Gerry Kerkhof

Almería

Almería Shore Excursions

24 May, 2017

Located in Andalucía on the south-east coast of Spain, the province of Almería is best known by European tourists who flock to its holiday resorts during the summer months. Few of these holidaymakers take time to visit the capital of Almería province as they rush from the airport to their hotels in Roquetas de Mar and Mojácar. Their loss is your gain as your cruise ship docks close to the centre of this historic city where you can spend your time in port wandering around its ancient streets or heading out on a shore excursion to the Alhambra Palace in Granada.

Bilbao

Bilbao Shore Excursions

18 May, 2017

Located on the Bay of Biscay in Northern Spain, the port of Bilbao has served as an important maritime destination for centuries. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the city was one of Spain’s most important industrial centres without a tourist in sight. The key industry of shipbuilding was in severe decline by the 1980s creating unprecedented levels of unemployment. The turning point in Bilbao’s fortunes came a decade later when the Basque government and the Guggenheim Foundation agreed to build a museum in the city’s old port area. The Guggenheim Museum has proven to be a catalyst for urban regeneration which has seen soaring numbers of tourists arriving in the city including almost 100,000 cruise ship passengers who arrive at the new cruise terminal at nearby Getxo.

Cartagena

Cartagena Shore Excursions

5 May, 2017

Lying on the south-east coast of Spain is the port city of Cartagena which has served an important role as a defensive stronghold on the Mediterranean Sea since it was founded by the Carthaginians in 227 BC. To this day it remains one of the main naval bases for the Spanish Navy. Over the centuries Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Moorish civilizations have settled here leaving today’s visitor with the opportunity to visit a number of interesting sites located within a compact historic centre.

Lissabon

Lisbon Shore Excursions

2 May, 2017

During the 15th and 16th centuries Portuguese sailors were at the forefront of maritime exploration which is generally referred to as ‘the Age of Discovery’. During this period Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa then across to India, later still Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil which remains South America’s only Portuguese-speaking country. The booty acquired from such expeditions created vast wealth for Portugal which was invested in making Lisbon one of Europe’s most monumentally spectacular cities. Unfortunately, many of the grandest buildings constructed during this period were destroyed during the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.

Vigo

Vigo Shore Excursions

25 April, 2017

Tucked away in the north-west corner of Spain, the autonomous region of Galicia could hardly be more different than the widely held perception of Spain as a land of flamenco and bullfighting. This is a Spain of rolling green valleys, a wild Atlantic coastline and historic towns where reminders of their Celtic origins are never far away. Cruise ships visiting this region usually stop in either A Coruña on the northern coast or in Vigo which lies 160km to the south and is just 35km from the Portuguese border.

Málaga

Malaga Shore Excursions

20 April, 2017

To the majority of package tourists from Northern Europe, the city of Malaga is little more than a gateway to the holiday resorts of the Costa del Sol. Little do they know how much they are missing! With a history dating back to its founding by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC it is one of the world’s oldest cities. Today’s visitors can admire its historic attractions which include a fine Roman Theatre, a well-preserved Moorish Fortress and an immense Cathedral. There’s also a vibrancy about the city thanks to the number of tapas bars, cafés and restaurants in its historic centre which always seem packed with local people.

Valencia

Valencia Shore Excursions

18 April, 2017

Lying 350km south-west of Barcelona and a similar distance west of Palma de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, the port of Valencia is a popular destination for cruise ships visiting the Western Mediterranean. The city of Valencia is the 3rd largest in Spain which is perhaps best known internationally as the home of Paella Valenciana, the country’s national dish, and for its sweet oranges which come from the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast) just north of the city.

Barcelona

Barcelona Shore Excursions

4 April, 2017

Located on the coast of Catalonia in northern Spain, Barcelona is the busiest cruise port in the Mediterranean. The country’s 2nd largest city is best known as being home to the magnificent architecture of Antoni Gaudì with the unfinished Sagrada Familia perhaps the most famous of his works. The city also boasts the presence of numerous world-class art galleries and museums and is renowned on the sporting stage for its football team, FC Barcelona. Cruise ship passengers visiting the city cannot do it justice in a single day which explains why so many take the opportunity to spend additional time in the Catalan capital either at the beginning or at the end of their cruise.

Cádiz

Cádiz Shore Excursions

28 March, 2017

Located on Spain’s Atlantic south-west coast, Cádiz is one of Europe’s oldest cities. Founded around 1104 BC by the Phoenicians it has always had a close relationship with the sea serving as a crucial port to the Carthaginians and Romans. Christopher Columbus sailed out of Cádiz on two of his expeditions to the Americas and the city was designated as home for the Spanish treasure fleet. Not only did this attract the attention of Barbary pirates but also of Spain’s enemies, most notably the English, whose naval fleet under Sir Francis Drake (amongst others) attacked the harbour on numerous occasions. In later years the port would play an important role in the Napoleonic Wars, most famously at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Zante

Zakynthos Shore Excursions

22 March, 2017

Zakynthos (or Zante) lies 20km off the south-west coast of Greece amongst the Ionian Islands, a group which also includes Corfu, Kefalonia, Paxos, Lefkas and Ithaca. The devastating earthquakes which hit the southern Ionian Islands in 1953 caused the death of around 600 residents and destroyed most of the infrastructure on Zakynthos and neighbouring Kefalonia. The majority of those who survived emigrated to the Greek mainland or to other countries leaving a small population to rebuild their islands.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki Shore Excursions

14 March, 2017

Located 500km north of Athens, Thessaloniki is the capital of Greek Macedonia and Greece’s second-largest city. Founded as far back as 315BC and named after Alexander The Great’s sister, Thessaloniki is a relatively new stop on the cruise circuit which is destined to grow in popularity as word of its attractions gets out. The city is packed with historical sights and offers a wealth of cultural activities which allow for an outstanding day in port before you head off to discover more gems in the eastern Mediterranean.

Santorini

Santorini Shore Excursions

7 March, 2017

Located in the Cyclades group of islands in the southern Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Santorini is what remains following an enormous volcanic eruption which took place around 1600BC. For centuries scholars have theorised as to the Greek philosopher Plato’s inspiration for the lost continent of Atlantis referred to in his works Timaeus and Critias. One of the most plausible theories is that Atlantis refers to the destruction of the Minoan culture on the island of Crete due to a tsunami resulting from this very eruption. Other academics have suggested a link between the biblical reference to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and the Minoan eruption.

Samos

Samos Shore Excursions

1 March, 2017

Lying in the eastern Aegean Sea just 1.6km off the Turkish mainland is the mountainous Greek Island of Samos. It has long been known for producing a sweet dessert wine from the Muscat grape which is cultivated in the vineyards located on the slopes of Mount Ampelos. Production dates back as far as 1200BC. The island’s other main claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Pythagoras whose theorem about the angles of triangles continues to baffle young Mathematics students to this day.

Search

Categories

shuttledirect.com

legal information

social media

business services

© 2003 – . Shuttledirect operated by Viajes Alameda CV-Mm037A