7 January

Spain: Valencia

Spain’s third city is a dazzling destination that combines historic architecture, cutting edge design and an inviting stretch of beach. Don’t miss the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, designed by local architect Santiago Calatrava, or the old riverbed, now a delightful park.

8 January - At sea

9 January

Spain: Málaga

Málaga boasts plenty of chic restaurants and bars where you can ease into the rhythms of life in southern Spain, before exploring sights including the intriguing, unfinished Gothic cathedral, and a museum devoted to the city's most famous son, Pablo Picasso.

10 January

Spain: Cádiz

The crumbling, sun-baked seafront city of Cádiz is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the western world, founded by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC. Although the city lacks any obvious landmarks, it’s rich in atmosphere, and plays host to one of Spain’s most colourful carnivals.

11 January

Morocco: Casablanca

Bustling and modern, fizzing with industry and commerce, Casablanca is often overlooked in favour of Morocco’s better known tourist draws. But then this is part of its appeal: it’s an authentic and unvarnished city, and it’s also home to the spectacular modernist architecture of the Hassan II Mosque.

12 January - At sea

13 January

Portugal: Funchal

Funchal, Madeira’s bustling capital, tumbles down a dramatic hillside towards a beautiful sweeping bay. Highlights include colourful markets, wine lodges and the spectacular cable car ride up to the village of Monte, home of the famous toboggan run.

14 January - At sea

15 January

Canary Islands: Puerto de la Estaca (El Hierro)

Remote, rugged and barely touched by tourism, El Hierro is the smallest of the Canary Islands. The island has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the small population is entirely sustained by renewable energy. Highlights include dramatic volcanic landscapes, sleepy mountain villages and some fantastic dive sites.

16 January to 17 January - At sea

18 January

Senegal: Dakar

The busy, dusty streets of Senegal’s capital Dakar are filled with life and colour, noises, smells and local music. The people here are friendly and helpful, so expect a warm welcome – but watch out for the usual hustles and scams of a busy city.

19 January to 21 January - At sea

22 January

Ghana: Takoradi

Once just a little fishing village, Takoradi is now a deep-water sea port growing rapidly on the back of Ghana’s oil industry. Nearby points of interest include Cape Coast Castle, part of a network of colonial-era forts where slaves were held captive before being shipped across the Atlantic.

23 January to 25 January - At sea

26 January

Angola: Luanda

Luanda is a city of shocking contrasts, where conspicuous consumption fuelled by Angola’s oil boom rubs up against sprawling shanty towns. The most attractive areas of the city date back to the Portuguese colonial period, including the fortress of São Miguel de Luanda and the pleasant seafront promenade known as the Marginal.

27 January to 28 January - At sea

29 January

Namibia: Walvis Bay

Walvis Bay is situated on the edge of a tidal lagoon, sheltered from the Atlantic by a long sand spit. This important wetland area is famous for its birdlife, home to one of southern Africa’s largest flamingo colonies, and it’s a short drive to the city of Swakopmund, known for its quirky German colonial architecture.

30 January

Namibia: Lüderitz

Sandwiched between the Namib Desert and the wild Atlantic coast, the geographically isolated town of Lüderitz is notable for its surreal Art Nouveau architecture. Most of these colourful buildings date back to the diamond rush period of the early 20th century, when Namibia was a German colony.

31 January - At sea

1 February to 2 February

Arriving in Cape Town

Cape Town is a magical, multicultural city where Africa meets a European-style cosmopolitan atmosphere, creating a vibrant melting pot of cultures and religions. With flat-topped Table Mountain soaring above the city, beautiful natural landscapes, and gardens within the city, you never feel far from nature here.