Glorious Gardens of the Canary Islands

This morning, after breakfast we enjoy a trip the Mt Teide National Park in central Tenerife - a unique landscape of craters, volcanoes and petrified lava. As we journey through the park, we can take advantage of the panoramic vistas and lunar like landscape before heading for lunch in a local restaurant.

This afternoon our first stop is the Botanical Gardens of Puerto De La Cruz, first established as an acclimatisation garden in the late 18^th Century when King Carlos III decided he wanted exotic plants from his overseas territories in South and Central America to adorn his palace in Madrid. Due to the drastic change in environment, it meant the flora need time to adjust to their new home, hence the establishment of the gardens as a stop off point in Tenerife. At 20,000 square metres the gardens are extensive and there are plans for further expansion. Here, we get to discover many species of exotic and sub-tropical plants with one of the highlights being the Coussapoa Dealbata exhibit, a tree with intertwining trucks found in South America. Other ‘must see’ species include palm trees, bromeliads, aroids and aloes.

Later, we depart for The Orchid Gardens of Sitio Litre. The manor house of Sitio Litre was built in the 18^th Century and the gardens have been nurtured and meticulously tended to for over 300 years. The garden is a delightful combination of English formal gardens and a vast palette of colourful tropical and sub-tropical plants. The garden is home to a collection of nearly 200 orchids that are always fresh and in flower, the largest collection on the island. Apart from the orchid collection, Sitio Litre is also famous for its Dragon Tree which is believed to be nearly 600 years old.

We arrive at La Palma this morning and have the chance to join an onboard lecture.

After lunch, we head to Caldera de Taburiente National Park, home to an enormous crater with high peaks and encompassing pine forests and a declared UNESCO Biosphere reserve for fantastic island views. Next, we visit the island’s Botanical Gardens home to over 200 plant species. With influences from the Atlantic and the trade winds, La Palma has a subtropical climate that is the perfect place to cultivate such a vast array of flora that is not only popular with avid gardeners but also botanists from around the world.

Today we dock at the island of La Gomera, filled with craggy mountains and sprinkled with dense verdant forests of ferns and moss-covered trees. Enjoy the day at leisure here or perhaps chose to join optional excursion around the island exploring Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we can see the Roque Agando rock formation. For lunch, stop for a traditional meal and enjoy a demonstration of the island’s unique whistled language Silbo Gomero before we later return to the ship.

We continue to Gran Canaria this morning, where we visit the Jardin Botanico Viera y Clavijo, Spain’s largest botanical gardens spanning some 27 hectares. Here we can walk through the gardens displaying over 500 species of indigenous plants, some of which are nearing extinction. Some of the highlights include a collection of exotic palms tree, over 2,000 cactus and succulents and the display of Canarian and Macronesian species. Before returning to the ship for lunch, we visit the Casa de Colon, Christophers Columbus’ house that has been transformed into a history museum displaying various artefacts belong to him including journals and drawings.

Enjoy some free time this afternoon, which can either be spent on board or exploring at your leisure.

Arriving at the island of Fuerteventura this morning, the day is at leisure or alternatively join our optional excursion, discovering the ‘Secrets of Fuerteventura’. We'll begin towards the northern part of the island at the Finca Torres, where we will discover how local goat cheese is made. The internationally renowned goat cheeses produced in Fuerteventura have been awarded the highest "Golden Cheese Award" for five consecutive years. At the end of our tour, we enjoy a tasting of this famous delicacy. We then continue on to the small village of Tiscamanita to visit a cosmetics producer which uses aloe vera, one of the most prominent crops on the island, and a rather surprising plant as we will discover. We conclude in Betancuria, the island's first colony and former capital. French explorer Jean de Béthencourt founded Betancuria at the beginning of the 15th century. He chose the area for protection from pirate attacks, but despite his strategy pirates razed the village in 1593.

Today we find ourselves on the last stop of the cruise, Lanzarote – the most north easterly of the Canary Islands, synonymous with volcanoes as are much of the Canaries, where lava fields and rugged rocky landscapes sit in contrast to the delicate whitewashed houses. This morning we visit the Jardin de Cactus, a former quarry that has been transformed into a wonderful garden, home to a variety of cacti flowers from around the world. Later, we head to The Green Heart of Haria, an oasis for wildlife and a vast collection of native plants that is a refuge for local flora and fauna. We enjoy a guided tour of the gardens before returning to the ship for lunch and an afternoon to spend at leisure

After breakfast, we transfer to Lanzarote airport for our return flight to London.