Coastal Capitals Crossing

Barcelona, located in Catalonia Spain, is Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, and one of the world’s major global cities. Today, Barcelona balances itself on the cutting edge of architecture, intellectual life, and style. Indeed Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. Read more about Barcelona, Spain

Alicante lies on the east coast of Spain and is Valencia region's second-largest city. Famous for its excellent weather and its long stretches of sandy beaches such as San Juan, thousands visit each year. Its most notable feature is undoubtedly the Castle of Santa Barbara situated on Mount Benacantil that dominates the city. Read more about Alicante, Spain

Motril, nestling at the foothills of the Sierra Lujar mountains, lies at the heart of the Costa Tropical in Spain It is an ideal base for exploring the many delights of the Andalucian coastline and hinterland. With warm winters and long hot summers, it is a magnet for both Spanish and foreign visitors. Numerous beaches, such as the Calahonda beach with its pretty setting serviced by beach bars, are delightful and always enjoyed by visitors. Read more about Motril, Spain

Cadiz is a city and port in SW Spain. It is the capital of Cadiz Province, an autonomous community of Andalusia. Due to its small size one is never more than a few blocks from the sea, and this engenders a safe, relaxed, and easy-going atmosphere. Read more about Cadiz, Spain

Funchal is the capital of Portugal’s Autonomous Region of Madeira an archipelago 880 SW of Portugal and 600 km NW of Morocco, in the north Atlantic. Funchal’s harbour offers plazas lined with shops, colourful houses spilling down hillsides, due to its almost amphitheatre-like formation, and a profusion of flowers. For a fine view of the magnificent bay, take the unique downhill basket sledge ride. Read more about Funchal, Portugal

The largest town in the Portuguese Azores Islands and capital of the island Sao Miguel, Ponta Delgada is built on gently rising ground between green hills. With its many churches, its trim white houses and the lush gardens on its outskirts, it presents an attractive spectacle to visitors arriving by sea. The marina at Ponta Delgada also welcomes many yachts and private sailors from around the world. Read more about Ponta Delgada, Portugal

Horta, with a population of about 7,000, is a city on the island of Faial, which is a tourist island with a rich collection of historical, natural and modern attractions, situated in the western part of the Portuguese Archipelago of the Azores. The city contains the Horta Regional Museum which has a permanent exhibit - Exhibition of Capelinhos Volcano - that details in photographs the 1957 volcanic eruption in the Azores. The museum also contains a large collection of scale models of buildings, ships, and people carved from fig kernels. Read more about Horta Azores, Portugal

Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, the Gateway to Atlantic Canada, is a lively and colourful combination of urban and rural living at its best. It is situated on the world’s second largest harbour, and the beautifully restored waterfront buildings recall the city's centuries-old maritime heritage, which is also cleverly explained at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, and the Halifax Citadel that explores the unique local heritage. Read more about Halifax, Canada

Perched on a peninsula jutting out into island-studded Casco Bay, Portland - a progressive, lively city - is the largest city in Maine, USA. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes, which refers to the city’s recoveries from four devastating fires. It is home to a friendly and hardworking people and is ranked nationally as one of the ten safest and culturally fascinating cities of the US. Read more about Portland, Maine, USA

Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, USA. Calling this quaint and delightful city the 'Athens of America' might seem a bit pretentious, but the city's 19th-century glory radiates through its grand architecture, and its world-renowned academic and cultural institutions. Disastrous 'urban renewal' projects in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Read more about Boston, USA

Newport Island is located in Newport County, Rhode Island, just 48 km south of Providence in the United States. It is home to spectacular coastal scenery, awe-inspiring architecture, a thriving waterfront downtown, and welcoming hospitality. Newport is considered by many to be a shining gem in the coastal crown of New England. Read more about Newport, USA

New York is situated on the Atlantic coast of NE United States. With its world-class museums, big statues, even bigger buildings and being the most linguistically diverse city in the world, the Big Apple’s hyperactive rush keeps drawing more and more people to it. The City of New York is a densely packed mass of humanity and all this living on top of one another makes the New Yorker a special kind of person. Read more about New York, USA