Travel Log: Cruising Southern Spain

The lengthy Atlantic crossing led to an amazing run of port city visits as we have been cruising southern Spain with ports every single day. The current itinerary hasn’t been leaving a lot of time for blogging so an update is a bit overdue. We had two additional sea days following our stop in the Azores. Since then our schedule has been simply amazing!

With the ever changing clinic schedule we typically head into port with different friends and team members at each stop. Cruising southern Spain we usually look for some tapas with tinto de verano as part of our daily adventure in each location. Outside of that requirement, here are some of the highlights from each port.

Monday: Cadiz

Our first stop after crossing the Atlantic was the port of Cadiz along the Atlantic coastline. Cadiz was Dragon’s first opportunity to leave the ship in nearly two weeks, since our beach day in Aruba. We wandered the boardwalk that surrounds old town before meandering through the narrow city center streets. The old city of Cadiz is very clean and safe. It is a delightful mix of sea and city life that seemed more local than tourist. Our wanderings included some shopping, finding fresh fruit in an open air market, and lunch at Tabanco Casa Juan‘s outdoor seating. Narigoni Gelato in the plaza in front of Catedral de la Santa Cruz de Cádiz was a perfect finale to our visit.

Tuesday: Malaga

Dragon was on day call as the ship made port in Malaga. In addition to be being a gorgeous, sunny beach town, Malaga is the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. Our walk took us to an ancient Roman theater and an Arabic fortress called the Alcazaba. Malaga is a very charming, clean city with tourists from all over enjoying the many beaches or walking among the plethora of cafes and shops. After working up our appetite we chose Rita’s Resto Bar for lunch. To Dog’s delight the menu included delicious street tacos. Our wanderings took us by the impressive Malaga Cathedral. We ran out of time and were unable to explore the Picasso Museum or Gibralfaro Castle. Malaga is an amazing location that we hope to return to and explore more in the future.

Wednesday: Cartagena

This was Dog and Dragon’s second visit to Cartagena having made port there in 2023 aboard the Island Princess. We went ashore in Cartagena for some exploration and relaxation in the old city area right off the port. Cartagena is home to an amazingly well preserved Roman theater just a short walk from the ship. Our wanderings took in the theater, the impressive architecture, the narrow shopping streets, and the open promenades near the port. Cartagena is home to several castles on the hills overlooking the city. Castillo de la Concepcion is a medieval castle right in the middle of town overlooking the Roman theater. The fantastic views from atop the castle encompass the entire port. We rounded out the day with a relaxing lunch at Anyo Sabores del Mediterráneo where they blew our minds with tinto de verano on tap. There is something so ideal about sitting at an outdoor table on a pedestrian only street in perfect spring weather. Very reminiscent of Old Towne Arvada in a way.

Thursday: Alicante

The cruising southern Spain whirlwind continued on Thursday with a port in adorable Alicante. Alicante is home to one of the largest medieval castles in Europe that sits on a hilltop directly above the port, Castell de Santa Bàrbara. We walked along the boardwalk next to the glorious sandy beach known as Playa del Postiguet before heading up to the castle. Options to visit the castle include hiking, bus, and elevator. The breathtaking views atop the castle let you take in the city from the sea to the mountains further inland. After touring the castle we descended into the very walkable city center. We stopped for a refreshing tasty beverage on the covered outdoor patio at Mandala Plaza. After some further wandering we had an amazing Michelin recommended lunch at Manero Alicante. Our adventure concluded with a stroll along Alicante’s famous palm tree lined Explanada de España. Alicante is a wonderful cruise port that shouldn’t be missed when cruising southern Spain.

Friday: Barcelona

Ah, Barcelona… It was exciting to be back in such a magical city. We ventured up La Rambla to see some of Gaudi’s famous works at Casa Batllo and Casa Mila before moving on to the Sagrada Familia. Much construction had been completed since our visit in 2022. We were excited to see all the beautiful changes that have occurred. With an early all aboard time we began making our way back towards port. Visiting those three majestic locations was an impressive outing. On the way back we found time to grab lunch at Mercado de La Boqueria, the most famous market in Barcelona.

Spring time in Barcelona is quite busy. If you are going in April you will want to book your tickets in advance for the different attractions. There are just so many fantastic sights to see. Barcelona is a must visit location when cruising southern Spain. On our next trip we hope to make time for a guided excursion to the monastery at Montserrat.

What’s Next

There is just so much great food, architecture, and atmosphere that make cruising southern Spain a truly fantastic adventure. Barcelona was turnaround day for the Oosterdam. That means many of the passengers that made the crossing ended their cruise and a whole new itinerary began. The whirlwind of cruise ports has continued with stops every day in France and Italy. As I write this we have made port in Civitavecchia, the Mediterranean port serving Rome. There is more to come from our spring tour of the Mediterranean. We’ll update you again soon as the Dog and Dragon Adventures continue.