Atlantic Islands

The seven islands which make up the Canary Islands are found around 70 miles from the coast of Morocco. Each island has it's own characteristics: Gran Canaria boasts busy resorts, stunning architecture and a touch of desert in the Dunas de Maspalomas; the eerie moon-like landscapes of Lanzarote are accentuated in the Fire Mountain Volcanic Park where Fuerteventura is close to a semi-desert with long, sandy beaches. Heading further into the Atlantic you will find the unspoiled volcanic islands of El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma. The lush, mountainous Madeira is 250 miles to the north; Funchal, its capital, will enchant visitors with a winding maze of cobbled streets and famous sled rides down the steep streets.

Sailings to Madeira and the Canary Islands depart from UK ports, or to get closer to the sun you can fly out and begin your voyage in the Mediterranean. Generally voyages are around 7 to 14 days in length, or as part of longer world cruise sectors. There are also cruises departing directly from Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

Discovered by the Portuguese, the nine island Azores have been a long-standing favourite stopping point for voyages between the New and Old Worlds, with craters, sheer cliffs, lakes and lush valleys. The Cape Verde Islands are a similar mountainous, volcanic archipelago with colonial era Portuguese architecture in quaint, attractive towns.

The tiny, remote islands of Ascension and St. Helena are based in the tropical South Atlantic, north-west of Cape Town And half way between South America and Africa. Seldom visited these islands are occasionally ports of call for world cruises or longer expedition type voyages.