15 Mar Tema, Ghana 
Embark MV Quest for Adventure and moor here overnight.

Ghana's coastline is dotted with stunning beaches and old slaving forts. Tema, originally a small fishing village, has developed into the nation’s largest port.

16 Mar Tema (for Accra), Ghana
Tema is your gateway to the capital city of Accra. Once a collection of tribal villages, Accra grew in importance as the local Ga people traded with the Portuguese, who built the first fort in the region during the 16th century. In 1877, Accra became the capital of the British Gold Coast colony and when Ghana regained its independence in 1957, it became the country's capital. One of West Africa's most vibrant cities, you can see evidence of its colonial past in Jamestown and its pan-African roots in Independence Square where the Triumphal Arch representing African liberation stands.

Full day.

With the opening of an artificial harbour in 1961, Tema developed from a small fishing village to become Ghana’s leading seaport and an industrial centre. Seventy percent of the country’s chief export, cocoa, is shipped from Tema.

You have the opportunity to visit the Ghanaian capital of Accra, originally a scattering of villages controlled by Ga chiefs, today it is a sprawling city that extends eastwards almost 20 miles to the neighbouring city of Tema.

17 Mar Takoradi, Ghana
Steeped in the history of the slave and gold harvesting trades, Takoradi is a vibrant port of the former ‘British Gold Coast’. Cape Coast Castle, which served as the British slavery headquarters for over 200 years, provides a unique glimpse into Takoradi’s turbulent past. To experience the surrounding rainforest, join an excursion to Kakum National Park and perhaps venture across the cable canopy walkway, almost 100 feet high, through the treetops.

Full day.

Takoradi is the sister city to Sekondi. Together they form the oldest twin city and fourth largest city in Ghana.  It was dominated by the British and Dutch during the colonial era and this is reflected in the colonial architecture.

Sekondi-Takoradi is also the capital of the Western region of Ghana, with Sekondi being the administrative capital and Takoradi the commercial and industrial hub. This region is noted for its lush vegetation, 75% of which is within the high forest zone of Ghana.

20 Mar Freetown, Sierra Leone
Synonymous with the suppression of the slave trade, Freetown was founded in 1787 by the British as a settlement for freed African-American and West Indian slaves. Join a tour of the city to gain an insight into its fascinating past, visiting the Slave Pier, the Cotton Tree, Upgun, Maroon Church and the Sierra Leone Museum.

Full day.

Freetown is Sierra Leone’s economic, administrative and financial centre and was founded in 1787 by the British as a settlement for freed slaves. Their descendants are known today as the Creole.

Freetown's economy relies on its harbour, which is the largest natural harbour in Africa, and the third largest in the world. Industries include diamonds, rice milling, petroleum refining and the manufacture of cigarettes.

A treasured landmark is the 'Cotton Tree' which was originally planted by the resettled American slaves with the founding of Freetown.

22 Mar Banjul, Gambia
Located on a sandy peninsula at the tip of St Mary’s Island, Gambia’s compact capital is located where the Gambia River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Founded as Bathurst in 1816, when the British bought it from the King of the Kombos in exchange for rum and guns, it continued as the capital when Gambia won its independence in 1965 and was renamed Banjul in 1973. During your visit, maybe take an excursion into Makasutu Culture Forest.

Full day.

Located on a sandy peninsula at the tip of StMary’s Island, Gambia’s compact capital is located where the Gambia River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Founded as Bathurst in 1816, when the British bought it from the King of the Kombos in exchange for rum and guns, it continued as the capital when Gambia won its independence in 1965 and was renamed Banjul in 1973.

During your visit, maybe take an excursion into Makasutu Culture Forest.

23 Mar Dakar, Senegal
French-speaking Dakar enjoys the distinction of being the westernmost city in Africa, and it is also one of the continent’s largest. From here you can visit Lac Rose or the ‘Pink Lake’, coloured by bacteria that excrete red iron oxide, and see the local women harvesting the salt by hand. Alternatively you could join a trip to Gorée Island, home to the notorious House of Slaves, where thousands of enslaved Africans are said to have left their continent for the last time.

Full day.

Dakar, set at the tip of the Cape Vert peninsula, is West Africa’s westernmost point and the capital of French-speaking Senegal. Although it was not founded until 1857, it is West Africa’s oldest European city and one of the most westernised.

The opening of the Dakar-St Louis railway in 1885 put the town on the map; it subsequently became a French naval base and in 1904, the capital of Afrique Occidentale Française. It bears the legacy of Africa’s French colonial past, especially so in the downtown Plateau area, where the architecture is redolent of southern France.

Every inch a modern city, Dakar is a frenetic buzz of activity, which can be startling. Perhaps sample the popular mint tea and try your hand at bartering in the colourful craft markets for traditional embroidery, woodcarvings, metalwork and costume jewellery.

26 Mar Santa Cruz, La Palma
An island of rugged beauty, La Palma is renowned for spectacular scenery and its capital, Santa Cruz, is one of the prettiest towns in the Canary Islands. Perhaps visit Taburiente National Park or take a walk through Los Tilos forest.

Full day and evening.

Also known as ‘La Isla Bonita’ (the beautiful island), La Palma is typified by lush forests of pine, laurel and fern which contrast with the rugged splendour of the gigantic Taburiente crater.

The island is dotted with attractive colourful villages, which are a delight to discover, although the capital Santa Cruz also makes for an interesting day of exploration. Perched on the edge of the volcanic crater of La Caldereta, Santa Cruz comfortably blends modern architecture with old colonial buildings.

Perhaps visit the fascinating Natural History Museum, stroll around the historic quarters and the Plaza de Espana or travel a few miles outside the city to the exquisite Church of Our Lady where you will find the elaborately decorated image of the patron saint.

If you enjoy shopping, you will find reasonably priced silver jewellery, leather goods and beautifully embroidered clothes, tablecloths and napkins, a speciality of the Canary Islands.

Please note that should your visit fall on a Sunday, then some of the shops and cafes may be closed.

27 Mar Santa Cruz Tenerife
Admire the shady boulevards and colourful squares of Tenerife’s charming capital, explore the fruit plantations of Orotava Valley or visit Mount Teide, Spain’s highest mountain.

Full day.

The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is a beautiful and scenic island which enjoys year-round sunshine and is dominated by Mount Teide. The mountain range runs through the centre of the island, with fertile valleys on the northern side.

In the central part of the range is the gigantic natural crater of the Cañadas del Teide, about 14 miles in diameter. Santa Cruz, the island’s pretty capital, appears a modern city, but also contains 16th-century civic buildings and ornate private mansions.

28 Mar Porto Santo
With its five-and-a-half mile-long beach of soft white sands, Porto Santo is one of the last undiscovered resorts in Europe. Part of the Portuguese archipelago that includes Madeira, legend has it that the island’s volcanic sands have curative powers for all manner of aches and pains.

Afternoon and early evening, land by launch or tender.

With its five-and-a-half mile-long beach of soft white sands, Porto Santo is one of the last undiscovered resorts in Europe.

Part of the Portuguese archipelago that includes Madeira, legend has it that the island’s volcanic sands have curative powers for all manner of aches and pains.

29 Mar Funchal Madeira
Disembark MV Quest for Adventure.

Formed by a volcanic eruption, Madeira lies in the Gulf Stream, about 500 miles due west of Casablanca. Discovered by Portuguese explorer João Gonçalves Zarco in 1419, this beautiful island became part of Portugal’s vast empire and was named for the dense forest which cloaked it ('Madeira' means 'wood' in Portuguese).

Sugar plantations first brought wealth here and when King Charles II of England granted an exclusive franchise to sell wine to England and its colonies, many British emigrants were drawn to the capital, Funchal.

Today’s travellers come to Madeira for the varied and luxuriant scenery, from mountain slopes covered with vines to picturesque villages and a profusion of wildflowers. The natural beauty of the island has earned it many pseudonyms such as ‘The Floating Garden of the Atlantic’, 'The Island of Eternal Springtime' and ‘God’s Botanical Gardens’ and our selection of excursions aim to show you why.