From the Cape of Good Hope to Gibraltar: A Grand Voyage Exploring Africas Natural and Cultural Treasures

Fly from the U.S. to Cape Town, South Africa.

Arrive in Cape Town in the evening. Transfer to the distinguished Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel.

Explore the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, and discover Cape Point’s spectacular cliffs, among the highest in the world. Also delight in the celebrated Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden before embarkation in the afternoon.

Cruise along the coast of South Africa and Namibia.

Between ocean and desert sands lies charming Luderitz. Visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop, a casualty of the region’s wild, diamond-mining past.

Arrive the morning of April 5 in Walvis Bay, a naturalists’ paradise. Explore the Namib Desert Park, ending with a memorable dinner by the sand dunes. The following day, visit the Walvis Bay Lagoon, an outstanding bird sanctuary.

Arrive the morning of April 5 in Walvis Bay, a naturalists’ paradise. Explore the Namib Desert Park, ending with a memorable dinner by the sand dunes. The following day, visit the Walvis Bay Lagoon, an outstanding bird sanctuary

Cruise toward Luanda, Angola, while enjoying the lecture series and relaxing on board the ship.

Cruise toward Luanda, Angola, while enjoying the lecture series and relaxing on board the ship.

Luanda, Angola’s capital, exemplifies Angola’s breathtaking terrain of mountains rising dramatically from the sea. It is home to museums documenting the region’s history and culture.

Cruise toward Port-Gentil, Gabon, and continue with the ship’s lecture series.

Spend three days in Gabon, home to some of the richest wildlife in all of Africa. In Port-Gentil, visit the Church of Saint Louis, town market, and a local artisan’s workshop. Take a boat ride to Cap Lopez’s white-sand beaches, and spend time relaxing or exploring the nearby mangroves. Enjoy a choice of overnight air excursions on either April 11 or 12 into one of Gabon’s pristine national parks, including the option to tour Loango National Park, with its concentration of elephants and apes.

Spend three days in Gabon, home to some of the richest wildlife in all of Africa. In Port-Gentil, visit the Church of Saint Louis, town market, and a local artisan’s workshop. Take a boat ride to Cap Lopez’s white-sand beaches, and spend time relaxing or exploring the nearby mangroves. Enjoy a choice of overnight air excursions on either April 11 or 12 into one of Gabon’s pristine national parks, including the option to tour Loango National Park, with its concentration of elephants and apes.

Spend three days in Gabon, home to some of the richest wildlife in all of Africa. In Port-Gentil, visit the Church of Saint Louis, town market, and a local artisan’s workshop. Take a boat ride to Cap Lopez’s white-sand beaches, and spend time relaxing or exploring the nearby mangroves. Enjoy a choice of overnight air excursions on either April 11 or 12 into one of Gabon’s pristine national parks, including the option to tour Loango National Park, with its concentration of elephants and apes.

A tour of the beautiful island of São Tomé includes the main town’s cathedral, the National Museum, the Fortress of San Sebastian, and a hike through the rain forest. Visit a coffee plantation where life has remained unchanged for centuries.

Ancient forests cover much of Príncipe. Enjoy a range of options for the day: tour the capital, Santo Antonio; walk through the abandoned plantation of Porto Real; witness Sao Joachim villagers making palm oil; drive to Terreiro Velho, a chocolate plantation with stunning surroundings; or relax on white-sand beaches after a hike through pristine rain forest.

Enjoy Limbé’s mix of German and traditional architecture, the 19th-century Botanical Garden, and Limbé Zoological Garden, a primate sanctuary. Continue to Buea, the old capital on Mount Cameroon’s slopes.

Cruise in the Gulf of Guinea.

A tour of Porto-Novo, once the center of an indigenous kingdom and later the capital of the French colony Dahomey, includes the Ethnography Museum, the restored palace of King Toffa, and the Handicraft Center. Ride local motorboats across Lake Nokoué to picturesque Ganvié.

Ghana’s sprawling capital, Accra, vibrates with energy. A crafts market showcases the region’s best artisans, as does the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography.

Once a fishing village, Takoradi’s influence grew when it became Ghana’s first deep-water seaport. This stretch of coastline is called the “Castle Coast” for its string of forts and castles.

Cruise along the Gold, Ivory, and Grain Coasts, and attend lectures and enjoy relaxing on board.

Cruise along the Gold, Ivory, and Grain Coasts, and attend lectures and enjoy relaxing on board.

Explore Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, including the newly refurbished Sierra Leone Museum, St. George’s Cathedral, and colorful markets. Also visit Regent Village with its 19th-century Krio-style houses.

Our lecture series continues as the ship cruises toward Dakar, Senegal.

Experience African arts and culture at Dakar’s IFAN Museum (Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noir) or visit the artisan market. Take a ferry to UNESCO landmark Gorée, the notorious “Slave Island.”

Built in the traditional Berber style, Nouakchott is the capital of the only nation governed by a nomadic people. Its markets teem with silver, carpets, and Berber handicrafts.

A former French colony, Nouadhibou is a bustling fishing port with international flavor. Cross Western Sahara dunes to see a Berber encampment.

The southernmost town of the Western Sahara area, Dakhla is located on a long peninsula jutting into the Atlantic. Capital of the old Spanish colony Rio de Oro, and known until 1975 as Villa Cisneros, Dakhla is now mostly populated by Moroccans and tribesmen who previously lived in the desert. Whitewashed houses and low-rise buildings characterize this easygoing and friendly town, just north of the Tropic of Cancer.

Relax on board as the ship cruises toward Morocco.

Disembark in Morocco’s Agadir and drive to Taroudant, an elegant, walled city that was once the capital of Morocco. After exploring this characteristic city, continue through the impressive scenery of the High Atlas Mountains to fabled Marrakech. One of Morocco’s Imperial Capitals, Marrakech was founded in the 11th century. During our stay, we will explore the city’s principal monuments. Spend the night of April 30 at the famed Hotel La Mamounia and fly to Casablanca on the afternoon of May 1 to rejoin the ship.

Disembark in Morocco’s Agadir and drive to Taroudant, an elegant, walled city that was once the capital of Morocco. After exploring this characteristic city, continue through the impressive scenery of the High Atlas Mountains to fabled Marrakech. One of Morocco’s Imperial Capitals, Marrakech was founded in the 11th century. During our stay, we will explore the city’s principal monuments. Spend the night of April 30 at the famed Hotel La Mamounia and fly to Casablanca on the afternoon of May 1 to rejoin the ship.

From Casablanca, drive to elegant Rabat, Morocco’s capital. Tour its Medina, home to colorful souks, the evocative Kasbah des Oudaias, and the Chellah Citadel. Alternatively, spend the day in Casablanca to explore this cosmopolitan city.

Like the Cape of Good Hope, Gibraltar is one of the world’s great sea landmarks and has guided mariners for centuries. Explore this remnant of the British Empire, before sailing through the strait to Seville.

Disembark and transfer to the airport for return flights to the U.S.