PORT GAZETTEER
Port gazetteer
ACAPULCO Mexico Long a magnet for the rich and famous, Mexico’s top beach resort, Acapulco, is situated on a spectacular sweeping bay lined by fi ve star hotels. This jetsetter’s city makes the perfect destination with a
huge range of attractions to suit all tastes and interests. If you head ashore independently, there’s a variety of watersports from snorkelling and scuba-diving to deep-sea fi shing. But top of the list has to be the world famous cliff divers at La Quebrada, who plunge 40 metres from perilous cliffs into the swirling waters below. You can marvel at the timing, grace and sheer bravery of the divers as they perform every lunchtime and evening.
ADELAIDE Australia Food and wine should always be high on the agenda for any visitor to this European-infl uenced gateway to the outback. Hot, dry summers (our winters) give the city an almost Mediterranean feel as people spill out onto the streets enjoying outdoor dining or wandering through the impressive Botanical Gardens. Wineries along the Murray River and Barossa Valleys are only an hour away from the centre of the city and make for fascinating side trips.
ALTA DO CHAOBrazil In a beautiful bay in the Rio Tapajós, you’ll fi nd Alta do Chao. Fringed by pristine white sand beaches, which are lapped by deep blue waters, it has an almost Mediterranean appearance. The small village consists of rustic native cottages, surrounded by lush tropical forest. Standing out with a façade that would look more at home in New Mexico, is the Centre for the Preservation of Indian Art. Nearby at Belterra and Fordlandia, you can visit the ruins of what were once Henry Ford’s huge rubber plantations in the 1920s.
ANTIGUA With over 365 beaches, there is a slice of white sand heaven for every day of the year on the idyllic Caribbean holiday island of Antigua, which played host to Admiral Horatio Nelson’s fl eet in the late 1700s. Nelson’s Dockyard now bustles with crew and passengers from yachts and ships sailing these waters for pleasure rather than for King and Country. The main port, St. John’s, is also the capital and a vibrant hub for shopping as well as being within easy range of some of the island’s best beaches.
APIA ‘Upolu, Western Samoa Step straight into a fi lm set for ‘South Pacifi c’ when you arrive in the Samoan capital, Apia on ‘Upolu. This island is home to an intriguing mix of historic churches and monuments, bustling fl ea and fi sh markets and laid-back residential districts. Around the island are some of the South Pacifi c’s best (black sand) beaches and, to prove this really is a ‘Treasure Island’, visit Vallima just outside Apia, where Robert Louis Stevenson settled.
ARICA Chile Arica, known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ due to its pleasant climate, nestles between the ocean and desert at the northernmost tip of Chile. In the city stands the Morro de Arica, a tall, steep hill home to the famous fort of El Morr, dating back to the War of the Pacifc. Climb to the top for some spectacular panoramic views before paying a visit to the impressive gothic-style San Marcos Cathedral. Nearby you can marvel at the ancient geoglyphs marking the walls of the Azapa Valley and see the oldest mummies in the world at the San Miguel de Azapa Archaeological Museum.
ARUBA Talcum-soft beaches, world class shopping, glitzy casinos, stunning sea views and tracts of desert landscape scattered with giant boulders and exotic cacti are all yours to enjoy when you visit popular Aruba, jewel of the ‘deep’ Caribbean. And you will fi nd most of these attractions without straying far from the capital, Oranjestad, a waterfront city endowed with a cosmopolitan population.
ATHENS (from Piraeus) Greece With its 2,500-year-old Parthenon, temple to Poseidon and Athena, Odeon of Herodus Atticus and Theatre of Dionysus, the Acropolis quite literally stands out as an oasis of calm in the frenetic Greek capital. As part of the major revamp the city had for the 2004 Olympics, the Agora was restored and linked by walkways to the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Arch, the Academy of Plato and the Monastery of Daphne. Below the Acropolis is the Plaka, the oldest neighbourhood in Athens, and a lively place to visit.
AUCKLANDNew Zealand Auckland sits between the Pacifi c Ocean and the Tasman Sea, which is how it came to host the America’s Cup twice – in 2000 and 2003. The Viaduct Harbour area boasts outdoor restaurants ideally placed to view the hundreds of yachts attracted to this icon of sailing success. This ‘City of Sails’ is also home to New Zealand’s impressive Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum which charts the nation’s seafaring history. Take in all the sights from the revolving restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere at 328 metres. From Auckland, you can also take a full day tour to the remarkable geysers and mud pools of Rotorua.
BALI Indonesia Although it’s small – only 90 miles by 55 miles – Bali is blessed with an abundance of beauty. Famed for its stunning landscape, a chain of six volcanoes runs horizontally across the island, resulting in Bali having a mix of both black and white sand beaches. Flowers bring this idyllic isle to life in a riot of colour (and scent) from hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine, and frangipani. And these same fl owers adorn temples, statues and traditional dancers. A treat for all the senses, enjoy a blissful beach massage, a spot of retail therapy and a taste of delicious local cuisine.
BANGKOK (from Laem Chabang) Thailand Visiting the fascinating capital of Bangkok, there’s a treasury of old temples, fi ne palaces and extravagant art. For a taste of Old Asia, tour the fabulously ornate buildings of the Grand Palace, where you will see Buddha statues exquisitely worked in ivory, crystal, silver and gold. Or the Royal Barge Museum – home to the splendid vessels used in royal processions. For shoppers, Bangkok has everything from designer bargains to fi ne antiques. Barter your way around the markets of Sukhumvit Road and Siam, or browse the traditional shops on Chinatown’s Chareon Krung Road.
BARBADOS Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast. Over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too. In the capital, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice.
BARCELONA Spain The Catalonian capital of Barcelona provides a vivid mix of ancient and modern, but is probably best known for the bizarre architecture of Antonio Gaudi, in particular the iconic Sagrada Familia, Europe’s most extraordinary – and still unfi nished – cathedral. Barcelona’s Old Port area is a thriving area of cafés and restaurants. From there, it is an easy stroll up the famous Las Ramblas to the Old Town. This street is thronged with entertainers, stalls and bars and is most lively at night and weekends. Not to be missed is the La Boqueria food market with its extraordinary displays of fi sh, meat, fruit and vegetables.
BORA BORA French Polynesia Bora Bora is a picture perfect South Pacifi c island. The colours are amazing with endless shades of blue and emerald green in the magical lagoon created by a circular barrier reef. Visibility is superb for swimmers, snorkellers and divers and schools of dolphins regularly pass the lagoon entrance channel. There are beach bars, shops and restaurants aplenty with Bloody Mary’s the most popular meeting point according to its ‘celebrity’ board – this lists all the famous people, including many Hollywood legends, who have cruised by.
BRISBANE Australia Classic Australian pastimes such as surfi ng and swimming from sensational beaches – that’s what you will fi nd on the coastline surrounding Queensland’s capital, Brisbane. Cultural attractions in downtown Brisbane are located in and around the South Bank Parklands by the Brisbane River. In close proximity you will discover the Queensland Museum and the State Art Gallery, which features many Aboriginal works. The best shopping can be found at the Myer Centre complex on the city’s central commercial artery, Queen Street.
98 WORLD CRUISES 2013
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