BlueSun Cruises

1300 799 758

holidays@bluesuntravel.com

Le Champlain, 10 Night A Confluence of Cultures: Discovering Southern Spain and Portugal ex Lisbon, Portugal to Barcelona, Spain
Cruise Le Champlain, 10 Night A Confluence of Cultures: Discovering Southern Spain and Portugal ex Lisbon, Portugal to Barcelona, Spain
Cruise Line Ponant
Ship Le Champlain
Destination EU Mediterranean
Brief Description 10 Night Cruise sailing from Lisbon, Portugal onboard Le Champlain
Type of Cruise Luxury
Departure Date 26 Apr 2026
Cruise Description This cruise is part of a collection of PONANT themed voyages that are specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers who want to engage with the world. In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, the listed price for these voyages includes transfers to and from the ship, talks and discussions aboard ship by world class experts, and a shore excursion or activity in each port of call that encourages guests to embrace the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the local environment and culture.

At a time when most of Europe was shrouded in the Dark Ages, a sophisticated society emerged in the province of Andalusia in southern Spain and in the Maghreb in northern Africa. It is conventional to refer to this civilization as “Moorish,” but it was more accurately a hybrid of three powerful cultural forces: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The period when Moorish kings ruled Andalusia—Al-Andalus, as they called it—was a rare moment in history when members of the three great monotheistic faiths worked side by side to build a culture of tolerance, dialogue, and coexistence.

This voyage from Lisbon to Barcelona visits several of the historical centers of this distinctive culture and asks the question whether it might be possible to learn something from this medieval example about a way forward through the turbulence and strife of our modern multicultural societies. With their vast experience in Dual Narrative guiding and conflict resolution work, two of your experts, Aziz Abu Sarah and Yuval Ben-Ami, bring a nuanced and deeply informed perspective to the dialogue. By sharing their intertwined legacies, they present a multi-narrative perspective that highlights the periods of coexistence and mutual influence, particularly during the Golden Age of Al-Andalus. These dialogues not only shed light on the historical interactions that shaped the Iberian Peninsula but also explore contemporary issues of identity, tolerance, and cultural heritage. Through their shared stories and diverse viewpoints, they create a space for mutual understanding and reflection, promoting a deeper appreciation of the region's pluralistic past and its relevance to today's multicultural societies.

Sailing from Lisbon, your first call is in the city of Lagos. From here, near the southwestern tip of Portugal, you may choose between two ways to experience the natural beauty, history, and culture of the Algarve. You may stay in Lagos, tour the Old Town, visit the stunning rock formations and caves of Ponta da Piedade, and enjoy a tasting of Algarve wines. Or you may travel the short distance to Sagres on Cape St. Vincent, from where Prince Henry the Navigator directed the expeditions that led to the discovery of Madeira and the Azores.

Cádiz, one of Spain's oldest cities, is your gateway to Seville, where a stroll through the Murillo Gardens leads the way to the royal compound of the Real Alcazar. This UNESCO World Heritage site, built in the Mudéjar style in the 14th century, is today a sprawling complex incorporating architectural influences from the Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century. A short walk from the Alcazar is the Catedral de Sevilla—the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the site of Christopher Columbus’s tomb.

During two full days in Tangier, you can visit the American Legation, the oldest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world, and you may travel across the Rif Mountains to the showcase of Moroccan handicrafts at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tetouan or the "Blue City" of Chefchaouen, some 60 miles south of Tangier.

During the following two days, Le Champlain will remain docked in Malaga, providing the opportunity to visit two of the most important centers of civic and cultural life during Andalusia's Golden Age. First, a full-day excursion brings you to Cordoba, a leading center of scholarship during the Middle Ages and the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba. Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Mezquita, an enormous 8th-century mosque converted to a Cathedral in the 13th century—a dazzling fusion of Islamic and Christian architecture that served as a model for much of the 'Moorish' architecture of southern Iberia and North Africa. Also visit the vibrant Jewish quarter of the city, with its 14th-century synagogue, and enjoy a lunch of Andalusian cuisine at a local restaurant before returning to the ship.

Your second full-day excursion from Malaga is devoted to exploration of the incomparable Alhambra in Granada, described by the leading Muslim art historian of the 20th century as "the greatest architectural expression of Islamic culture ever built."

After a day at sea, your ship docks in the city of Valencia, perhaps most famous for its production of oranges, but also a showcase of architectural diversity, from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Lonja de la Seda, a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture, to native architect Santiago Calatrava's exuberant 21st-century City of Arts and Sciences.

Le Champlain will then sail to your final call, Palma de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands. Stop at the Gothic-style Bellver Castle, one of only a handful of circular castles in Europe, or board a vintage train through the orange and olive groves, almond and locust-bean trees, lush villages, and pine-covered mountains that create the island landscape. Your voyage ends in Barcelona.
Sailing Dates
26 Apr 2026
Category Single Twin Triple Quad
DEL AU $14,460 AU $14,460 ‐ ‐
PR4 AU $15,210 AU $15,210 ‐ ‐
PR5 AU $15,930 AU $15,930 ‐ ‐
PR6 AU $16,800 AU $16,800 ‐ ‐
DS6 AU $26,900 AU $26,900 AU $14,020 ‐
DS5 AU $26,900 AU $26,900 AU $14,020 ‐
DS4 AU $26,900 AU $26,900 AU $14,020 ‐
DS3 AU $26,900 AU $26,900 AU $14,020 ‐
PS5 AU $29,820 AU $29,820 AU $15,480 ‐
PS6 AU $30,550 AU $30,550 AU $15,840 ‐
PV6 AU $32,010 AU $32,010 AU $16,570 ‐
PV5 AU $32,010 AU $32,010 AU $16,570 ‐
GD6 AU $38,590 AU $38,590 AU $19,860 ‐
Cruise Itinerary
Date Port Arrive Depart
26 Apr 2026 Lisbon, Portugal 6:00 PM
27 Apr 2026 Lagos, Portugal 12:00 PM 6:00 PM
28 Apr 2026 Cadiz, Spain 7:00 AM 8:00 PM
29 Apr 2026 Tangier, Morocco 7:00 AM 11:00 PM
30 Apr 2026 Tangier, Morocco 7:00 AM 7:00 PM
1 May 2026 Malaga, Spain 6:45 AM 11:00 PM
2 May 2026 Malaga, Spain 7:00 AM 7:00 PM
3 May 2026 At Sea    
4 May 2026 Valencia, Spain 7:00 AM 6:30 PM
5 May 2026 Palma, Majorca. SP 7:30 AM 6:30 PM
6 May 2026 Barcelona, Spain 7:00 AM
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

* Unless otherwise noted all pricing is on a per person twin share basis. All prices based on cash payment - credit card fees may apply. Cruise deposit, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Special conditions may apply - please ask for full details at time of enquiry. All passports, vaccinations and visas are the responsibility of the travelling guest to secure prior to departure from Australia. Any pricing not in Australian Dollars will be converted on the day of payment into the relevant currency based on our daily rate of exchange. Please note that many of the prices shown on this website are not shown in real time. Whilst we endeavour to keep our pricing as up-to-date as possible, the advertised prices shown here may differ slightly from the live prices in our booking system. All pricing and offers are subject to availability at time of booking. Whilst all information is correct at the time of publication, offers are subject to change. We reserve the right to correct errors without penalty. Please submit any data errors/omissions you may notice on this site.

Unless otherwise expressly noted, all materials, including images, illustrations, designs, icons, and photographs appearing anywhere on this website are protected by worldwide copyright laws and treaty provisions. The copyright on such materials is held by the original creator of the materials. None of the materials may be copied, reproduced, displayed, modified, published, uploaded, posted, transmitted or distributed in whole or in part in any form or by any means other than as provided by Cruise Factory and The Small Ship Collective to its clients, or with the prior written permission of Cruise Factory and Cruise Traveller. All rights not expressly granted in these Terms are reserved. Any unauthorised use of the materials appearing on this website may violate copyright, trademark and other applicable laws and could result in criminal or civil penalties.