Category: Port of Call

Portugal, which shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain, is a beautiful country full of historical and natural wonders.  I have friends who spent their entire vacation in Portugal this year and strongly recommended it. We had one day to explore the capital city of Lisbon while on a cruise. Lisbon is a large city, 100…

This island port is everything that Spain has to offer in one stop.  Beautiful beaches, stunning Spanish architecture and historical significance, to say nothing of delicious tapas and cold beer.  It is a great addition on any itinerary. Before you decide to spend your day in the main city of Palma check out some of…

Vibrant, exciting, traditional; all words that can be used to define the city of Seville.  Friendly people, breathtaking sites, where history and culture abound are also accurate descriptions and the reasons why you will want to visit this beautiful city.  We spent a day there during a recent cruise, and not only was it not…

Located in the northern part of Spain, Bilboa is the largest city in Basque County.   Although it has much to offer in the way of history and culture the real draw for any first time visitor is the Guggenheim Museum. Your ship will dock in the port of Getxo and shuttles were offered by our…

As with many stops on a cruise itinerary, what you really want to see is further inland than the port where you dock.  The port of Malaga is a prime example.  Despite beautiful beaches, a rich museum of modern art (Picasso was born in Malaga and Van Gogh was on exhibit as well), Arab Baths…

Cartagena is a great port to have as part of any Mediterranean itinerary.  It is an easy walk off from the ship into a town which offers clean pedestrian streets with plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants. There are a variety of fascinating sites including Roman ruins, Banyan trees and a medieval castle which sits…

As happens for many inland cities, the ship actually docks in a different port.  Oft times these ports are dirty, gritty industrial ports that serve many masters, only one of which is the cruise industry.  For our stop in Edinburgh the ship docked in the port of Leith.  It is prettier and cleaner than most…

The sail in to Istanbul is one of the most beautiful in my memory.  The harbour was a juxtaposition of modern and ancient with traditional fishing vessels vying for space next to speeding seadoos.  The shoreline was dotted with soaring minarets that grew larger as we approached revealing the mosque underneath.  It was simultaneously alive…

What was once a part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century has become the thriving Finnish capital, and a great place to spend a day.  Despite its location in the Baltic Sea Helsinki has very little medieval history.  Finland was industrialized in the mid-1800’s and Helsinki beautifully displays that centuries meticulous urban design…