Gibraltar
Caribbean
Port Stops
The Atlantic World
Antigua
Guadeloupe
Antigua is the main island of Antigua and Barbuda in the Leeward Islands chain. Christopher Columbus first landed here in
1493 on his second voyage to the New World. Two hundred
years later it became the first permanent British settlement in
the Caribbean.
Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France, is located in the
Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It was originally known
as Karukera, or “island of beautiful waters,” to the native
Arawak and Carib peoples. Today, the island’s inhabitants are
largely of African descent, a legacy of the lucrative sugar and
slave trades.
Barbados
Western Europe, Eastern Atlantic
Cádiz, Spain
Located on the southern tip of Spain, Cádiz is considered
to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in all of Europe.
Surrounded almost entirely by the sea, Christopher Columbus sailed from this ancient port on his second and fourth
voyages to the New World, leading Cádiz to become the
home base of the Spanish treasure fleet. Today, the city’s
many parks are still full of exotic plants and trees supposedly
brought back by Columbus himself.
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago made up of seven
major islands located just off the northwest coast of mainland
Africa. In the 16th century, two of the islands – Santa Cruz and
Las Palmas – became important stopping points for Spanish
conquerors, traders, and missionaries navigating to the New
World. The islands themselves are remnants of steep, extinct
volcanoes and boast some of the best beaches on the planet.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is comprised of a group of volcanic islands off the
northwest coast of Africa. A former Portuguese colony, it is now
an adventure destination known for its high peaks and world
class windsurfing. Cape Verde is also a nesting site for loggerhead turtles and a humpback whale feeding ground. Its 15th
century town of Cidade Velha was the first European settlement
in the tropics and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Corsica
The French island of Corsica is known as the most beautiful
island in the Mediterranean. Corsica’s geographically diverse
landscape includes everything from alpine peaks to turquoise
waters to medieval ruins. Its central location has attracted
the attention of many invaders and rulers throughout history,
which has left a unique mix of cultures in their wake, also
contributing to the island’s diversity.
Cork, Ireland
Cork is Ireland’s second largest city and is situated on the
southwest coast. This historic seaport boasts a unique maritime heritage, many remnants of which still remain today.
Cork attracted the attention of Viking pirates who raided and
burned the city in the twelfth century, but later returned to
settle and trade. Cork was recently designated as a European
Capital of Culture, as well as voted one of the top ten cities in
the world to visit by Lonely Planet.
Douarnenez, France
Located in northwestern France on the coast of Brittany,
Douarnenez is on one of the most beautiful bays in Europe.
An ancient fishing port, it is inextricably tied to the sea and
steeped in maritime history. Today Douarnenez is known as a
center of boat building and repair. The city has become a popular destination with a reputation not only for its beaches and
seafood but also for its maritime culture, festivals, and regattas.
Gibraltar
This peninsula on the southern tip of Spain is actually a
British territory. Gibraltar marks the meeting point of the
Atlantic and the Mediterranean and is located in the channel
separating Europe and Africa, giving it great military significance as a stronghold of defense. Today, this 2.6 square mile
territory is home to a nature reserve populated by about 250
macaque monkeys.
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon is Western Europe’s oldest capital and was once home
to the world’s greatest explorers including Vasco da Gama,
Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator. For centuries,
Lisbon launched voyages of discovery to the New World,
linking Europe with the West. It is now known as one of the
safest and friendliest European cities, and one with a strong
connection to the sea.
Barbados was first settled by the British in 1627. It was originally named Ichirouganaim, or “red land with white teeth,”
given the coral reefs surrounding the island. It is located in
the Lesser Antilles along the boundary of the South American
and Caribbean plates, and is known for its sugar industry.
Bequia
Bequia is the largest island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
It is 7 square miles with a population of African, Scottish, and
Carib descent. Historically the island served as an important
waypoint in the sugar and slave trades. Today it is home to
one of the few extensive shipyards in the Caribbean.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic
that was originally settled by shipwrecked colonists on their
way to Virginia. Known as “The Jewel of the Atlantic,” Bermuda is a series of 138 coral islands and islets with pink sand
beaches. It is home to St. George’s Fort, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, the oldest cast iron
lighthouse in the world.
Carriacou
Carriacou and Petite Martinique is a dependency of Grenada
in the Lesser Antilles. The island of Carricacou is the largest of
the Grenadines in the Windward Islands chain. It was first settled by the French in 1656, and the name Carriacou translates
to “land of the reefs.”
Dominica
Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans. This island in the Lesser Antilles reflects
combined French, British, and African cultural influences.
Known as “The Nature Island,” Dominica is home to the
world’s second largest boiling lake and is one of the top ten
dive destinations worldwide.
Madeira
Grenada
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that was first discovered in 1419 during Henry the Navigator’s age of exploration.
Covered in rugged mountains and dense forests, it was colonized by the Portuguese and still remains today an important
crossroads for voyages between Europe, Africa, and North
America.
Columbus first discovered the island of Grenada in 1498 but
it remained uncolonized for over a century. It is now one of
the smallest independent nations in the Western Hemisphere.
Grenada is the southernmost island in the Windward Islands
chain and is known as the “Spice Isle” for its nutmeg, cacao,
and sugar.
Martinique
The island of Martinique lies in the Lesser Antilles and is
an overseas region of France. The island is home to Mont
Pelée, an active volcano. Volcanic ash accounts for the black
sand beaches to the North as compared to the white sand
beaches to the South. The culture is a mix of French, African,
and Amerindian influences.
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory in the Lesser Antilles.
In 1632, British and Irish colonists settled the island. It is
sometimes called “The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean” both for
its Irish heritage and physical resemblance to coastal Ireland.
Today, half the island is uninhabitable due to a volcanic eruption but it is still home to many rare plant and animal species.
St. Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is comprised of two
islands located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.
The islands are separated by a shallow two-mile channel
called “The Narrows.” The islands changed hands multiple times from Spanish, French, and British colonial rule,
although much of the cultural influence is African.
St. Lucia
St. Lucia is in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The island’s natural harbor at Castries made it a very
sought-after colonial acquisition, and it changed hands
fourteen times between the French and British. The Pitons or
“Twin Peaks” are an UNESCO World Heritage Site and make
for great hiking.
St. Martin
The island of St. Martin lies in the northeastern Caribbean
Sea along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). While
first claimed for Spain by Columbus, the island is now split
60/40 North/South between French and Dutch control.
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger of the two main islands comprising the
country of Trinidad and Tobago, and is the southernmost
island in the Caribbean Sea. Discovered by Columbus in
1498, it remained under Spanish rule until 1797. Called “The
Rainbow Island,” Trinidad is known for its racial, religious, and
cultural diversity.