Discover two Atlantic crossroads on a guided tour of Recife’s riverside quarter and the hilltop town of Olinda. Stroll Recife Antigo past Marco Zero and colorful facades along Rua do Bom Jesus, hearing stories of Dutch Mauritsstad, sugar fortunes, and the oldest synagogue in the Americas.

Continue to UNESCO-listed Olinda, where baroque churches crown pastel hills and artists’ ateliers line cobbled lanes. Step into quiet cloisters, scan the coast from Alto da Sé, and sense how colonial Brazil’s cultures converged amid breeze-cooled plazas and chapel bells.

Venture from Mindelo to Santo Antão for a spectacular island crossing. Ascend to the fog-kissed highlands and cross the Cova crater rim before descending into the terraced Paul Valley, where sugarcane and papaya cling to lava-hewn slopes and basalt peaks fall away to the sea.

Travel scenic roads carved into cliffs, pausing at overlooks for Atlantic panoramas and insights into the island’s ingenious irrigation and stone-built terraces. Experience microclimates that shift from arid ridges to cloud forests—a living lesson in geology, resilience, and island craft.

Join the Expedition Team for expert talks that illuminate your route—from South Atlantic currents and seabird behavior to Afro-Atlantic history and volcanic archipelagos. Sessions blend storytelling with images, maps, and specimens to deepen what you see on deck and ashore.

In the Science Center, get hands-on with Citizen Science projects, microscopes, and ID charts. Learn practical field skills—plankton sampling, cloud observations, seabird identification—that turn the ocean outside your window into a dynamic classroom.

Step onto the open deck after dark for a laser-guided sky tour led by the Expedition Team. As ship lights dim and horizon lines blur, stargaze under equatorial skies where the Milky Way arches bright and constellations sharpen in salt-clear air.

Trace southern asterisms like the Southern Cross and, later in the voyage, orient toward northern patterns as you cross hemispheres. Hear navigation lore—Polynesian wayfinding, sextants, and star paths—that links the night canopy to centuries of ocean travel. Weather permitting.

Join guided watches with the team to scan the horizon with the Expedition Team for life at sea. Look for arcing flying fish and dolphins, shearwaters skimming the swells, and tropical seabirds—frigatebirds and boobies—riding thermals over the wake.

Learn how to read sea state, identify species by silhouette, and understand why currents, wind lanes, and upwellings draw wildlife to the ship’s path. Each sighting adds a data point to the story of an ocean in motion.

Explore the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture on a guided circuit through UNESCO-listed Pelourinho. Ride the Elevador Lacerda to the Upper City, weave among pastel mansions and drumbeats, and step inside the gold-laden Church of São Francisco with its intricate baroque carvings.

Along cobbled streets, hear stories of capoeira rodas, Bahian cuisine, and Candomblé rhythms that shaped Brazil’s first capital. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Uncover Santiago Island’s layered history, from Praia’s colonial plateau to nearby Cidade Velha, the first European city in the tropics. Walk Rua Banana, stand by the stone Pelourinho, and survey the coast from Fort Real de São Filipe, once the guardian of Atlantic trade routes.

Gain insight into Creole culture and the centuries of movement that forged Cape Verde’s identity. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk the sandy ridges near Lagoa da Conceicão for sweeping lagoon-and-ocean views, then continue to Ribeirão da Ilha, an Azorean-heritage village known for oyster farms. Learn how currents and water quality shape the briny flavor before you sample regional wines and fresh oysters pulled from the bay.

Between weathered wharves and painted wooden boats, meet producers keeping island traditions alive. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

See Recife from the water on a leisurely boat ride beneath its many bridges—often called the “Brazilian Venice.” Glide past colonial warehouses and the colorful facades of Rua da Aurora before disembarking for a curated walk through Recife Antigo and artisan markets.

Hear how tides and trade shaped the city’s fortunes and photograph reflections where rivers meet the sea. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Weather and river conditions permitting.

Spend an intimate evening in the hometown of Cesária Évora, where the soulful ballad form of morna drifts from taverns and cultural houses. Savor Cape Verdean dishes—perhaps rich catchupa stew—paired with local grogue, as musicians layer guitar, cavaquinho, and voice.

Between sets, learn about the island’s maritime heritage and the lyrics that thread longing, voyages, and return. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore the so-called “Island of Magic” on a guided ramble to secluded sands and wind-carved lookouts. Follow your guide along coastal paths to discover hidden coves of Florianópolis, crest low headlands above misty Atlantic swells, and trace lagoon-rimmed scenery shaped by dunes and forest.

Along the way, learn how Azorean fishing villages, artisanal oyster farms, and surfing culture took root on Santa Catarina Island. Pause to pause for photos and reflection as the ocean horizon opens wide and the scent of sea pine drifts on the breeze.