An Iberian Adventure with Azamara Cruises

This blog post is currently “Under Construction.” Please check back over the next few days for additional information and pictures You can link back to the post through our website or from the button in your “Legacy Legend” email.

Join me as I give a Legacy Travel Designs description of my recent travel to Portugal, Gibraltar & Spain aboard the Azamara Quest. Hopefully my experience will inspire you to plan your own adventure on one of Azamara’s many immersive itineraries all over the globe!

I was fortunate to be invited by Azamara to join a group of travel advisors from the USA and Canada for a “Seminar at Sea” on the Quest‘s sailing from Lisbon, Portugal to Barcelona, Spain. I brought my husband along for the ride, and I was delighted that two of John’s sisters and their husbands decided to join us for what was the first cruise and first visit to many of these destinations for several members of the group! Our trip also was a multiple-milestone moment for John and me. It was our first “big” trip as empty nesters, John’s first cruise, and our first time traveling abroad with John’s family.

Lisbon

I followed the advice that I give to all my clients and arranged for us to arrive in Lisbon, our departure port for the cruise, one day ahead of embarkation. This allowed us to do some exploration and experience a bit of Lisbon before boarding the ship, and it gave us a chance to recover somewhat from our jet lag. It also provided a “cushion” in case of any flight delays or other possible travel complications.

Our overnight flight on TAP Air Portugal was comfortable and smooth, and we arrived in Lisbon very early in the morning. My onsite partners at Titanium Tours DMC had helped me to arrange private airport transportation for our group, and we were surprised to be picked up by a full coach bus! I had reserved the lovely and centrally-located Convent Square Hotel through our partners at IHG hotels, and the hotel was very accommodating for our early arrival. We rested a bit in their spa/pool/gym area, checked our our bags with the front desk, then spent the entire day on the move. We were first in line for coffee and our first in-country taste of pastel de nata (egg custard tart) and other pastries at the historic Confeitaria Nacional (dating back to 1829), just a block from the hotel. We walked around a bit on our own, then had a private city tour in an electric tuk tuk, including stops at the famous Pastéis de Belém and tastes of pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters) and ginja (sour cherry liqueur). We were so grateful to be in a tuk-tuk instead of having to walk up and down those hills, especially in our jet-lagged state! After a much-needed rest period back at the hotel, we attended a Fado performance, then had a traditional Portuguese dinner at Solar do Duque, recommended and reserved for us by the hotel concierge.

Our next day was embarkation day, but we had time to visit Castelo de S. Jorge and do a little more exploring before boarding the Azamara Quest embarkation.

All Aboard the Azamara Quest

Our travel advisor group was invited for early embarkation and a ship tour, and the rest of my traveling group met up with us a bit later after enjoying some more time in Lisbon. This flexibility was easy, since the Quest was docked very close to the city center. This was a hallmark for most of our destinations, as it is for most ports of call on Azamara itineraries, due to the smaller ship size and the resulting ability for the ships to access very favorable docking positions. After a light lunch aboard, settling in, and some lounging time by the pool, it was time for our sailaway along the Tagus River, with beautiful views of Lisbon along the way.

Portimão

Our first port of call, in Portugal’s Algarve region, is known mostly for its beaches and cliffside caves that can be explored by boat. While the weather was unexpectedly balmy, instead of hitting the beach we had chosen a full-day shore excursion. We first were driven to the nearby town of Silves, where we had a walking tour and explored its Moorish castle.

In the afternoon, we visited the Quinta dos Vales vineyard and winery for a private tour and wine tasting. This trip perfectly combined the interests of everyone in our group. The history buffs got their fix in Silves, and I got to wine-geek out in the production room and wine cellar at Quinta dos Vales. Our knowledgeable tour guide Daniel also treated us to some combination history/wine tidbits, such as the origin of the word “quinta” to refer to many farms, especially vineyards. Centuries ago, the estates were let out for rent (paid to the King) equivalent to one-fifth of their produce, and quintus is the Latin word for “fifth;” hence they became known as quintas. See? Everyone is happy!

Gibraltar, U.K. (Day 4):

This British Overseas Territory (BOT) was the highlight of the trip for several of our traveling companions with two of them even getting off the ship again in the afternoon to do some more touring. We took a guided driving tour around the territory with stops to visit the famous wild monkeys, explore the World War II tunnels, view Africa from Europa Point, and watch planes take off and land on the precariously short runway at Gibraltar’s famous airport.

Spain (Days 5-9)

We visited a different port each day, which gave us an incredible opportunity to do and see many sites along the southern coast of Spain.

• Málaga/Ronda: John and I took a full-day excursion to beautiful and unique Ronda, while the rest of the group did a walking tour of Málaga.
• Almería: A few of us went to a family-owned, organic farm and winery while others took an excursion to the “white village” of Mojacar. Later in the afternoon, John and I visited the ancient Moorish castle above Almería, which is in the process of being restored.
• Cartagena: This small port town is a hidden gem of historical significance as well as home to one of Spain’s oldest naval bases. We explored the Moorish castle ruins, the ancient Roman amphitheater, and the beautiful 18/19th-century architecture of of the pedestrian center.
• Valencia: John and I took a bike tour from the port through the modern “City of Arts & Sciences,” through the Turia Gardens park, and into the Old City. Of course we had a refreshing horchata at the end of our ride!
• Barcelona: Disembarkation day, and our only bad weather day of the whole trip. We braved the chilly rain and had private tours of the Sagrada Familia, the Gothic Quarter, and Park Guell. We crashed at an airport hotel and flew out early the next morning.