Detailed Itinerary
Embark Azamara Journey beginning at 1:00PM. All aboard by 3:30PM.
Welcome Cocktails & Briefing this evening. Meet your fellow participants and PerryGolf staff.
Overnight: In Port - Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux’s fortunes have long been tied to viticulture, beginning with an expansion of the wine trade with England in the 14th century. As a result it is a handsome and cohesive city of uniform classical and neoclassical style, with monumental buildings and many fine estates financed by the almighty grape. The nearby countryside is alive with wine chateaux sporting impressive appellations such as Pauillac, Sauternes, Margaux, and Saint-Emilion. A visit is an excellent opportunity to learn more about wine production and appreciation, which of course requires a considerable amount of tasting to accomplish.
Enjoy Bordeaux on your own arrangements or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Lunchtime departure from the centre of Bordeaux, as we make the river navigation out to the Bat of Biscay, and onwards to Bilbao, Spain.
Overnight - At Sea
GOLF: Uraburu Golf was designed by revered two times Masters Champion José María Olazabal, a native of this area. Each hole is an example of the marriage of golf and its surroundings, highlighted by centennial oaks, conifers and other native trees, providing magical surroundings and views for the golfer. The beauty of the course lies in its diversity, and it provides an outstanding experience for the visiting golfer.
SIGHTSEEING: If Bilbao wasn’t always a household name, it was transformed into one with the opening of Frank Gehry’s groundbreaking Guggenheim Museum in 1997. Located in the heart of the Basque Country, Bilbao became an instant media darling and tourist mecca. And that was just the beginning of an exciting phase of development in infrastructure and cultural activity which, combine with the Basque love of food, wine and laughter, solidified the city’s place in the annals of tourism.
Enjoy Bilbao on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
Enjoy a leisurely morning at sea with a lunchtime arrival to Ferrol, Spain.
Voyage to the northwest of Spain and discover this charming fishing town offering plenty of notable sites and charming neighborhoods for you to discover. Surrounded by rocky hillsides on Spain’s Atlantic Coast, explore some impressive waterfront castles, visit museums to learn more about the area’s maritime history, or bask on Galicea’s exquisite beaches.
Enjoy Ferrol on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
Today it’s time to relax and reset. Make your reservations early for The Sanctum Spa, a world-class wellness facility offering a full range of health, beauty and restorative treatments. Complimentary fitness and nutrition classes are available along with a fully equipped gym on Deck 9 offering magnificent sea views. There’s room for everyone on the Pool Deck both in and out of the sun. Service to your lounge chair is available from The Pool Bar where the attentive staff is always ready to offer an inclusive cocktail, beer, bottled water, soft drink or fresh towel. The Patio restaurant serves casual fare during the day then completely transforms itself into a sit-down al fresco dining experience at night with table linens and candles. Elegant specialty dining is available for beef at Prime C and Italian at Aqualina. Windows Café serves casual buffet dining with every imaginable choice indoors and out at the sensational Sunset Bar.
What a way to spend a day!
Overnight: At Sea
GOLF: Oitavos Dunes is located on the most westerly tip of Europe and mixes wondrous views of the Atlantic Ocean against the stunning backdrop of the Sintra Mountains. Oitavos was designed by the renowned Arthur Hills and is one of two European Courses that bear his name. The course was inaugurated in 2001 and has been ranked in the top 100 in the world. Oitavos Dunes is a par 71 course that measures 6,900 yards from the competition tees. The layout is a lovely mixture of woodland and links-type holes that capitalize on the existing landscape.
SIGHTSEEING: Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its magnificent harbour made it a logical trading port as far back as the Phoenicians, as well as a departure point for 15th century voyages sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator, patron of Portuguese explorers. The city is rich in architecture, from Romanesque and Gothic to postmodern, and criss-crossed by monument-studded grand boulevards. Today it is seeking a place on the world stage by hosting, in addition to its own active cultural calendar, film festivals, art, fashion and design shows, book fairs, marathons, and rock concerts.
Enjoy Lisbon on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
Enjoy a leisurely day at sea, and in mid-afternoon enter the Guadalete River for a multi-hour navigation of this river right into the heart of Seville, an opportunity denied to larger ships.
Overnight: In Port - Seville, Spain
GOLF: Royal Seville Golf Club was designed by Jose Maria Olazabal. Its balanced and well-manicured layout is set through trees and lakes and hosted the 2004 World Cup of Golf, the 2008 & 2010 Spanish Open on the European Tour, and it is ranked within the top five in Spain by Golf Digest.
SIGHTSEEING: Seville - the passionate nature of Sevillanos is evident in their devotion to bullfighting, flamenco, and fiesta. Food too, it appears, as Seville is credited with the invention of tapas. Join in with the locals as they graze from bar to bar, making an entire meal out of the experience. The city also has a rich history evident in its old quarters and landmarks. The great cathedral is immense, lavishly ornamented with paintings and sculptures, and copious quantities of gold. The Alcazar, the main palace, is exquisitely decorated in Moorish style, with themed gardens laid out in terraces.
Enjoy Seville on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: In Port - Seville, Spain
Enjoy a second full day in Seville.
Evening departure from Seville as we commence our navigation of the Guadalete River, heading back out to sea for our overnight sailing to Gibraltar.
Overnight: At Sea
GOLF: La Reserva was designed by acclaimed golf course architect Cabell B. Robinson and is carved into the hillside with stunning vistas down to the Mediterranean Sea and up to the Andalusian hills. Opened in 2003, its wide, sweeping fairways lead on to large greens with gentle but challenging undulations. It has fast become a must-play for any golfer visiting southern Spain and is a fitting next chapter in Sotogrande’s proud golfing legacy.
SIGHTSEEING: The Rock of Gibraltar is a sight to behold rising nearly 1,400 feet out of nowhere located in a strategic position at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It overlooks the Straits of Gibraltar and is linked to Spain by a narrow isthmus. Most of the upper Rock, starting just above the town, is a nature reserve with spectacular views accessible by cable car. Gibraltar is imposing but small. It measures less than six square kilometres and is inhabited by around 30,000 people made up of Gibraltarians, British, Moroccans, Indians and Spanish. There is a colony of the famous, camera-hogging Barbary apes who run free in a semi-wild state. Gibraltar is a British self-governing colony and a member of the European Union by virtue of Britain's membership.
Enjoy Gibraltar on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight - At Sea
GOLF: Torrequebrada was designed by renowned Spanish architect José “Pepe” Gancedo, and is located in the heart of the Costa del Sol. It features large and undulating greens, and its fairways are lined with palm trees, fine trees, and olive trees. A number of elevated tees heighten the enjoyment of the delightful views of the mountains and Mediterranean Sea.
SIGHTSEEING: Malaga is found on Spain’s famous Costa del Sol along with its coastal and inland neighbors Rincon de la Victoria, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Alhaurin de la Torre, Mijas and Marbella. The important cultural infrastructure and the rich artistic heritage have culminated in the nomination of Malaga as a candidate for the 2016 European Capital of Culture. The internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso and actor Antonio Banderas were both born in Malaga.
Enjoy Malaga on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight - At Sea
Cartagena is strategically located amongst a number of historic sailing routes, and has been colonized by a veritable who’s who of Mediterranean superpowers over the millennia. The result is a rich and multi-layered cultural heritage, and a history both glorious and turbulent. From atop a hill, Concepción Castle served as a fortress for Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, and Castilians. The 13th century Old Cathedral stands on the remains of a Roman Theater just discovered in 1987. More recent architectural contributions include modernist designs of public buildings and private dwellings by pupils of the famous architect Antoni Gaudi.
Enjoy Cartagena on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
GOLF: El Saler Golf Club is located on the outskirts of Valencia within the Albufera Nature Park. Designed by Javier Arana, one of the most prestigious Spanish designers and opened in 1968, it sits nearby the beach occupying terrain dotted with pine trees and sand dunes and has a distinctly “links” feel. It’s famous "cats claw" (not dissimilar to the Monterey Peninsula’s “iceplant”) is certainly to be avoided in the rough.
SIGHTSEEING: Valencia has come a very long way since 138 BC when it was founded as a Roman colony. Today it is Spain’s third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona. It has one of the world’s most prosperous local economies. The story you’ll probably take home however is about one of the most striking ranges of architecture imaginable. Of course you’ll find antiquity in many forms such as Valencia’s Gothic cathedral which was built over a mosque after the Christian reconJourney of 1238. You will also find the space-age City of Arts and Sciences, a massive project by neofuturistic architect Santiago Calatrava (World Trade Center Transportation Hub) whose showpiece is Oceanogràfic - one of the world’s biggest aquariums, with polar zones, underwater tunnels and an underwater restaurant. The juxtaposition is startling. And you’ll have a full day to immerse yourself in it!
Enjoy Valencia on your own arrangements or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight - At Sea
Disembark Azamara Journey at 9:00AM.