Plenty to do in Lisbon. Walk up and down the town avoiding the jewellery shops where necessary. Catch a train to Cascais or Estoril, cheap and easy, 40 minutes journey every 20 minutes or so, stroll along the promenade, have lunch with vinho verde and sangria and maybe some food. Take a harbour boat tour or ferry across to the other side and back. Get the ferry across and go up the statue of Christ the redeemer (not actually done this ourselves).
Gibraltar you can walk into the main street, about 15 minutes on the flat. Plenty of shops if you like booze or diamonds or gold or suchlike. There are local buses and taxi drivers around.
An interesting (well for me) way to pass some time in Gib is to walk to the end of the main street until you reach Southport Gate and on the left is a small cemetery with, if my memory serves, some from the time of Nelson
A little bit long, but hopefully will give you plenty of ideas.
Lisbon
Get up early and get out on deck for the sail under the bridge. The views of the Discovery monument to your left and the Statue of Christ to your right are fantastic.
There are two positions for the ship to berth, one by the bridge & one further up nearer the square. If the ship docks by the bridge just walk outside the dock and across the road. There is a train station by the police station which will take you into the city or the other way to Estoril or Cascais. If you walk round the corner from the station there is a tram (cheap) which will take you into the city.
The city itself is well spread out and full of great architecture and it is very easy to find your way around.
Excursions:
This is another easy DIY Destination. There are two shuttle drop of points that are known. One is Black horse square and the other a couple of blocks away.
If you are dropped off in Black Horse square cross to the other side were the local tourist office is housed and you can collect a map of the city,
There are lots of trips around the city; most of them go from the top corner of Black Horse Square, however there are other pick-up/drop-off points around the city. Have a look around where the shuttle drops you off for an information and ticket point. One of the trips is the ‘Tagus Tour’, this takes in all the main sights, including the Discovery monument on the river bank before dropping you back at the square, you can get on and off at leisure and just pick up the next tour bus, every 30 minutes. There is also the olde tram, don't book the cruise lines tour you can easy DIY, it is an old wooden yellow tram and it is hoho.
Gibralter
Gibraltar always gets mixed reviews. However, it has such a lot to offer. Such a proud history, lovely friendly people. Do not just think of shops, even with a half day stop you can still see some of the history, do some shopping, have a coffee in Casement and get back to the ship on time as the Taxi drivers are so well organised.
On arriving in Gibraltar it will become clear which way is town. This is an easy DIY. You have the choice; there are shuttle taxis that charge £2 each way, you can walk to Casemates square (town) is around 10-15 minutes, but it can be VERY hot as there is no shade.
The local taxis operate people carriers with about six seats. They do tours up the rock and operate on a price per person basis, around £20. This includes all entrance fees. There will be lots at the cruise terminal.
Town Area: You can go up Main Street and see many UK shops, plus the local traders who you must barter with for good prices. There are good prices on cameras, videos, computers, jewellery etc.
Half way up the street you will reach the RC Cathedral which used to be a mosque! A few minutes further on there is the C of E Cathedral and even a bit further on the Governor’s residence.
Museum: this is near the RC Cathedral in town.
If you walk right along and under Southport Gates you will reach the Trafalgar cemetery where some of Nelson’s crew are buried after battle of said name. It is about 10 mins walk from the town.
The Cable Car for the rock is situated a little further on past the Trafalgar Cemetery, 5 mins extra. It will take you right up to the very top of the Rock and also to the apes den.
Opposite the cable car is Botanical Gardens and this is also worth a visit, such a diverse selection of flora and forna.
St. Michael’s caves, you need a taxi really as these are half way up the Rock although you could access them from the cable car.
Great Siege Tunnels: Again, you need a taxi, but these are handmade tunnels dug by soldiers at the time of the Great Siege 1700’s.
Moorish Castle: This is just the keep of the castle made by the Moors. There are fantastic views of the airport. Quite funny watching has the traffic comes to a halt for a plane to land!
Europa Point: You can get bus number 3 from Wall Road. This will take you to the outside of the lighthouse and also the Mosque paid for by King of Saudi Arabia.
Beaches:
The one on the west side of the Rock is all pebbles and on the east side sandy.
Catalan Bay: A quaint fishing village, bus number 4, ask the driver which way he is going - to Rosia or Catalan Bay. Also nice for a seafood lunch
Barcelona
There is so much to see in the city; you need to decide what you want to see first. The great thing about Barcelona, a lot of Western Med cruises stop here, so if you are planning another Med Cruise, you can see more of the city the next time.
Warning - Barcelona have the most devious street criminals, they work in gangs - even use small children.
The ship berths a fair way from the main city and it is best to get the shuttle into town. The Shuttle Bus goes to the Christopher Columbus Column, or it did, and that is at one end of Las Ramblas.
If walking around Barcelona when you get to the top of the Ramblas turn to your right, that leads to El Cortes Ingles.
HOHO buses are well worth the few Euros it costs to use, three routes colour coded plus included headphones to listen to on board commentary. Taxis weren't too expensive if you wanted to use them to get from one place to another. The Metro works really well too.
The Panoramic tour is a good tour. You see many of the sights, stopping off at the La Sagrada Familia for about an hour and then onto Montjuic where the views across the City are stunning. Back down to the city and for those who wanted the coach stopped near the Ramblas so they could get off.
Look at the Gaudi tour to La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. This is one of the most impressive public parks in the world. The park is located in Barcelona and was designed by famous architect Antonio Gaudi.
There are plenty of beaches within a short walk of Christopher Columbus Column. Nova Icaria, Bogatell, Mar Bella and Barceloneta are all beaches in Barcelona which have restaurant and café lined promenades.
Further afield:
A trip to the spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat of Montserrat Monastery is a must. The cable car ride up the mountain is simply spectacular.
Valencia
The ship berths a fair way from the city, so you will need the shuttle bus to get you into town. The shuttle drops you off near the Torres de Serranos, you need the shuttle, it is a good 20 mins by coach, from ship to city.
What a beautiful city with lots to see. From where the shuttle drops you off it is then short walk down one street to the centre coming out near the Cathedral. Most of the main sites are within 10 – 15 mins of the Cathedral. The side streets are full of small shops selling some nice stuff at reasonable prices.
There are two HOHO buses, Red and Blue routes with the red route going from Placa de la Reina near the Cathedral. For those who like shopping there are 8 Corte Inglas and some great boutiques.
The Oceanographic of the City of Arts and Sciences is the largest aquarium in Europe and contains representatives of the world’s main marine ecosystems. Each building is identified with the following aquatic environments: the Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical Seas, Oceans, the Antarctic, the Arctic, Islands, and the Red Sea, as well as the Dolphinarium with 24 million litres of water and a depth of 10.5 metres. The Underwater Restaurant
Another good site to visit is the food market, fantastic architecture and of course lots of fresh food.
Soak up the sun at one of Valencia's two beaches: the Playa de la Malvarrosa or the neighbouring Playa de las Arenas.
Malaga
The city of Malaga waits just beyond the gates of the port and you can explore the Old Town on foot.
After a short shuttle bus ride it is an easy walk into the city and from here a short walk to the Gothic Cathedral, the Roman theatre, Gibralfaro Castle and Arab Palace which gives you great views over the city.
There is an HOHO bus from the bus station, a few metres from where the shuttle drops you off. It takes in most of the important sites.
To gain entrance to a lot of places cash is required as they have machines to purchase your tickets which don't accept cards. The best value we found was to purchase a joint ticket for the castle and Alcazaba (the Arab Palace) it cost I about €8 per adult and €3 per child.
Gibralfaro Castle: To get there first a walk through some beautiful gardens with mosaic seating, fountains, statues, orange trees and palm trees. A lovely cool place to stroll through near to the sea. A word of warning the walk to the castle is steep but absolutely, definitely worth the effort. The castle is amazing, you can walk along the walls and again will get some amazing views and there was a small museum and a little cafe too. You will see some stunning views out to sea and across Malaga including a great view of the bullring. When you reach the top there is a small kiosk selling ice creams, water snacks etc next to the entrance to the castle.
Retrace your steps down the hill to visit the Alcazaba (the Arab Palace) if you enjoy looking around historical places these two are definitely for you another amazing castle, remarkably intact and loads to see. As you leave the castle turn immediately right and walk along the side of the entrance building and you will get a great view of the Roman theatre, the ticket does not give you access to it but you can see plenty of it from inside and just outside the castle.
Coming back down the steps turn right walk straight ahead past a number of restaurants on your left, keep going to the traffic lights and turn left you are now in the square where Picasso's birth place is. Here you will find Museo Picasso, the city’s most prestigious museum it houses works that Palo Picasso kept for himself or gave to his family.
Malaga is clean, you feel safe mooching around there, and it has beautiful gardens and amazing historical sites, very easy to DIY
In Malaga the main shopping street is in the Historic Quarter with fantastic boutiques.
If you are looking to laze your time away then the nearest beach is; Playa de la Malagueta. The beach is well served by bars and cafes but the sand is of mediocre quality and the view of the port is a bit of an eyesore. Playa de las Acacias is the nearest good beach. It is approximately 5km, east, from Malagueta beach.
Further afield:
Granada is 1½ hours away to the north by road and bus services are frequent.
There is also a train service along the coast to Torremolinos, Belemadina, and Fuengirola from Malaga Centro. The trains’ destination is Fuengirola.
Cadiz
The ships dock almost in the city, so no need for a shuttle bus. The hop on/off tourist bus stops outside the port gates.
Cadiz is absolutely gorgeous, it is like a small peninsular with sea on both sides. Not only is it walkable, but once you get beyond the tourist office, it's a relatively shady and cool walk through narrow lanes, with plenty of places to stop off for tapas or a drink. Look out for colour coded maps for walks around the town.
So, turn left out of the port, walk past the HOHO busses and carry on until you see the tourist office (hexagonal?) on your right, they are helpful and have various maps/leaflets including one for walking tours (follow the painted routes on the pavements), The historic route is very good. The HOHO bus is really good and shows you many of the main sites.
There is a nice park close to the front to wander round with lots to see and do. Turn right as you leave the port and follow the front.
Shopping is varied in Cadiz, with everything from designer clothes to unique Spanish handicrafts available. Columela and Ancha streets are perhaps the best places to start your souvenir shopping while the old town's Sunday flea market is ideal for collectors of unusual items.
There are plenty of beaches in and around Cadiz. La Cortadura Beach; this is the longest beach in Cadiz and a short walk from the harbour. There is also La Victoria Beach, La Caleta Beach and Santa María del Mar Beach.
Further Afield:
'Seville’ is about a 90 minute transfer with interesting scenery and a reasonable amount of time in the town. The queues to get into the Cathederal are horrendous, so it might be worth looking at a tour that is more than "On your own"? This would get you into the cathedral faster....and take you through the Jewish Quarter and visit the Royal Palaces (which I thought were better than the Alhambra!). It actually works out at better value than doing it alone where you end up paying entrance fees everywhere.
Jerez, famous for its sherry, flamenco dancers and horses is 30km from Cadiz.
Enjoy your cruise and the destinations you are visiting.
Entrance to Parc Guell is free and a taxi will cost approx €15 per journey from the Port area, not including a tip.
Sagrada Familia is very much worth seeing on the inside but this is a fairly expensive tour at €39 but it does save a potential long queue to get in and does also provide an English speaking guide, PM me if you require contact details for an approved ( and used ) operator within walking distance of the shuttle drop off point.
Entrance to Parc Guell is free and a taxi will cost approx €15 per journey from the Port area, not including a tip.
Sagrada Familia is very much worth seeing on the inside but this is a fairly expensive tour at €39 but it does save a potential long queue to get in and does also provide an English speaking guide, PM me if you require contact details for an approved ( and used ) operator within walking distance of the shuttle drop off point.
Entrance fee is planned for Park Güell from the beginning of October.
Entrance fee is planned for Park Güell from the beginning of October.
Didn't know that but we would have been very happy to have paid a few euros, however ... it could be absolutely manic outside the main gates unless they have a fast track system or make the street pedestrian only.
On the subject of entrance fees ... the Picasso Museum entrance fee is €14, with headset, else €11 but pensioners are charged just €6.
Entrance fee is planned for Park Güell from the beginning of October.
Didn't know that but we would have been very happy to have paid a few euros, however ... it could be absolutely manic outside the main gates unless they have a fast track system or make the street pedestrian only.
Thanks for all that information. We have been to most of these ports many times but it is always interesting to see what else there is available and discover what everybody else has done.
As previously mentioned the train to Cascais or Estoril is easy to do and won't make a big impact on the wallet. Both lovely places for a stroll. If the weather is bad and you don't want to go far and the ship berth is near the railway station then the Military Museum, if you like that sort of thing, is just across the road. You can look from the ship and see it. Entrance is to the left of the building near the police station and it was 3e each. Well worth it.
In Cadiz, must second the post re. turn left at dock gates and walk along the front .The gardens etc. are lovely and you come across the fort if you keep walking till you see the back of the cathedral. One time we were there it was flea market day with stalls spread out down opposite side of prom.
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