier has attracted most powerful nations in history over the centuries. The Port of Tangier connects Africa to the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar, and is one of the country's most important ports, a true cultural and economic crossroads between Europe and Morocco. Costa cruises in the Atlantic Ocean moor at its docks to set off to explore the city. The medina will be the first destination of your trip to Tangier. Narrow streets that climb into a maze of houses and small squares, up the hill overlooking the harbour. Here, in a raised position is the Kasbah, the fortress and one-time the residence of the sultan. The heart of the old town is the Place Petit Socco, very close to the Grand Mosque. The market square, the Grand Socco, separates the medina from the districts of the Ville Nouvelle. Walking through Place de France, your cruise to Tangier will take you back to the 1930s and the French atmosphere that the city experienc…

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with three million inhabitants, a dominating port in northern Mediterranean with one of the most renowned and important universities in the world. The city is a very rich commercial centre, where industrial operations crucial to the Spanish economy take place. In fact, Catalans have always considered their region unique compared with the other Spanish regions and we can find its roots in the power exercised by Barcelona for four hundred years at least on Spanish monarchy and on European commercial events.

A pleasant thing to do is simply sit down at one of the cafes overlooking the port of Marseilles and, sipping a Pastis, observe the landscape and the people who inhabit it. Also called the Porpoise City, Marseille is France’s sunniest town, charming with its gullies where you can swim, its history and culture and restaurants with cosmopolitan cuisine. You cannot leave without having first toured on the “Cours Julien”, the street for shopping. The port of Marseille is perhaps a typical tourist destination, but it deserves to be visited for the ferry that leaves from the Town Hall and the old church, which replaced a Templar building.