A Cadiz port of call is often a highlight for travelers on Mediterranean cruises sailing along the southern coast of Spain. From Cadiz, cruisers can easily make their way to Seville, the 4th largest city in Spain and capital of Spain’s Andalusia region. Seville has a metropolitan population of about 1.5 million people and inhabitants of the city are often called Sevillanos or Hispalenses after the Roman name of the city, Hispalis. A major geographic aspect that defines Seville is its location on the plain of the Guadalquivir River. Seville’s beautifully designed Old Town contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it a favorite for cruisers visiting Seville from the port of Cadiz, Spain. The UNESCO sites include the Alcázar palace complex, the Seville Cathedral, and the General Archive of the Indies. Its architecture marvels expand to baroque churches, Mudéjar palaces, gothic cathedrals, aristocratic mansions, and medieval buildings. The array of design makes it an enchanting city to walk around, giving travelers the perfect opportunity to explore its past as a Moorish capital and New World trade city.

See why this city stands out above all others as you stroll along elaborate mosaic sidewalks and pass by the Monument to the Discoveries. A quick trolley ride transports you to the cobblestone district of Baixa. Or be lured away and pampered in the resort cities of Cascais and Estoril.

Funchal, the largest city on Madeira island, is known as the “Floating Garden” because of its remarkable variety of vegetation, fruit, and flowers. Everywhere you look you’ll find sprawling scenic splendor, from the deeply gouged cliffs to the lush, verdant valleys reminiscent of parts of Hawaii.

Funchal, the largest city on Madeira island, is known as the “Floating Garden” because of its remarkable variety of vegetation, fruit, and flowers. Everywhere you look you’ll find sprawling scenic splendor, from the deeply gouged cliffs to the lush, verdant valleys reminiscent of parts of Hawaii.

Tangier, a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar, has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. Its whitewashed hillside medina is home to the Dar el Makhzen, a palace of the sultans that‘s now a museum of Moroccan artifacts. The American Legation Museum, also in the medina, documents early diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Morocco in an 1821 Moorish-style former consulate.

This island enclave is often described as a mini-Barcelona, with a Gothic feel that has overtaken centuries of Roman and Moorish culture. Visit El Baluard, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which was built on the site of the remnants of the 16th century Bastio de Sant Pere, or shop for bargain pearls at the city‘s many jewelers.