Canary Islands Celebration | Christmas Voyages - H501

Located on the south coast of England, Southampton served as the historic ocean liner gateway for the British Empire and the intense North Atlantic passenger trade to the U.S. and Canada. Today it is the U.K.'s - and indeed Europe's -- leading cruise port.

Best known as the homeport of Cunard's Queen Mary 2, Southampton now hosts a wide variety of cruise ships in the booming European cruise market with the principal lines being Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Royal Caribbean, P&O Cruises and Saga Cruises.

For most cruise passengers, it's the first and/or last port on a European cruise or Atlantic crossing. But New York it ain't, and the first thing you see as you approach is not the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, but a giant IKEA.

A pleasant, bustling city of around a quarter of a million inhabitants, Southampton has several areas of interest, though much of its historic medieval character was destroyed during World War II. In 1620, the Mayflower left from just outside the existing city walls, and the waterfront recalls this historic voyage. From Mayflower Park, you can enjoy watching the container ships pass en route to and from the freight terminal beyond the Western Docks, cruise ships departing from three separate locations, and excursion boats and cross-harbour ferries flitting around the port. Today, it is a modern shopping destination, business centre and university town (the University of Southampton is a major British research university; among its well-known alumni is QM2 designer Stephen Payne with a large commercial port in addition to its year-round cruise operations.

It's not somewhere you want to hang around (unless you want to pick up some flat-pack furniture), and most visiting cruise passengers will use Southampton as a gateway to nearby London (an hour and 10 minutes away by train). It is also a good starting point for the Isle of Wight (reachable by ferry) and the surrounding county of Hampshire and Wiltshire, with their numerous attractions.

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

Lanzarote is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, situated just 70 miles off the coast of Africa. The island is 37 miles (60km) long and 12 miles (20 km) wide, making it the fourth largest island in the Canaries. Because it is just four degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer, it enjoys a sub-tropical climate that remains fairly stable year-round with average daytime temperatures ranging from about 21°C in January to 29°C in August. Annual rainfall is just 5.5 inches.

Lanzarote is volcanic in origin. Due to eruptions during the 18th and 19th centuries, many parts of the island appear to be from another world, often described as "lunar" or "Martian," so much so that parts of the 1970's science fiction series Planet of the Apes was shot on the island. The dry climate and lack of erosion means that the volcanic landscape appears much as it did just after the eruptions; the local tourist industry capitalizes on this fact.

Amongst the many volcanic features of Lanzarote is the longest volcanic tunnel in the world called the Atlantida Tunnel, which is over 7 km long and includes the La Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua. Today, the volcano park at Timanfaya is the islands number one tourist attraction. But 270 years ago it was the scene of the world's longest ever volcanic eruption. Father Lorenzo Curbelo, the priest of the nearby village of Yaiza, witnessed how the events started to unfold: "On the first day of September, 1730 between nine and ten o'clock at night, the earth suddenly opened near Timanfaya, two miles from Yaiza. An enormous mountain emerged from the ground with flames coming from its summit. It continued burning for 19 days. Some days later, a new abyss developed and an avalanche of lava rushed down over Timanfaya, Rodeo and part of Mancha Blanca.

"The lava extended over to the northern areas to begin with, running as fast as water, though it soon slowed down and ran like honey. On September 7th a great rock burst upwards with a thunderous sound and the pressure of the explosion forced the lava going northwards to change direction, flowing then to the north west and west north west. The lava torrent arrived, instantly destroying Maretas and Santa Catalina in the valley. On September 11th the eruption became stronger." The situation had obviously aggravated in the first week since it started, but the ordeal of the islanders had only begun and it would take six years before the eruptions finally came to an end.

Despite the history rocked by eruptions, there have been plenty of earlier visitors on the island. These include a Genoese sailor by the name of Lancelotto Malocello, who arrived here in 1312 as the first European. Some people say the island got its name from him, but other legends co-exist by its side. Another one suggests that after conquering the native inhabitants, Jean de Bethencourt, a Norman knight who arrived in 1402, celebrated his victory over the natives by throwing his broken lance into the air and shouting "lanza rota," which means broken spear.

The islanders finally surrendered on February 27, 1404, and on that day, their king Guardafia was baptized and christened Luis. Bethencourt was granted the title of king of the Canary Islands by Pope Innocent VII.

Bethencourt died in Normandy in 1422 and was succeeded by his nephew Maciot, who later turned out to be a tyrant. He established Teguise as the capital and seat of governor, but he was suspected of trying to sell the Canaries to the Portuguese, who had also laid claim to the islands, but at arbitration the pope decided in favour of the Castille. The constitution of Cadiz of 1812 abolished feudal system, and the Canaries became a province of Spain with Santa Cruz, Tenerife as the capital. In 1852, the law of free ports granted the islands immunity from customs and excise duties. They hold this status even today.

Cruise ships dock at Arrecife, which is capital of the island with 50,000 inhabitants. The island has several resorts, such as Puerto del Carmen, which is located some 20 km to the south from Arrecife, or Costa Teguise 7 km to the north.

The island of Fuerteventura is the second largest of Spain's Canary Islands -- 665 square meters -- and is the closest to the coast of Africa, with Morocco just 65 miles away. Around 100,000 people call Fuerteventura home, yet the goat population exceeds the number of humans. The islanders say Fuerteventura has the best climate of the Canary Islands. It certainly does not rain much, and the island has no permanent rivers, although dry riverbeds suggest that the skies open at least occasionally. The island is mountainous but offers good beaches and it's heaven for windsurfers, thanks to strong and steady winds on the south coast. Tourism is the biggest industry on the island, and Fuerteventura has been a destination for package holidays since 1968. Today, the principal resorts are in the south and the north, while Puerto de Rosario, the small capital and the place where your ship docks, is located on the northwest coast. Puerto del Rosario was known as Puerto de Cabras (port of goats) until 1956, when it adopted its current and more pleasant name, port of the rosary. The town has two notable sites, the home of the exiled poet Miguel de Unamuno, which is now a museum. The other is the culture centre (Casa de la Cultura), where exhibitions, plays and concerts are held. However, planners recognize the need to develop the town to make it more attractive to visitors, and there are plans to build a municipal park and a quarter to serve the tourist industry. Although tourism started in Fuerteventura quite late, there were many earlier visitors. These included the guanches, a people who came from Africa and who were the first humans to inhabit the island. In 1352, missionaries from Catalonia landed on the island, but they left after only a few years. In 1402, the Norman knight Jean de Bethencourt landed there under the sponsorship of the king of Castile. His force of 63 quickly conquered most of the island, although the mountainous interior took a little bit more work to bring under Bethencourt's control. Unlike in the cases of many islands conquered by Europeans, other powers showed little interest in Fuerteventura, and it has always remained under Castilian and, following the reconquista of 1492, Spanish rule. Puerto del Rosario, the main town, has little to offer and so it pays off to explore rather than stay in the town. You can get a good glimpse of this island in just a day along scenic drives through its mountainous inner regions, where there are few signs of human activity. Expect to find great sand dunes, swimming and other outdoor activities.

Gran Canaria is a prime choice for the sun worshippers and water babies who flock to its abundant soft-sand beaches. Its port, Las Palmas, is the biggest city in the Canary Islands chain, and it's often visited by cruise ships. The island enjoys a spring-like climate year-round. Expect sunny days, warm water and an average annual temperature of a mild 69 degrees. Gran Canaria gets just about 10 days of rain each year. Like most Canarian cities, Las Palmas owns a distinctly Spanish feel and a rich history (the Canary Islands are an autonomous region of Spain). Conquistadors -- attracted by palm groves and a broad bay -- founded the city in 1478, and Christopher Columbus called there during his famous voyage of 1492. The port's palm tree-lined streets are clean, well laid out and richly endowed with fabulous floral displays -- the city's gardeners make the most of the balmy climate. And you don't have to travel far to find a pleasant beach; the honey-sanded Playa de las Canteras lies just northwest of the downtown area and has the distinction of being one of the longest city beaches in the world. The port also lies close to the internationally famous sea resort Playa del Ingles and the spectacular desert scenery of Maspalomas. Both are popular resorts year-round, so you will find plenty of dining and lazy beach options. Farther afield, visitors can discover quaint old towns like Arucas and Teror or explore Gran Canaria's volcanic interior -- a surreal moonscape of craggy gorges and gaping craters.

Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is also one of the most scenically stunning islands in the world. Tenerife is about 300 kilometres from the African continent and about 1,300 kilometers from Mainland Spain. It enjoys a steady year-round, spring-like temperature with a yearly average of 23 degrees centigrade. Dominated by the gigantic outline of 12,198 ft.-high Mount Teide, this amazing volcanic island offers a wide variety of landscapes and tourist experiences. On a visit there, you might find yourself strolling through a sleepy hillside village, breathing in a lush laurisilva forest consisting of laurel trees and ferns or making your way through the dense foliage of a banana plantation. You can crash on a sunny and golden/black sandy beach or scale a snow-capped mountain, enjoy a gentle round of golf or a fiercely fought game of tennis, shop for local handicrafts or international designer wear, go on a whale and dolphin watching trip all year round, dine the traditional tapas and famous "wrinkled potatoes" with mojo sauce or in a Michelin-starred restaurant – on this most varied of islands, the choice is yours. Upon reaching Tenerife's main port of Santa Cruz, if your ship parks at the bottom of its U-shaped harbor, you'll face a hot 15-minute walk to reach it all -- unless your cruise company provides a shuttle bus to the port gates. It's worth persisting, though; don't be tempted to stay onboard here however fine your ship ... as Santa Cruz, a historic city founded in the 15th century, is well worth the effort. Once outside the port gates you'll find a broad and beautiful promenade -- the elaborately named Avenida Maritima -- running right along the seafront; there's broad tree-lined pavement on one side and, across the busy road, a long parade of shops, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs (including one called rather cleverly Klan D Stino!). The streets running inland from this promenade hold jewellery shops filled with fine silver goods, high street shopping brands, good thing to remember is that the Canary Islands are a low tax area so you will always find good bargain-priced goods that make Tenerife such a popular call.

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

Blooming with beautiful flora, discover Funchal's colourful botanical gardens and flower markets. If you're feeling adventurous, take the cable car up to the hilltop town of Monte, then the famous toboggan run back down again. 

Blooming with beautiful flora, discover Funchal's colourful botanical gardens and flower markets. If you're feeling adventurous, take the cable car up to the hilltop town of Monte, then the famous toboggan run back down again. 

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

The gateway to Galicia, situated on the northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, is known locally by its Galician name: A Coruna. Built on an ancient Celtic hill fort, much of this compact Spanish city is manageable on foot. Brimming with history, tradition and splendid architecture, it features a wealth of open spaces, parks and pristine beaches. Residents take pride in their Celtic heritage and cherish the survival of Galego, their language. The miradores (glass-fronted balconies) of the tall apartment buildings overlooking the harbour in the Avenida de la Marina are distinctive features of this handsome yet gritty place. Residents can admire the views while helping to protect against the strong winds that sweep in from the Atlantic Ocean. This led to the town being called the Crystal City. Flourishing San Carlos Garden, which sits atop the old San Carlos fort, is located just inland from the cruise ship pier. Sir John Moore is buried there. He was the British general who led the British and Spanish troops against Napoleon's army in the 1809 Battle of Corunna and died in the fighting. The garden makes a good starting point for a stroll around, the Ciudad Vieja, or old town. This quarter, all spires and cobbled lanes, contains remains of the Roman wall that once protected it. Besides a flurry of look-at-me churches, there is an impressive collection of galleries, clusters of restaurants, tapas bars and quirky shops that spill into the winding alleyways. A Coruna also has museums for all tastes, so whether your bag is art, clocks or archaeology, you will find one to suit you. The Town Hall is in pedestrian-only Maria Pita Square, which owes its name to the feisty heroine of the same name. From the nearby port of El Ferrol, the Spanish Armada sailed to invade Britain, but only half of the galleons returned. Later, Sir Francis Drake led a retaliatory invasion, but it was repelled in 1589 by the citizens of A Coruna led by Maria Pita. The square is enclosed on three sides by buildings and arcades.

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

Located on the south coast of England, Southampton served as the historic ocean liner gateway for the British Empire and the intense North Atlantic passenger trade to the U.S. and Canada. Today it is the U.K.'s - and indeed Europe's -- leading cruise port.

Best known as the homeport of Cunard's Queen Mary 2, Southampton now hosts a wide variety of cruise ships in the booming European cruise market with the principal lines being Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Royal Caribbean, P&O Cruises and Saga Cruises.

For most cruise passengers, it's the first and/or last port on a European cruise or Atlantic crossing. But New York it ain't, and the first thing you see as you approach is not the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, but a giant IKEA.

A pleasant, bustling city of around a quarter of a million inhabitants, Southampton has several areas of interest, though much of its historic medieval character was destroyed during World War II. In 1620, the Mayflower left from just outside the existing city walls, and the waterfront recalls this historic voyage. From Mayflower Park, you can enjoy watching the container ships pass en route to and from the freight terminal beyond the Western Docks, cruise ships departing from three separate locations, and excursion boats and cross-harbour ferries flitting around the port. Today, it is a modern shopping destination, business centre and university town (the University of Southampton is a major British research university; among its well-known alumni is QM2 designer Stephen Payne with a large commercial port in addition to its year-round cruise operations.

It's not somewhere you want to hang around (unless you want to pick up some flat-pack furniture), and most visiting cruise passengers will use Southampton as a gateway to nearby London (an hour and 10 minutes away by train). It is also a good starting point for the Isle of Wight (reachable by ferry) and the surrounding county of Hampshire and Wiltshire, with their numerous attractions.