Cruise Description

18 Night Cruise sailing from Lisbon to Athens onboard Star Legend.

Highlights of this cruise:

Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal. a lively and multicultural place. Pre World War I wooden trams clank up steep gradients, past mosaic pavements and Art Nouveau cafés, and the medieval, village-like quarter of Alfama hangs below the city's castle.

Modern Lisbon has kept an easy-going pace and boasts a vibrant, cosmopolitan identity from large communities of Africans and Asians. In 1994, Lisbon was European City of Culture, while in 1998 the city hosted the last great Expo of the millennium.

There are few monuments and little art in Lisbon, largely due to the 1755 earthquake. There is one building from Portugal's golden age – the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos at Belém – that is the equal of any monument in the country. More modern developments include the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian museum complex and the Tómas Taveira's amazing postmodernist shopping centre at Amoreiras.

Cadiz
The city of Cadiz is located on a peninsula protruding into the Bay of Cádiz, the Isle of Leon, separated from the mainland by a narrow and torturous channel, part of much larger Gulf of Cádiz. Very high and thick walls surround the city presenting a very picturesque appearance from the sea.

Cádiz is of typical Andalusian character. The old part of Cádiz, commonly referred to as the Old City (Spanish Casco Antiguo), is shaped by the individuality of the various quarters (Spanish barrios), "El Populo," "La Viña," or "Santa Maria." These areas offer a marked contrast to the newer areas of town.

While the townscape of the Old City is largely formed by narrow alleys leading into a number of plazas, newer areas consist of wide avenues and more modern buildings. In addition, the city is dotted with numerous parks with old giant trees supposedly brought there by Columbus.

Malaga
This lovely capital of Spain's Costa del Sol has an ancient history that goes back to Phoenician times. Presiding over the city is the majestic Moorish citadel, the Alcazaba. Visit Pablo Picasso's birthplace in the Plaza de la Merced or some of the beautiful old churches: Sagrario with its 16th century alter and Santiago with its Moorish tower. Venture to hilltop Mijas for an enchanting example of an Andalusian village.

Málaga is surrounded by mountains, lying in the southern base of the Axarquía hills, and two rivers, the Guadalmedina (on the left bank) and the Guadalhorce, flow near the city into the Mediterranean. The inner city of Málaga is just behind the harbour. The quarters of El Perchel, La Trinidad and Lagunillas surround this centre.

Apart from all the cultural attractions, Malaga is a perfect location to enjoy life. The relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere and the perfect climate attract many tourists.

The people in Malaga (Malagueños), are known for going out at night for a chat, a drink or to eat out. The town therefore has a great variation of restaurants, bars and bodegas, which are normally busy throughout the week. The Malagueños are also known for loving everything about their town and are particularly proud of their world famous citizen, the painter Pablo Picasso.

Argostoli
Argostoli is the capital of the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Greek Ionian Islands. On Kefalonia tourists are drawn to the beautiful blue sea, the golden sandy beaches, the unique caves, the rocky mountains and the traditional settlements. Kefalonia also boasts archeological areas and impressive historical monuments.

Argostoli itself has an attractive main square, the Platia, which has plenty of bars and tavernas in which to sit and watch the world go by. Other attractions in Argostoli include the bridge of Drapano, the Koutavos lagoon, the Lighthouse of Agii Theodori and the Cave of Agios Gerasimos.

Athens
The port of Piraeus is one of the last old-style Mediterranean ports from where you can catch ferries to all of the Greek islands and travel a short distance to Greece's capital city Athens.

In the heart of the city lies the ancient Plaka district, with its honeycomb of streets, little shops - and tavernas that come alive at night. Situated on the north and east slopes of the Acropolis, it is rich with historic sites, such as ancient monuments and churches. Within Athens there are eight large hills, including the Acropolis, and on the outskirts, Mount Parnitha, Mount Pendeli and Mount Hymettos surround the city. A trip to Athens' most famous tourist attraction, the impressive Parthenon built on the Acropolis around 2,500 years ago, will be memorable to say the least.

There are an extraordinary number of historic tourist sights in Athens and many of these are known world-wide. Some of the top Athens attractions include the Agora - a grand, ruined Roman building, Hadrian's Arch - originally the city gate linking the Roman quarters with original town of Athens and the stunning Dionysos Theatre - the world's oldest theatre where many great plays have been performed over the years.