Cruise around the Canary Islands - a week in the sun with m/s Opera

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Guest writer: Björn Erik Gustavsson

A cruise holiday can seem paradoxical. You spend most of your time in one place - yet you get to experience many places.

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In late November/early December, I was a passenger on a week-long cruise between the Canary Islands, including a full day in Madeira. This brand new route has been launched this autumn by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, MSC; a company with a history worth recounting: a Naples skipper, Gianlugi Aponte, bought a boat in 1970 - hoping to build his own business. Today he is 82, living in Geneva and chairman of one of the world's largest shipping companies. As well as controlling a fifth of the world's container traffic, MSC is now the world's third largest cruise line.

Exclusive? Not necessarily. A week's cruise between the Canary Islands doesn't have to be much more expensive than a regular charter. The price includes (for Swedish travellers) direct flights to Las Palmas, transfers, cabin and full board.

The ship on the route in question (MSC has a range of cruise ships operating worldwide) bears the stately name of Opera, was built in 2004 (champagne christened by Sophia Loren at the launch) and can accommodate 2 679 passengers (served by a crew of just over 700).

On board m/s Opera

As soon as you approach the harbour area, the huge boat stands out behind the row of palm trees. With its sleek lines, the m/s Opera exudes something classic and sophisticated, reminiscent of the legendary Cunuard Line (with flagships such as the Atlantic cruiser Queen Mary).

As soon as I cross the gangway and am welcomed by crew members in white uniforms, I get a sense of peculiar adventure. It is like being in a parallel universe: everything is the same but different at the same time.

The lifts take you up and down between floors, all named after famous operas; Aida, La traviata ... Then you are shown to the cabin that will be my fixed point for the coming week. Best of all: a generously sized private balcony along the long side of the ship. A "chief attendant" in charge of this particular section of the corridor turns out to be an old-school steward - and also provides me with fresh copies of the ship's "Daily programme".

The range of activities and entertainment is enormous, from early morning sunrise stretching on the upper deck to evening Broadway-inspired, high-class shows at the Teattro dell'Opera and - finally - 'Disco Night' starting at 01:00.

Dancing and competitions of all kinds are organised on the upper deck, and the long pool area offers a host of activities for all ages - including children. In addition to the pools, there's a fitness centre and a lavish spa that also offers massage treatments. And there's much, much more - including a library and reading room.

In the evenings, lively concerts with colourful 'Spanish flavour' under the stars and a slightly euphoric atmosphere once the musicians and dancers get into shape. Numerous bars, of course - plus a 'vitamin bar' with fantastic smoothies and juices made from an abundance of fresh fruit. Abundance also characterises the huge buffet restaurant; a little more cosy in the à la carte restaurants.

Even the passenger who seeks peace and quiet (and perhaps wants to practise the sweetness of doing nothing at all; "il dolce far niente") has excellent opportunities. For although most passengers curiously stream out of the boat when it arrives at a new destination each day, it's just as well to stay on board: most things are kept open from morning to night.

For myself, I found a wonderful "philosophy corner" on the aft deck; a small apse with a deckchair on one of the upper levels where I was usually completely alone and could immerse myself in contemplation and undisturbed enjoy the turquoise blue sea and the towering silhouettes of distant islands.

The special thing about a cruise like this: you get the opportunity to discover something new every day, whether you go out on your own in the city where you have arrived or join one of the half- or full-day trips that MSC offers at each new destination. Whichever you choose, you'll have plenty of time to take in each destination. The boat arrives at each new port fairly early in the morning and does not leave until 21-22.

Cruise around the Canary Islands

The new cruise itinerary includes Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma, Madeira and Gran Canaria. My particular week was slightly different and included two days in Lanzarote.

Gran Canaria in the Advent season: 29 degrees in the shade, Christmas roses blooming on freshly mown lawns, and a few blocks' walk from the harbour: a crowd of sunbathers and swimmers along the kilometre-long, golden-yellow Playa de las Canteras ...

Next morning: the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz. I have not been here since 1976. Back then there were still inhabited cave dwellings on the hillside, and shepherds herded their goats through the centre ... The tourist paradises to the south - Playa de las Americanas and Los Cristianos - were still sleepy fishing villages, with few tourists sunbathing between raised wooden boats.

Today, Santa Cruz is a modern city, but still retains its Canarian charm. I visit the two-storey African Market Hall, inaugurated in 1943, an explosion of smells and colours! Then local bus to the picturesque village of San Andres a few miles north; famous not least for its fantastic fish restaurants.

Next door: Perhaps Tenerife's most beautiful - and least known - beach: the kilometre-long Playa de las Teresitas, with imported Saharan sand and lined with shady palm trees, bars and restaurants. 30 in the air, 22 in the water. So dazzlingly beautiful and delightful that it felt as if life had opened up to Paradise ...

Next stop: Fuerteventura! In the bright morning light, our white m/s Opera slowly heads towards Rosario, a somewhat old-fashioned city with low buildings and an "African" feel.

I've pre-registered for the jeep safari, a half-day tour. We pack six people into each vehicle and head for Corralejo National Park, a mile-wide area of rolling sand dunes; then a short walk by one of the island's many volcanic peaks (long since inactive).

The lunar-like landscape is barren, covered in solidified lava and almost completely devoid of vegetation. By contrast, 500 years ago, the Canary Islands were forested. The climate has become increasingly dry. Without desalinisation of sea water, the population would barely survive.

Then we reach another paradise: a sandy lagoon to the west, La concha, with a simple café a short distance away. Then bumpy off-road driving along a steep, high rocky coast. Huge swells break thunderously far below us. Rows of German camper vans are parked in the desolation.

Next day: Lanzarote, only 15 miles from the African coast. This island is also characterised by a uniform lava landscape and a number of towering volcanic mountains.

Just to the north is one of the least known islands in the Canary archipelago, Isla Gracioso, with just 750 inhabitants and golden yellow sandy beaches. Surprisingly, there are still no modern hotels here, just a few small guesthouses and restaurants in the small village of Caleta del Sebo.

We dock in the capital, Arrecife, with its beautiful palm-lined streets and preserved 16th-century fortresses built to protect against pirates. A quiet, peaceful town where life seems to go on as usual and children play football on the large sandy beach in the centre. Especially the old fishermen's quarter with its whitewashed houses and narrow alleys around the bay with small fishing boats: timelessly charming!

Most beautiful of all: Madeira; "The 'Floating Garden of the Atlantic' and all that this subtropical, verdant island has been called. Emerald mountains and laurel forests (recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List) meet here. The island has not yet been reached by the really big tourist flows, probably because there are few natural beaches.

Madeira is strongly influenced by Portuguese culture, despite being an autonomous, self-governing Portuguese region since 1976. The capital Funchal is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with beautiful old palaces - often converted into luxurious hotels - on the hillsides and an old-fashioned muddy centre near the harbour, with narrow charming alleys and shady parks. And everywhere: flowers, flowers, flowers ...

Walk a few kilometres north from the port and you come to an area of natural sea pools, Doco da Cavacas. A marvel of peaceful beauty - as is the simple restaurant in the neighbouring blue stone house. Continuing north through the pedestrian tunnel, you pass a magnificent black lava rock beach and then a small fishing village, more or less unaffected by modern tourism.

One of the strongest experiences of the cruise was the almost day-long journey Madeira-Gran Canaria . A whole day at sea - and at once it felt like it was precisely this that topped the cruise experience: to get to rest and to digest something of all the impressions of the week.

My little "philosophy corner" on the aft deck was probably the highlight of the trip, on that day when we were travelling at ten knots over the dazzling blue sea.

Finally, two Arlanda hotels, both of which are recommended for anyone not staying in Stockholm and needing accommodation close to departure or return. The huge Comfort hotel, just a few minutes' walk from the international terminal, has excellent soundproofed rooms, as does the neighbouring stylish Clarion - with an outdoor pool adjacent to the gym.

Text and photo: Björn Erik Gustavsson

Mr Björn Erik Gustavsson

Björn Erik Gustavsson, now living in Värmland, has since the 1980s made a living as a freelance cultural writer and critic - and in recent years largely as a travel journalist. He has published 14 books, including a volume focusing on Eyvind Johnson as a traveller (Resebrev 1921-1952) and a number of works of fiction: four collections of poetry, a collection of short stories and a novel.

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