10 nights · Portugal · Departs Lisbon (Portugal) · Visiting Porto-Leixoes, Bilbao-Getxo, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Lorient, Saint-Malo, Portsmouth UK · Aboard Azamara Cruises on the Azamara Journey
Image courtesy of Azamara Cruises ©
| Cruise line | Azamara Cruises |
|---|---|
| Ship | Azamara Journey |
| Duration | 10 nights |
| Port calls | 9 |
| Departures | 1 sailings |
| From fare | $3,599 per person |
| Year built | 2000 |
| Guests | 781 |
| Cabins | 355 |
| Crew | 408 |
| Length | 181 m |
| Beam | 25 m |
| Cruising speed | 18.0 kn |
Lisbon is a city best approached with time and comfortable shoes. Its seven hills rise above the Tagus, linking tiled lanes, grand squares and viewpoints with wide river views. In Alfama, narrow streets preserve the feel of old Lisbon. In Belém, the Jerónimos Monastery and Tower recall Portugal’s age of discovery. Pause for coffee and a warm pastel de nata between sights.
Porto is a city best approached on foot, where steep lanes descend towards the Douro and the Atlantic beyond. Across the river, Vila Nova de Gaia’s historic port-wine lodges offer tastings and views back to the old town. Between them, the Ribeira waterfront, tiled churches and iron bridges tell the story of a trading city shaped by water. Taste tawny port, then linger over market halls, intimate museums and unhurried meals.
Bilbao rewards visitors who look beyond its celebrated Guggenheim Museum. Cruise ships berth at Getxo, roughly 20 kilometres from the city centre. A taxi or arranged transfer brings you into Bilbao, where Frank Gehry’s titanium landmark rises beside the Nervión River. Beyond the museum, explore elegant boulevards and the seven streets of Casco Viejo. Stop at La Ribera Market, then sample pintxos with a glass of crisp txakoli.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a working Basque port with a handsome old town and a sheltered crescent of beach. Its harbor once prospered on whaling and cod fishing; today, fishing boats share the waterfront with pleasure craft. Walk rue Gambetta to Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, where Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1660. Then browse the covered market or follow the seafront to Grande Plage, sheltered by the bay’s breakwaters.
Bordeaux is best approached through its river: the Garonne leads into a city shaped by trade, wine and ambitious architecture. Along the UNESCO-listed Port of the Moon, eighteenth-century façades frame broad quays and the Place de la Bourse. Beyond the centre, renowned wine estates and the Médoc’s château-lined roads invite a longer excursion. Stay in town for a market, a riverside walk and a glass of local claret. Venture farther for vineyard landscapes that explain Bordeaux’s global reputation.
La Rochelle rewards a day ashore with a handsome harbour, salt air and a history built on Atlantic trade. Its Vieux Port is framed by medieval towers, once guarding the entrance to one of France’s most important maritime cities. Walk beneath arcades to the market, then choose oysters or seafood beside the water. For a change of pace, the Aquarium brings Atlantic marine life within easy reach of the quays.
Lorient sits on Brittany’s southern coast, where the Scorff and Blavet meet the Atlantic-facing roadstead. Its port has shaped the city since the French East India Company established a base here in 1666. Wartime bombing devastated Lorient; its postwar streets contrast sharply with nearby old Breton towns. Explore the vast former submarine base, now home to museums; nearby, the Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly celebrates sailing. Ferries reach rugged Île de Groix, while August brings the Festival Interceltique.
St-Malo rises from the Breton coast in granite, its old town enclosed by formidable seventeenth-century ramparts. Walk the walls for sea views, then enter Intra-Muros, where narrow lanes lead to cafés, shops and the cathedral. Privateers once sailed under royal authority; their story gives the city a character beyond its handsome stones. St-Malo’s tides rank among Europe’s highest, lending each visit a changing edge; save time for oysters and Breton crêpes.
Portsmouth is Britain’s great naval city, where the nation’s maritime story remains vividly present. At the Historic Dockyard, step aboard Nelson’s HMS Victory and visit the Mary Rose Museum. The Tudor warship, lifted from the Solent after 437 years, reveals extraordinary detail of life at sea. Beyond the waterfront, find lively cafés, independent shops and views from the 170-metre Spinnaker Tower. Portsmouth rewards those who want history close at hand beside a working seafront.
Published August 29, 2026
Last updated October 3, 2026
Author: J. Richard
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