Arriving in Gibraltar is special, particularly if you have never seen the Rock of Gibraltar. Many were out on the bow to take in the view.
Gibraltar
We had no special plans but did want to walk through the city. We remember being here on other trips and visiting the Siege Tunnels, top of the Rock of Gibraltar by cable car, bustling Casemates Square, Botanic Gardens, and the Ape’s Den (home to wild macaques). Our walk today took us through Casemates Square, all the way down Main Street, where it ends at Trafalgar Cemetery. Lovely Christmas decorations are all over and it was fun strolling past the busy cafes, bars, gelato shops, and upscale boutiques. It was almost dark by the time we got to the end, so we simply reversed directions and strolled back, arriving at the ship just in time for a lovely dinner at Canaletto, the Italian specialty restaurant on board.
Tangier
A short sail brought us to Tangier, Morocco. Wanting to see something outside the city, we booked a tour called Asilah, the Atlantic Pearl. Our bus first drove us to Cap Spartel, the point of land where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. A distinctive lighthouse marks the spot. Then a short drive to the Hotel Al Khaima for a welcomed snack of pastries with Moroccan mint tea. On to the walled city of Asilah. Our Guide Mohammad lives there, so we got some interesting insights into life in an enclosed city. The population is about 1,000 but it looks and feels even smaller. He walked us around and then left us to wander through the narrow alleys and small shops selling anything and everything. The buildings here are white with blue trim or green trim for religious places.
Arriving back at the port, we still had several hours of daylight and decided to hop on the shuttle to take us downtown. We were dropped at a central garden, where we proceeded to walk through the narrow streets and alleyways, to visit the remains of the fortified city walls.
Seville
The port city of Cadiz, Spain is our last stop. It heavily rained most of the day, but that didn’t keep us from having a great time. We’ve been to Cadiz many times and really enjoy it but decided to venture out of town. We had booked a ship transfer to Seville, a 1.5-hour bus ride north of the port. It would allow us 4.5 hours of free time to wander.
Seville is gorgeous, stunning, breathtaking - probably a few more superlatives. Each building is ornate and intricately decorated and they are all different. The Plaza de Espana, right near our drop off point, has been used in several famous movies like Star Wars and Lawrence of Arabia. There are 48 beautiful tiled and decorated alcoves running around the base of the castle-like building in the plaza that represent the 48 provinces of Spain. The plaza is situated within the Maria Luisa Park, a spacious and serene oasis in the middle of a bustling city. Unique fountains are in every plaza and green space. But for real jaw dropping beauty, visit the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. It is a Catholic cathedral, built on the site of a mosque. Christopher Columbus is buried here and, according to the signage, it has 80 chapels!
In contrast to the traditional architecture, there is a modern light rail train system running right through the downtown, which is a major people mover. Small tapas bars and cafes populate every street in the shopping districts. We stopped for a light snack in one of these places and learned that a Spanish omelet in Spain is nothing like we expected. It is made of potatoes and eggs, almost a cake-like texture with crusty outside. Incredibly good! And we wandered in to check out a luxury hotel called Alphonso XIII, elegant and exclusive looking.
Our time went fast. Not wanting to be left so far from the ship, everyone was back at the meeting point early. And just as we were about to say goodbye to Seville, the sun came out. But that was ok. We saw a lot, grabbed a few geocaches, and enjoyed our final day in Europe.
We’ll be back in a few days to sum up this trip, as we are now spending 8 days crossing the Atlantic.
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
See all blog posts from this voyage:
Beginning our 42-Day Ultimate Mediterranean Voyage | Exploring Italy | The Acropolis & Egyptian Pyramids | Malta & Tunisia | Conclusion
See Cruises in the Mediterranean >>