Ship - Belle de Cadix	Ask about our Travel Insurance

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: SEVILLA (Embarkation)

Check in from 5.00 pm. Settling into your cabin and presentation of the crew. A welcome cocktail will be served in the lounge, followed by dinner on board. Free evening in Sevilla. Overnight stopover.

Breakfast on board. Optional guided tour of Seville. Art and enchantment have left their mark on the city of Seville. Set off to explore the cathedral, the Alcazar Palace (closed on Mondays) and its Andalusian gardens, the Maria Luisa Park and the seductive district of Santa Cruz. Back on board around 1.00 pm. Departure of the cruise and lunch on board. Sailing on the great river. As we drift along, you will discover unspoilt nature where fields of cotton and rice rub shoulders with the extraordinary wildlife. We will sail past the Donana Park, awarded by UNESCO as “natural Biosphere reserve”, and Sanlucar de Barrameda. Arrival in Cádiz in the evening. Dinner on board. After dinner, optional flamenco evening in Cadiz (depending on availabilities). Overnight stopover.

Breakfast on board. In the morning, optional excursion to Jerez, capital of wine and horses and the birthplace of flamenco song. A panoramic tour will enable you to see the Alcazar and the cathedral. Your tour will continue with a visit to a “ganadería” (a property where bulls are raised), the chance to learn about this living symbol of Spanish culture. Back on board for lunch followed by an optional guided tour of Cadiz and Sanlucar de Barrameda. We begin with a guided visit of Cadiz; a wonderful town of white and blue buildings which is an astonishing mix of historic and cultural wealth. We continue to Sanlucar de Barrameda and visit a wine cellar renowned for its production of “Manzanilla”. We are then entertained by a traditional equestrian display and show. Back on board for dinner followed by an evening of entertainment. Departure around 8.00 pm for Alcoutim. We sail through the night.

We have breakfast as we cruise, continuing our journey along the Guadiana, sailing up river to Alcoutim or Sanlucar de Guadiana. As we sail, we cruise past fabulous landscapes and villages that time has forgotten. Around 1030am, arrival in Alcoutim, a typical Algarve village. We have some free time before returning on board for lunch. The cruise departs once more for Vila Réal de St Antonio or Ayamonte, where we arrive around 3.00 pm. We have free time in Vila Réal (the town centre and beach are close to the mooring), or an optional excursion to Faro. Departure by coach for Faro which was originally an important centre for Roman trade and then a Moorish city, before becoming an important provincial city after the Christian conquest in 1249. In 1580, the city became the regional capital. We have a walking tour of the old town, including a visit of the exteriors of the castle and cathedral. You will also see the exteriors of the convent, the seminary and the bishop's residence. Free time, then back to Vila Réal de San Antonio (or Ayamonte). Dinner on board tonight has a Portuguese theme followed by an evening of traditional Portuguese entertainment. The ship sets sail during the night and heads for El Puerto de Santa Maria.

Buffet breakfast on board. We arrive early this morning in El Puerto de Santa Maria. Free time or a full-day optional excursion to Gibraltar (passengers from outside the EU should consult their Embassy or Consulate to obtain a visa for Gibraltar). We set off by coach for the Rock of Gibraltar. After lunch in a local restaurant, we have a guided tour of the peninsula, which, with its resident colony of Barbary apes, is the pearl of the bay of Algeciras. Stops are scheduled during the tour: Europapoint from where you can see the Moroccan coastline and Saint Michael's Cave famous for its stalactites. We return on board and the cruise departs at 7:00pm. Dinner tonight is followed by a Gala evening as we continue our cruise to Seville.

Early morning arrival in Seville and buffet breakfast on board. Today is entirely devoted to a visit to Granada. The coach sets off early this morning to Granada and we have a guided visit of the town. Set against the impressive mountain range of the Sierra Nevada as a natural backdrop, Granada, renowned for its energy and dynamism, was built on the slopes of three hills: the Albaicin, the Sacromonte and the Alhambra. The imposing city is in a tremendous natural setting, and owes its prestige to its Arabic monuments, in particular to the Alhambra, which is extraordinarily well-preserved. We visit the Alhambra, the genuine palace of 1001 nights and the Generalife, the former summer residence of the Kings. After lunch in a local restaurant, we have a little free time in Granada before we return by coach to Seville. After dinner on board, the crew provide an evening of entertainment. The rest of the evening is free.

Breakfast on board. Day devoted to the optional tour of Córdoba. Departure by coach in the morning heading for Córdoba, the City of the Caliphs. Guided tour of the city. You will discover the mosque-cathedral, a veritable forest of columns, no less than 856, adorned with jasper, granite and precious marble; the Juderia, the former Jewish quarter and its white lanes adorned with flowers and its typical houses opening onto their superb patios. Lunch in a restaurant. Free time then back to Seville where our boat is moored. Dinner on a Spanish theme on board, free evening.

Breakfast on board. Disembarkation at 9.00 am. End of our services