Spain, Morocco & Portugal — A Journey of Cava, Castanets & Moroccan Mystique
Aboard Explora II, November 2025

Opening:
A ten-day voyage tracing the coasts of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, beginning and ending in Barcelona aboard Explora II. This itinerary paired the architectural wonder of Gaudí's Barcelona with the bohemian charm of Tangier, the storied streets of Lisbon, and the sun-soaked heritage of Málaga and Valencia — all from the comfort of a Cove Residence with a private whirlpool terrace.

Body:

We arrived in Barcelona a day early to settle in at the Kimpton in the Gothic Quarter, giving us time to explore the city properly before setting sail. The next morning brought a guided tour through three of Gaudí's masterworks — Park Güell, the Sagrada Família, and Casa Batlló — before boarding Explora II that afternoon to begin the journey.

From there, the ship traced a route along the western Mediterranean and into Morocco: a day at sea, then Tangier, where the Kasbah's color-saturated streets and mint tea at the legendary Café Hafa captured the city's bohemian spirit. Two days in Lisbon followed, with time to wander the cobbled streets above the Tagus and take in the city's centuries of architectural and cultural layering. After another day at sea, the ship called at Málaga, gateway to Andalusia's Moorish history, before a final stop in Valencia, where 2,000 years of history unfold in the old quarter's cathedrals, guild halls, and the Art Nouveau ironwork of the Mercado Central.

Returning to Barcelona, we checked back into the Kimpton and closed out the trip with an afternoon excursion to the Montserrat monastery, perched dramatically in the mountains outside the city — a fitting final chapter to a journey that moved seamlessly between four countries.