Explora Journeys: 10 nights from Barcelona with Explora II (5 Nov 2024)

Funchal

The famous Portuguese poet, Júlio Dinis described Funchal as: ‘The sea on one side, the mountains on the other and between these two majestic splendours, the city smiles like a sleeping child, safe and warm, between its parents’. Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira is the soul of Portugal. Settlers over 500 years ago were attracted to this sheltered place, which is structured like a natural ‘amphitheatre’. Gentle slopes, abundant greenery and flowers, rise above the pretty harbour for almost 1,200 metres. The port is located 15-minute walk from the city center, in Funchal's magnificent bay with its sparkling blue waters. Due to its strategic mid-Atlantic location, Madeira has been a stopover point for ocean-going ships for many years.

Bridgetown

Bridgetown, an island located in the eastern part of the archipelago, is the capital of Barbodos islands. It is renowned for its duty-free shops and its cultural and historical attractions.
It is one of the most oldiest cities of the Carribean Islands; its architecture full of colonial buildings blending with warehouses and brash modern office blocks fascinates and entertains visitors. The center of the city is the Carenaggio, a tourist port that confines with the Parliament of Barbados (where are located two small fashinated history museums). Some of the most famous religious buildings are distant five minutes from the Parliament like Sant Micheal Cathedral and the synagogue.