South America/Holland America Cruise #011

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Barcelona is cradled in the North Eastern Mediterranean coast of mainland Spain, about 2 hours drive South from the French Pyrenees. It's the capital of Catalunya, a region of Northern Spain that has its own unique culture, traditions and personality.

The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman archaeological sites.

Barcelona is also known for being the city of the famous Camp Nou stadium and of the Barça football team. One of the main achievements of the city was the hosting of the Olympic games in 1992, thanks to this event Barcelona became famous to the eyes of the world and is now one of the main tourist attractions of Spain.

Our first night, we stayed on the 19th floor at the Princess Hotel - the view from up there is very nice indeed. The room itself was quite comfortable and spacious enough for our stay. Breakfast, which was included in our rate (free) was excellent; 

the selection was plentiful and there's something there for everybody's taste - very recommended.

Is a port city on Spain’s southeastern Costa Blanca, and the capital of the Alicante province. It's old town, Barrio de la Santa Cruz, has narrow streets, colored houses and a nightlife scene. From here, an elevator or a steep climb leads to medieval Castillo de Santa Bárbara, set on a hilltop with sweeping views of the Mediterranean coast.  

Castillo de Santa Bárbara is a fortification in the center of Alicante, Spain. It stands on Mount Benacantil.  Perched on top of M­ount Benacantil, at a height of 166 metres, stands one of Spain’s largest mediaeval fortresses, providing great views of Alicante’s perfect bay. It has three different enclosures from three distinct periods.  

​The upper enclosure, “La Torreta”, is where visitors will find the keep and the most ancient remains of the fortress, which mostly date from the 14th century.  Santa Barbara Castle has everything you would expect, cannons, a palace, dungeons, a moat, the ruins of a small church and of course that famous lookout tower.

Caves are located in Busot (Alicante, Spain), a small town 23 km away from the city of Alicante. The entrance to the caves is at the altitude of about 700 m on the northern slopes of the mountain ridge known as Cabezón de Oro (literally, big golden head).  

The caves are famous for a large vault of 70 m height similar in shape to a cathedral.  They have now been open to the public for over 50 years. As well as your standard visit, concerts are held several times throughout the year. The acoustics inside are amazing! 

Cádiz is an ancient port city in southwest Spain, built on a strip of land surrounded by the sea in the Andalusia region. The home of the Spanish Navy, the port boomed in the 16th-century as a base for exploration and trade. It has more than 100 watchtowers, including iconic Torre Tavira, traditionally used for spotting ships, and 18th-century Cádiz Cathedral, on the waterfront.

The Cathedral of Málaga is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain. It is in the Renaissance architectural tradition.  An absolute must-see in Malaga. The cathedral can be seen from far and wide yet is in the heart of the city. Inside there is tremendous detail and amazing features. It is a beautiful building inside and out!

The cathedral is located within the limits defined by a now missing portion of the medieval Moorish walls, the remains of which surround the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, following the plans drawn by Renaissance architectural ; its interior is also in Renaissance style.

 Chapel of the Incarnation contains a neoclassic altarpiece (1785) designed by the sculptor Juan de Villanueva and carved by Antonio Ramos and Aldehuela, a group of figures representing the Annunciation and sculptures of the patron saints of Malaga, Saint Ciriaco and Saint Paula, carved by Juan Salazar Palomino also in the 18th century, and The Beheading of Saint Paul.