38-day Africa's West coast, Spain & France

Your voyage begins in Cape Town, South Africa. 160 years after its discovery by Portugal's Bartholomew Diaz in 1488, the Cape of Good Hope was still a part of primeval Africa. Sailors on passing ships impatient to reach the East or return home to Europe would leave messages under inscribed "post office" stones for other ships to carry forward. In 1580, Sir Francis Drake sailed around the Cape. The ruggedness and breathtaking beauty of the peninsula caused him to write, "This Cape is a most stately thing, and the fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth." The Dutch East India Company, yielding to repeated petitions and recommendations from their ships' officers, decided to establish a post at Table Bay in 1652. A stronghold was established and subsequently was replaced by the existing Castle of Good Hope - Cape Town's first building.Cape Town continued to grow quickly under Simon van der Stel, who arrived as Governor in 1679. He turned vast regions into rich farmland, planted some 8,000 trees and designed and built the stateliest of the Cape's historic mansions, Groot Constantia (named after his wife, Constance). The British seized the Cape from Holland in 1806 and the subsequent discovery of diamonds and gold in the country spurred growth and immigration. Cape Town became a municipality in 1840 and a liberal constitution was granted to the Cape Colony in 1853. Today, the "Mother City" and the Western Cape are home to South Africa's parliament for half of the year (Parliament sits in Pretoria for the other half of the year) and much of its major industry.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your ship calls at Luderitz, Namibia.

Your ship calls at Walvis Bay, Namibia.

A second day in Walvis Bay, Namibia - time to explore at your own pace.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Luanda, Angola.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Your ship calls at Sao Tome, Sao Tome & Principe.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Cotonou, Benin.

Your ship calls at Tema (Accra), Ghana.

Your ship calls at Takoradi, Ghana.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Dakar, Senegal.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your ship calls at Mindelo, Cabo Verde.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

The Canary archipelago was sculpted by a period of intense volcanic activity; its islands possess a stark, near lunar beauty. Gran Canaria is the third-largest island in the group and is often described as the 'Round Island' for its near-circular shape. Las Palmas, its capital, is also the largest city in the Canaries numbering some 500,000 inhabitants. Despite the seemingly inhospitable landscape, farmers in Gran Canaria's Angostura Valley cultivate abundant crops of tomatoes, onions, melons, and figs. Moreover the island's climates, lack of rainfall, and fine beaches have long drawn Europeans seeking the winter sun.

Lanzarote is the fourth-largest island in the Canary chain. The most easterly of the Canaries, the island lies some 70 miles off the shore of North Africa. Like its neighbours, Lanzarote was shaped by a period of intense volcanic activity. The resulting landscape possesses a stark, near-lunar beauty: Over 300 now-dormant volcanoes left behind petrified lava seas and deep layers of volcanic ash. Today, visitors to these "Mountains of Fire" ride camels through the lava beds and even enjoy a volcano-broiled steak at the park's restaurant. (Subsurface temperatures still reach 800F in the park.) Despite the seemingly barren land scape, island farmers grow abundant crops of tomatoes, onions, melons, and figs in addition to Malvasia, a clear yellow wine produced from malmsey grapes. Lanzarote's rugged landscape, its warm climate, its lack of rainfall, and its beaches have proved attracted to travellers: Tourism dominates the island economy with some 2 million visitors arriving annually.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Seabourn Quest's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

For many, the word Casablanca conjures up Hollywood's vision of an exotic city of intrigue. But the reality is far removed from film fantasy, more complex and fascinating. Casablanca is Morocco's largest city, the busiest port in North Africa, and home to nearly four million people. An important trading center since the days of the Phoenicians, Casablanca is an evocative blend of more new than old, more familiar than exotic. It is a modern commercial city with an old heart that is home to narrow, cobbled alleys, bazaars and souks, minarets and medinas.Casablanca is a modern city with beaches bordering the Atlantic and broad, tree-lined avenues. The city is also your gateway to Morocco's interior and the exotic "Imperial Cities" of Rabat and Marrakech.

Your ship calls at Tangier, Morocco.

Mention Spain and the images that inevitably spring to mind are images of Andalusia - shadows falling across the bullring, the staccato rhythms of flamenco, the waft of orange blossoms from a Moorish garden. Cadiz is your gateway to this storied land and the city of Seville. Visit Seville's massive Alcazar fortress, modeled on the legendary Alhambra Palace of Granada. See the city's cathedral, a 15th-century Gothic masterwork that boasts a Moorish patio, fountain and minaret. Seville is also the legendary home of Don Juan, Bizet's Carmen and Rossini's Barber of Seville.Cadiz is one's of Europe's oldest inhabited cities, dating from 1100 B.C., and your gateway to Seville and Andalusia.

Continue your voyage aboard Seabourn Quest with a leisurely day at sea.

Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Then, on November 1, 1755, a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city in the space of 10 minutes. Only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter, survived. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas.

Your ship calls at Leixoes (Porto), Portugal.

With La Coruña's impressive and extensive history, visitors are often surprised at how modern the city is. It was from here that, in 1588, Spain sent its "invincible" Armada sailing. A year later, Sir Francis Drake sent those ships scrambling, burning most of the city just for good measure. Drake's invasion was ultimately repelled by the peoples of La Coruña, inspired by the local heroine, María Pita. In the process, La Coruña lost all of its Roman antiquities, including the Torre de Hercules, the present day monument as undergone several transformations over the centuries, the most important one carried out in 1788 by the engineer Eustaquio Giannini, who built the current façades around what remained of the Roman lighthouse, now declared a World Heritage Site. The city does, however, still offer incredible vistas, situated as it is on an outstretch of land blanketed on each side by the sea. Be sure to visit the Ciudad Vieja, the small old town that watches over the Darsena de La Marina harbor. Here you will find many pleasant cafes from which you can people-watch. Notice that most of the streets are lined with glass covered balconies built for protection again the city's winds and rain. The port of La Coruña serves as your gateway to Santiago de Compostela, one of the greatest pilgrimages of the Middle Ages. As the site of the supposed shrine of St. James the Apostle, it is the third holiest site in all Christendom, following Jerusalem and Rome. Pilgrims believed that making the journey here would reduce their sentence in purgatory by one-half.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at St Malo (Le Mont Saint Michel), France.

Perched at the crossroads of France and Great Britain, it's no surprise that this piece of real estate was a prize among its many conquerors. Romans, Vikings, Saxons and Normans all fought over this strategic port on the English Channel. Cherbourg's port was once again the center of conflict when German forces captured it during World War II. Liberated by American forces in 1944, Cherbourg serves as your gateway to the historic Normandy landings of D-Day. And there's more to explore-medieval villages, a rugged countryside, charming city sights and castles and churches are all reminders that Cherbourg is a fascinating city worth discovering.

Your ship calls at Rouen (Paris), France.

A second day in Rouen (Paris), France - time to explore at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Scenic Cruising Seine River.

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside - and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.