Exploring Cabo Verde, the Canary Islands and the Azores

Arrive in the remote and mountainous volcanic islands of Cabo Verde and transfer to the capital city of Praia on Santiago Island. Spend the day at your own pace, exploring the sights, sounds, and tastes of this island capital. Check in with the hospitality desk this afternoon before embarking the ship.<br /><br /><b>Arrival Time: </b>Arrive before 1:00 p.m. local time.<br /><b>Arrival City: </b>Praia, Cabo Verde Islands

This morning, arrive in Sao Filipe on the island of Fogo, where you will have the opportunity to add volcano-gazing to your life list. Visit Portela, one of the villages that was swallowed up by lava in the latest lava flow in 2015. The locals have since reclaimed the land and restored their homes along with rebuilding the restaurants and shops.

Visit the ship’s bridge as you sail northward across the Tropic of Cancer. Soak up the views from one of the observation decks and attend engaging presentations from the National Geographic Photographer and onboard naturalists.

Drop anchor in the azure waters of the Canary Islands, which occupy a central place in the history of Atlantic exploration. Visit the larger island of La Palma, known as La Isla Bonita, or “the pretty island,” for its lushly forested mountain slopes set against azure waters. Enjoy a scenic drive up to Mirador de la Concepción, perched on the edge of a crater. On the island of La Gomera, visit a house where Christopher Columbus stayed or go for a hike in the Garajonay National Park.

After a day at sea, start the day south of Madeira in the Desertas Archipelago. The area is a refuge to the Mediterranean monk seal and an array of seabirds. Sail on to enchanting Madeira, where the island’s capital city of Funchal evokes a colonial time capsule with architecture from the 15th through the 19th centuries. Explore its winding streets and culinary delights.

Enjoy all that the ship has to offer on this day at sea en route to the Azores. Spend time on deck with the expedition team as they keep watch over the horizon, searching for the marine creatures and seabirds who feed in this fertile stretch of ocean.

Make your first landing in the Azores at Santa Maria, which is historically significant as the first landfall of Christopher Columbus on his return from the Americas in 1493. Experience the scenery and atmosphere of the Azores while hiking one of Santa Maria Island’s many trails.

On the island of Faial, head to Capelinhos to see how dramatically the landscape changed when the volcano at the western end of the island erupted in 1957. Later, stroll along the marina and raise a glass at Peter Café Sport, a legendary pub where sea adventurers historically dropped their mail.

Arrive in Ponta Delgada and set out on a panoramic tour of the island, visit a local tea plantation, and witness your lunch, the unique “Cozida das Furnas,” being unearthed from its geothermal oven in the ground. Or, join a team of biologists and naturalists on a local vessel searching for a number of species of cetaceans that either transit through or call these waters home.

Disembark in Ponta Delgada, the charming capital of the Azores, and transfer to the airport for flights home.<br /><br /><b>Departure Time:</b> Depart after 11:30 a.m. local time.<br /><b>Departure City: </b>Ponta Delgada, Azores