23-night West African Adventure Cruise

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

Walvis Bay is the principal port for Namibia. Its harbor, protected by Pelican Point peninsula, provides one of the few safe deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast of south-western Africa. It is also a magical spot for birdlovers and a gateway to Namibia's hauntingly beautiful lunar-like desert landscapes. Visit Namibia's pretty seaside resort of Swakopmund, whose elegant turn-of-the-century German buildings belong more to Bavaria than Africa! Easily reached is famous Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home of up to 100,000 Cape fur seals - and the grandeur of the Namib-Naukluft Park, whose sand dunes rising to over 1,000 ft are the world's highest.

Renowned for its beautiful white beaches and clear blue waters, the country's main island offers a perfect setting for those wishing to sunbathe, snorkel, scuba dive or go deep-sea fishing. If you want to swim, head to Praia Grande, Praia das Sete Ondas (best waves on Sao Tome), Praia das Pombas, Praia Piscina or Praia Jale. Divers and snorkelers will prefer the reefs off Lagua Azul, Ilheu das Cabras, Praia Pequena and Praia das Conchas.

But sand and surf aren't the whole story: At the southern end of the island, Pico de Ana Chaves—an extinct volcano that rises 5,300 ft/1,630 m—offers a challenging hike, a cool atmosphere and a beautiful view of the island. The one main road on the eastern side of the island takes about four to five hours to drive and passes many small, colorful villages.

The main city, also called Sao Tome, is attractive, quiet, clean and has many old (and decaying) Portuguese colonial buildings. Tour the 16th-century cathedral and 400-year-old Ft. Sao Sebastiao, which now houses the National Museum (lots of displays about the colonial era). Outside town, excursions can be made to the Boca de Inferno (the Mouth of Hell), a natural waterspout flowing from volcanic rock. Also worth visiting is the expansive Agustinho Neto manor house, an old colonial plantation outside of town. For a good day trip, head to Pousada Boa Vista for a bird's-eye view of the coastline and the 80-ft/25-m Sao Nicolau waterfall.

South of the capital is the village of Sao Joao dos Angolare, which has traditional bamboo homes with thatched roofs. Near Angolares is Roca Sao Joao, an estate run by local artist Joao Carlos. It contains a coffee plantation, a comfortable guest house and a restaurant serving authentic local cuisine. Porto Alegre, another plantation farther south, also has a guest house. Set on a bluff overlooking the ocean, Porto Alegre is one of the most beautiful spots on the island. (While food must be arranged in advance, aguadente—the local rum—is always available.) Just offshore from Porto Alegre is Ilheu das Rolas, a tiny island with traditional thatched huts, a blow hole and a monument marking the location of the equator. The island of Sao Tome merits three nights.

Lome, capital of West African republic Togo, is the country’s principal administrative, transport, and economic center. It is a city divided between Togo and its western neighbor, Ghana. Most of Togo’s international trade passes through the city’s port. Its huge market, one of the biggest in Francophone Africa, is home to the famous "mercedes-ladies", those formidable queens of the wholesale cloth trade.

This small capital has a sleepy ambience reminiscent of a large village. Banjul is also a port city acting as a funnel for a large amount of imported goods. Many of these imported goods find their way to Albert Market, a great place to start leisurely walking and shopping for local crafts, batiks, silver jewellery clothes, shoes, fruits and vegetables, and household goods. Look out for the War Memorial and Fountain, MacCarthy Square, African Heritage Centre, National Museum of the Gambia, July 22 Arch. Local pirogues ferry visitors on the quiet waterways of Oyster Creek.

The volcanic peaks of the Cape Verde Islands appear like stepping-stones across the Atlantic. Porto Grande on Sao Vicente boasts a charming waterfront area where the pace is pleasantly slow and the people friendly.

The Canary Archipelago, or Fortunate Islands, as they are often called, owe their fame and fortune to their geographical location and climate. Of volcanic origin, the islands lie off the African coast and encompass such a variety of features that in the course of a day it is possible to pick bananas, throw snowballs, swim in the Atlantic and climb mountains. Tenerife is the largest of Canaries. The south features a desert with grotesque rock formations and chunks of cooled lava. Further north stretch miles of green fields of bananas, tomatoes and potatoes. Mountain slopes are dotted with beech, eucalyptus and pine trees. The coastline is as varied as the areas inland, offering black, grey and golden sand, cliffs, tame beaches and wild capes. A spectacular example of past volcanic activity is Canadas crater which rings Mount Teide - the main feature of the island. At 12,198 feet, the cone-shaped Teide is the highest Spanish summit and nearly always snow-capped. A cable car is available to the top.

The Canary Islands encompass such a variety of features that in the course of a day it is possible to pick bananas, throw snowballs, swim in the Atlantic and climb mountains. La Palma is the most western of the Canary Islands — and probably the greenest. Over seventy percent of the island is a natural preserve. La Palma has an abundance of wild plants and wild flowers, many of which only occur on La Palma, or only on the Canary islands.. For the adventurous, there are national parks with miles and miles of hiking trails to explore. Hike along the coast, through forests and up mountain peaks of up to 8,000 feet. There are also extinct and active volcanoes to hike around as well. Santa Cruz, the main port and capital of the island, is a charming Spanish town complete with a 17th century castle, a Renaissance church and an exquisite 16th century town hall. Here one can also find a mock-up of Columbus's ship The Santa Maria near the northern end of the boulevard by the maritime museum.

Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.