About Portugal

Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe, bordering Spain to the north and east. The westernmost nation of mainland Europe, it also encompasses the Azores, Cape Verde and Madeira Island groups in the Atlantic Ocean. Aged only 900 years, Portugal is the oldest country on the continent with the same land borders and has played an important role in world history. Leading the way for European exploration during the 15th Century, the Portuguese discovered their Atlantic archipelagos, established important sea routes to India and colonised areas in Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania during this so called ‘Age of Discovery’. Given its rich history, Portugal is unsurprisingly filled with fascinating monuments, ruins and clifftop castles, captivating visitors across the whole country. In fact, there are 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to choose from including the Convent of Christ in Tomar, the beautiful Monastery of the Hieronymites and the Tower of Belem, a district within the capital city of Lisbon. Overall, the finest examples of Portuguese historical architecture can be found in Sintra, Lisbon and Porto, characterised by idyllic medieval town centres and Romanic churches. The 800km of mainland coastline is adorned with golden beaches, world class surf breaks and rolling green hills, but equally stunning and more remote areas can be found on the numerous Atlantic islands. The Azores, with their emerald calderas and deep blue seas are havens for hikers and whale watchers; Madeira is famed for its namesake wine, pleasant year-round climate and lively port towns; while Cape Verde, also volcanic, lies 500km west of Senegal and is known for its Creole Portuguese-African culture and sublime shorelines. A land of multiple of island groups, ferries to Portugal span across the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores are interlinked by a series of routes with varying journey times, owing to the sporadic locations of the eight, lush islands. Ferries to Madeira connect Porto Santo with the namesake island, and with numerous sailings every week, it’s a great way of hopping between two of Portugal’s warmest spots. Ferries in Cape Verde primarily depart from the travel hub of Praia, on the southern coast of Santiago Island, offering a network of routes to and from the outlying islets.

About Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is one of the main tourist destinations in the Canary Islands thanks to its exceptional beaches and promise of a warm and dry climate all year round. Home to around 838,000 people, it is the second most populated isle in the archipelago after nearby Tenerife and, while it is located in the Atlantic Ocean close to Africa, it is undoubtedly a Spanish island. While it has a thriving business sector in its capital city Las Palmas, Gran Canaria's main industry is tourism, with British, German and Scandinavians making up the largest proportion of visitors. There are currently 2 direct routes from mainland Spain to Gran Canaria Island sailing from the southern Spanish ports of Cadiz and Huelva. Due to the distance between the mainland and the Canaries, crossings are not overly frequent and are generally long in duration. The ships used on these crossings are usually of a high standard though so a pleasant time at sea is likely. Most of the ferries arriving in Gran Canaria are travelling from the other Canary Islands with numerous routes offered from Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma and Tenerife. Gran Canaria's position between Tenerife and Fuerteventura naturally make those the easiest islands to get to and from. There are 2 active ferry ports in Gran Canaria. Las Palmas, the main port of arrival, can be found on the north east side of the island and is where the ferries sailing from Spain and the other islands arrive at. Puerto de las Nieves, the picturesque village port of Agaete is on the north west side of Gran Canaria and connects you with Tenerife. Gran Canaria's main attraction is its weather. During the summer months temperatures soar to the 80s Farenheit and even during the winter it is unusual for it to be any colder than the mid 60s F. This climate makes the island great for beach holidays, with families typically heading to the resorts in the south of Gran Canaria such as Maspalomas and Puerto Rico. Key attractions in Gran Canaria include the Palmitos Park Zoo, Aqualand Water Park and the Maspalomas sand dunes.