In our last article, we shared the unique vibe and community on board our transatlantic crossing with Virgin Voyages. In this post, we want to take you along for the journey on land and talk about our port visits.
I should mention that out of our three planned stops, we actually only booked an official excursion for our time in Morocco. For the rest of the ports, we were perfectly content to just wander and explore on our own.
A Sudden Change of Plans
Our first stop after eight days of looking at the ocean was supposed to be Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The Canaries are an archipelago belonging to Spain. We were excited about the stop because neither of us had ever been there before. I suppose I should note that we still haven’t been there! Here is how our little detour unfolded.
The captain’s voice came over the ship-wide speaker system two days before we were scheduled to arrive in Las Palmas. That was the first time the general loudspeakers had been used during the cruise. Therefore, we knew it must be something important. He gently informed us that due to a medical emergency on board, we were diverting to the island of Madeira. The Azores were the closest port with the proper medical facilities to help the passenger. I must admit that I felt a tiny pang of disappointment when I heard the news. Mike and I had visited Madeira in the past, so we weren’t ecstatic about the change. But we quickly reminded ourselves that flexibility is all part of the nomadic adventure.
It Was a Normal Morning Until…
Things proceeded completely normally until about 9:00 AM the following morning, when a loud, rhythmic thrumming sound outside our stateroom balcony door caught our attention. I opened the door and realized a helicopter was hovering remarkably close to the ship. This part of the morning turned out to be exciting and fascinating to watch.
The Portuguese Navy had dispatched a medical evacuation team to airlift the critically ill passenger to a hospital in the Azores. Because our cabin was up on deck 12, the chopper felt like it was right outside our room. We had a spectacular, front-row view of the rescue personnel at work. It took about an hour in total for the crew to lower the basket along with one of the rescuers. Then safely secure the patient and hoist them back up into the aircraft. It was a sobering reminder of how fragile life can be. We were glad the ship was able to get them the care they needed.
Returning to Funchal
Because we had already spent time in Madeira on a previous trip, we decided to skip the organized ship tours entirely. We simply walked off the ship to explore the main town of Funchal at our own pace. Our time in town had been cut rather short on our last visit, so it was nice to have a second look. We walked past the famous waterfront statue of Cristiano Ronaldo. Undoubtedly Portugal’s most celebrated football player, and continued into the heart of the city.
As we started walking along the main street and window-shopping, we happened to stumble right into a small street fair. The vibrant floral displays took center stage and brightened up the whole afternoon. Mike decided to treat himself to a small local beer from a street vendor before we continued our stroll.
A bit further down, we found a remarkably colorful storefront that drew me right in. From the outside, it looked like a whimsical boutique, so I just had to investigate. I was quite surprised to find that the shop exclusively sold sardines! Rows and rows of different varieties lined the walls. All those brilliant colors were actually printed right onto the fish cans. It was incredibly clever and beautiful to look at.
Enjoying Portuguese Treats
Since we were back on Portuguese soil, we decided that we absolutely couldn’t leave without a proper mid-walk treat. We found a lovely little cafe and stopped for a fresh Pastel de Nata (the traditional custard tart) and a sweet glass of Madeira wine. It made for a delightful little rest.
Refreshed, we wandered further into the town’s main covered market. For those of you who know us well, you know that we always make a point to visit the local market whenever we visit a new city. The agricultural heritage of Madeira really shone through here. The fruits and vegetables looked absolutely beautiful and fresh. On our way back toward the ship, I made sure to stop and buy a Maracuja (passion fruit) Poncha, which is the traditional alcoholic drink of the island. It was delicious!
A Refreshing Look at Morocco
Several years ago, during a different repositioning cruise, we had stopped in Casablanca and left feeling rather unimpressed. Because of that, we were anxious to find an excursion that would take us somewhere entirely different.
Our first stop after a fairly short, comfortable bus ride from the port was the Presidential Palace. We weren’t allowed inside, so we could only admire the grand architecture from the outside. However, our guide then led us around to the opposite side of the massive palace complex, where we were able to stand and watch the ceremonial changing of the guard on horseback.
Next, we visited the historical ruins of a massive, uncompleted 12th-century mosque, which featured a striking, standalone minaret tower and a beautiful, highly ornate royal mausoleum on the same site. We were allowed to walk right through the mausoleum to take a look at the architecture. The intricate tilework and carved stone were very impressive, and the grand, reverent atmosphere actually reminded me a bit of another famous mausoleum I’ve seen, the Taj Mahal.
Narrow Streets and Mint Tea
After the historical monuments, I was really excited to visit the local souk. This traditional market was woven through several very narrow, stone-paved streets in the oldest quarter of the city. To be perfectly honest, the actual merchandise for sale wasn’t terribly interesting, mostly standard souvenirs and everyday household items—but the historic atmosphere, the winding alleys, and the beautifully carved decorative wooden doors on the old buildings were completely captivating.
Our final stop in Rabat was an ancient fortress built right on the waterfront near the edge of the beach. From our high vantage point up on the stone ramparts, we got a beautiful, sweeping view of the sandy shore and the sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea.
We continued walking through the fortress grounds until we came across a charming, traditional tea house. We sat down and were served cups of piping hot, sweet gunpowder tea infused with fresh mint, along with a selection of interesting local cookies. It was a lovely, peaceful way to end the tour. After finishing our tea, we headed back to the bus and arrived at the ship just in time to enjoy a late lunch onboard.
Strolling Through Alicante
Our very final port of call before our ultimate disembarkation was Alicante, Spain. We absolutely fell in love with Alicante the last time we visited, so we were thrilled to be back.
Our plan for the day was simple: get off the ship and head straight for the central municipal market. I am quite sure we raved about this specific market the last time we wrote about visiting Alicante, and it did not disappoint on our return. Even though the weather was a bit cool and a little drippy, we thoroughly enjoyed our morning exploring the vibrant stalls filled with local cheeses, cured meats, fresh fish, and fresh produce.
After checking out the market, we slowly worked our way south through the city, walking toward the hotel where we had stayed during our previous trip just to see the neighborhood again. We even made sure to cross the street that is famously lined with whimsical, giant cartoon mushroom statues.
After a few hours of happy, nostalgic exploring, we returned to the ship to pack our bags. We were thoroughly looking forward to our official disembarkation in Barcelona and the rest of our upcoming travels through Spain.
Do you prefer booking organized shore excursions when you travel, or do you enjoy the freedom of exploring ports on your own? Let us know in the comments below!
This brought back a lot of memories! I assume you had already taken the basket rides down through Madeira? How apropos to see Ronaldo‘s museum with the World Cup going on. Too bad his career is over!
We almost never take the tours from a ship. We get with another couple to share a rental car or a cab for the day and get to see two or three excursions for a lot less money.
I got your comment and approved. You weren’t able to comment for a while because I changed firewalls and the setting wasn’t correct. Everything should be good now. Thanks for pointing out the issues.
I forgot to mention who is in the mausoleum in Rabat and someone asked. Mausoleum of Mohammed V houses the mortal remains of Hassan II and Mohammed V, the father and grandfather, respectively, of the current King of Morocco.