South America & The Pacific Islands From Liverpool

Facilities in Liverpool are constantly being improved to make boarding, stopping off or leaving your cruise ship easy, enjoyable and stress-free.

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.

It was from historic Lisbon, built on seven low hills beside the wide Tagus estuary, that some of Europe’s greatest explorers set sail in pursuit of the riches that built Portugal’s former global empire in the New World, Africa and the Indies. Memories of that glorious past linger amid the grand avenues and elegant squares of the attractive capital’s 18th century lower town – a vivid contrast with the colourful honeycomb of cobbled streets in the old Moorish Alfama quarter and the bohemian mood of the hilly Bairro Alto.

Sophisticated Santa Cruz – Tenerife’s capital – is built around boulevards and wide avenues that link elegant squares and parks.

Well-preserved buildings feature in the old town, including the colonial Church of the Immaculate Conception and the 18th century Palacio de Carta, which has impressive Baroque and neoclassical features. Recently redesigned by the architects Herzog & de Meuron, the city’s largest square, Plaza de España, is a pleasant spot to lose a few hours. Lively beaches such as Playa de Las Americas are within easy reach of Santa Cruz too.

Away from the capital, many of Tenerife’s highlights await on tours, including the exotic Botanical Gardens or the mystical lava stone Pyramids of Guimar. Exploring the volcanic El Teide National Park to marvel at majestic Mount Teide, or even climb Spain’s highest peak, is an unmissable experience.

Loacted in Cape Verde, the volcanic archipelago of ten islands and five islets is a hidden gem. This destination was a Portuguese territory until independence in 1975, and is as unique and unspoilt as its remote location, 400 miles off the west coast of Senegal, would suggest.

Surely the world’s most evocative place-name! The city of Carnival and Samba, Copacabana and Ipanema, more than fulfills its romantic promise.
Beneath the protective arms of the Corcovado – the great statue of Christ the Redeemer that soars above the Tijuca jungle – and the majestic silhouette of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, the sweeping boulevards and confusion of skyscrapers and old colonial buildings that are Rio de Janeiro wind themselves around the beach-lined shores of Guanabara Bay.

Ilhabela is one of the last untouched areas of the Atlantic Rainforest, with around 85% of it classed as a Brazilian National Park. A true paradise, Ilhabela has more than 40 incredible beaches, over 350 tumbling waterfalls and large forests, providing the perfect habitat for 300 bird species.

A mountainous island, Ilhabela is perfect for those who love an adventure, with vast areas of dense forest and tall peaks of up to 1400 metres to explore. Hiking trails are clearly signposted and are designed to guide you to the most picturesque beauty spots on the island.

Founded by the Spaniards in 1726, Uruguay’s attractive capital overlooks the River Plate, jsut 60 miles from Argentina across the estuary, setting of the famous naval battle in 1939. Successive waves of Spanish and Italian immigration has given the city a fascinatingly European feeling – which, with its Mediterranean climate, shady squares, parks and gardens, broad boulevards and stately 19th century buildings all give Montevido a uniquely appealing character. A local landmark is the Cerro (hill) from which the city’s name (meaning ‘I see a hill’) derives!

The Argentine capital – called ‘Santa Maria del Buen Ayre’ by early sailors thanks to its favourable winds – is more simply ‘B.A.’ to today’s visitors. Its warm, cosmopolitan vitality, more European than South American, carries appealing echoes of Spain and Italy; and our leisurely stay offers ample opportunity to stroll and shop in fashionable Calle Florida and Avenida Santa Fe, to test the famous tea-rooms and nightspots, and to explore further afield amid this intriguing scenario of ‘Evita’, the hypnotic tango and the gauchos of the Pampas.

Strategically positioned almost midway between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, on a peninsular at the southern end of mainland Chile, Punta Arenas commands panoramic views over the Magellan Straits.
A port that evolved from what was originally a penal colony and whose heyday was eclipsed by the opening of the Panama Canal, Punta Arenas is today a peaceful place with some attractive turn-of-the-century architecture – and the nearest brewery to the South Pole!

Vivacious Valparaiso, main port and second city of Chile, was once the centre of 19th century British naval and commercial activity on South America’s Pacific coast. Its setting is dramatic – beside the sweeping curve of a great bay screened by a circle of hills (‘cerros’), with the modern lower city and rambling upper section linked by steep zig-zag roads and ancient funiculars. Close by is attractive Vina del Mar, among South America’s most popular and vibrant beach resorts.

Originally named Juan Fernandez Island after the Portuguese sailor who discovered it in 1575, the island remained largely unknown until 1708 when Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was rescued after being marooned for over four years. This experience then became the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Due to the literary association the Chilean Government decided to rename the Island in 1966 to Robinson Crusoe Island.

Today this volcanic island of mountainous landscape is a fascinating place of wild and unspoilt beauty. Declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1977, the island is home to some unique species including the Juan Fernandez Firecrown Hummingbird, the Fur Seal and the Magellanic Penguin.

Located between the extinct volcanoes of Terevaka and Rano Kau, Hanga Roa – the capital of Easter Island – is a stunning, historic settlement.

Due to its warm, friendly atmosphere, welcoming shops and other local services, Hanga Roa is the perfect base from which to discover Easter Island’s natural landscapes and archaeological sites.

The imposing monolithic Moai Statues – the island’s most famous attraction – feature the ‘living faces’ of its chiefly ancestors carved from rock. The sight of them sat with their backs to the sea watching over the land, is a true wonder. The island’s museum and Roman Catholic Church are also worth visiting.

Tahiti is also the largest of the islands of French Polynesia. A mixture soaring peaks, lush valleys, cascading waterfalls, dense rainforest, picturesque coastal areas, flowing rivers and fertile farmland. Experience the incredible warm welcome from you Polynesian hosts.

The small South Pacific island of Bora Bora to the northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia, is a special kind of paradise. This popular resort destination is surrounded by sand-fringed motu (islets) and a warm lagoon protected by a coral reef. With incredible sandy beaches that stretch on forever, grand palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, and turquoise waters filled with turtles, sharks, rays and tropical fish, many visitors find it hard to describe the magic that emanates from this island.

A haven for scuba divers, one of Bora Bora’s more unusual sites are the ‘bungalows’ perched over the water on stilts. Since water is a way of life here, popular lagoon excursions include snorkelling, diving, cruising, fishing, paddle boarding, kitesurfing and jet skiing.

At the island’s centre the extinct volcanoes of Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu tower over the whole island, the latter rising to a height of 727m.

According to Captain James Cook, who gave his name to these islands, you are arriving at the most detached parts of the earth. Far from the hustle and bustle of the modern world with some of the most spectacular scenery in the South Pacific, Rarotonga is a bewitching blend of craggy mountains, dense jungle and glorious bone-white beaches.

Located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga, lies just west of the International Date Line. Nukuʻalofa has a hidden charm that includes a vibrant main street, a broad waterfront, and impressive views across the bay to neighbouring coral islands.

Tonga is a collection of 171 islands that are truly unique given they’re the first place on earth to greet each new day. Nuku’alofa – one of only 45 inhabited Tongan islands – is the capital of Tonga and home to the Talamahu Market and the Royal Palace – the historical residence of the King.

Talamahu Market is a buzzing, fresh-produce hub where bananas and other coloured fruits are piled into handmade woven-frond baskets. It has a few cooked-food stalls, plus some excellent (and affordable) Tongan arts and crafts on sale.

A first glimpse of its two great icons – the famous Harbour Bridge and soaring Opera House – will prove a special memory (the harbour ferry offers the best views!). Stroll through Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens or slip away to legendary Bondi or one of countless other nearby Pacific beaches.