123-night World Cruise 2025: Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona

For many years this small island, accessible from the mainland by a causeway, was off-limits. A former headquarters of the U.S. Army and Naval Forces, this island is now developing into an upscale destination. Today visitors can enjoy the first class amenities ashore, go shopping in a luxurious new shopping plaza or tour colonial Old Panama.

Pisco is the largest port between Callao and Matarani. There are two parts of this town, Pisco Pueblo with its colonial-style homes, and Pisco Puerto, which, apart from fisheries, has been replaced as a port by the deep-water Puerto General San Martin. From Pisco you can visit the Nazca Lines and Regional Museum of Ica, the Huacachina Lagoon, and Ballestas Island. This area was also home of the Paracas culture and in August 1820 in Pisco, the great liberator General San Martin landed on its coast, which became the birthplace of Peru's struggle for independence.

Coquimbo is near the northern port city of La Serena and one of Chile’s regional capitals. It lies between the Atacama Desert and the central valley, rich in agriculture and is an important distribution center for fruit from the Elqui Valley. Some of the elaborate woodwork handcrafted on the buildings here by early British and American settlers still remains and these wooden buildings are among Chile’s most interesting historical structures. From here you can visit the resort town of La Serena (cathedral and churches), the mountain-topTololo Observatory and the Elqui Valley.

Castro, with some 20,000 inhabitants, is the capital of Isla Grande de Chiloé and an island of dense forests and undulating hills. Between the Isla Grande and the mainland, the Golfo de Ancud and the Golfo de Corcovado are dotted with many smaller islands of archipelagic Chiloe. The distinctive character of the island has been influenced by 200 years of isolation from the mainstream of Spanish colonial development as well as its dependence on the sea. Castro is especially noted for its variety of styles in housing including the palafitos, which are dwellings built on stilts above the water. It also has a splendid cathedral, several museums and a renowned handicraft market, all of which make Castro an attractive place to visit. Its isolation has encouraged self-reliance and also a friendliness toward visitors that has changed little since Darwin remarked more than a century and a half ago, "I never saw anything more obliging and humble than the manners of these people."

The biggest glacier in South America can be found in the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, the biggest national park in Chile.

Port Stanley is the only town on the Falkland Islands, and though it has little more than 1,200 residents, it contains half of the islands' population. There are 700,000 sheep, and a wonderful assortment of sea birds and elephant seals.

Visitors can explore the colonial part of town with its main focus around the central square. In close proximity are several beaches and resort hotels.

In 1502, explorer Amerigo Vespucci first navigated the channel between Brazil's Sao Paulo and the island he named Sao Sebastiao. Today, the island's port village of Ilhabela is know for lovely beaches, windsurfing, yachting and sportfishing. The island also offers hiking trails leading to virgin coasts and waterfalls.

Ilhéus, Jorge Amado's birthplace, is the best-known town in Brazil, scene of his most famous novel. In downtown you will find buildings rich in history, countless bars, restaurants and other enterprises here that take their names from characters in Amado novels. Surrounded by the Atlantic forest habitat, Ilhéus sits on a small hill overlooking the prettiest beach in the state of Bahia. Much of it is modern but it's still an attractive place. The streets of the colonial center contain a number of charming buildings, as well as the Cathedral of Sao Sebastiao and the restored Municipal Theatre. The 1556 Igreja Matriz de São Jorge has a religious art museum, while the domed roof and towers of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Lourdes dominate the shoreline nearest to the center. At the Cocoa Farm one will feel how the old "Cocoa Colonels" lived and know all about cocoa plantation techniques of this golden fruit from a visit to the Cocoa Research Centre. There are beaches to the north of the port. Ilhéus is part of the Cocoa Coast and preserves veritable ecological sanctuaries.

Late night shopping and live music, pristine beaches and an endless coastline full of coves and reefs and historical sites all make Porto Praia a location of multiple interests and many activities. Stroll the historical quarter at night to see a beautiful lighting display, or see the coral reefs at low tide when visiting Recife de Fora Sea Park. For a look into the cultural, tribal history of the region, visit the Jaqueira Indigenous Protection Reservation. Or spend an afternoon at the Terravista Golf Course for a game of golf overlooking the ocean.

The volcanic peaks of the Cape Verde Islands appear like stepping-stones across the Atlantic. Porto Grande on Sao Vicente boasts a charming waterfront area where the pace is pleasantly slow and the people friendly.

On the Asian shore, guarding the Dardanelles, is the quiet Turkish port town of Canakkale. History enthusiasts will want to venture to legendary Troy. Canakkale's Archaeological Museum boasts exhibits originally belonging to Frank Calvert, aide to the discoverer of the lost city, Heinrich Schliemann. Visit the vast memorial at Galipoli Peninsula, site of the notorious World War I campaign. Be sure to sample the culinary delights of a meze, a spectacular array of Turkish hors d'oeuvres.

Sanremo is a beautiful destination off the coast of Italy. The pristine coastline and beaches have attracted many tourists who seek out a relaxing and scenic vacation. Sanremo is filled with many things to experience, such as gambling at their famous casinos, visiting glorious gardens, and attending engaging music festivals.