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Ship:  Callisto

Itinerary:  Desert Kingdoms and Imperial Cities: A Christmas/ New Year's Voyage from Casablanca to Dakar

click to enlarge
  Marrakech, Morocco

 cabins & deck plans  |  additional itineraries |  cancellation policy

When Paul Bowles, the expatriate writer, first saw the shore of Morocco, he wrote, “certain areas of the earth’s surface contained more magic than others”. Since the Arabs first arrived in the 7th century, this dreamlike part of the world, with its bright, clamoring medinas, and vast, silent desert, has attracted artists and adventurers. This holiday season, leave the frenzied shopping lines behind, and join us on an enchanting cruise along the coast of West Africa, where daily life retains an unhurried “classic sense of time,” and an exotic aura of mystery.

Moroccan tea is poured from half a meter into tiny handle-less glasses, so that all the drinker’s five senses are engaged: the smell and taste of the mint, the gurgle of it falling into the glass, and the heat of the glass in the palms. This promises to be the case with everything you experience in West Africa—a complete nourishment of the senses.

What better way to celebrate the winter holidays than on a warm and magical cruise along the coast of West Africa? We hope you’ll be with us when we raise our glasses to an unforgettable New Year’s Eve.

Day 1 : Arrive in Casablanca

Arrive in Casablanca, and transfer to the pier to board Callisto. Overnight in port

Day 2 : Casablanca / Rabat / Casablanca

Built on a promontory facing the Atlantic, cosmopolitan Casablanca is Morocco’s principal commercial center and port and a repository of fine French colonial buildings. From Casablanca, drive to Rabat, Morocco’s elegant capital. Tour Rabat’s main sites, including its Medina, situated between the sea and the river. Within are colorful souks; the Kasbah des Oudaias, the evocative quarter of the old Almohad, Merenid, and Andalusian towns; and the Chellah Citadel, a striking ruin with royal tombs and other monuments. Return to the ship in Casablanca.

Day 3 : Safi / Marrakech / Safi

From Safi, drive to fabled Marrakech, one of Morocco’s four Imperial Capitals, founded in the 11th century and set among gardens and palm groves. Our exploration includes the 12th-century Koutoubia Minaret; the Bahia Palace; the Ben Youssef Mederssa; the Jewish Quarter; and Djemma el-Fna, the city’s central square at the heart of the Medina. There will also be the opportunity to walk through Marrakech’s colorful souks.

Day 4 : Agadir

Built around a sweeping bay, Agadir was first colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, and was captured by the Saadians in the 1600s. Today Agadir is one of Morocco’s main resorts. Drive north of the city to Paradise Valley to explore this scenic palm-lined gorge and its Berber villages.

Days 5-6 : Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Call at Arrecife, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and one of the seven islands of the Canary Archipelago. From Arrecife, visit the National Park of Timanfaya, a lunar landscape shaped by volcanic activity and renowned for its distinctive plant species. Enroute to the Park, pass small villages of red-tiled houses that are in bright contrast to the ash-covered mountains.

Day 7 : Puerto Del Rosario, Fuerteventura

Christmas Day will be spent on Fuerteventura. The second largest but least populous island of the Canary Islands, only 100km separate it from the coast of Africa. Explore the stark beauty of the desert-like landscape with miles of golden sand dunes at the Parque Natural de Corralejo. Enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner aboard ship.

Day 8 : Laayoune, Western Sahara, Morocco

Laayoune is the main city in Morocco’s Western Sahara, an area that was held by Spain until 1975. Only a village a few years ago, Laayoune has grown to a city of over 200,000 inhabitants. A pioneering spirit prevails here as witnessed by the dynamic and rapid development of the place. Explore the Souk ez Zaj, Laayoune’s old district, with its Spanish-Saharan architecture, and the Artisans Center, with its workshops of jewelry, metal, wood, and other crafts.

Day 9 : At Sea / Dakhla

Cruise along the coast of Western Sahara. Early in the evening, arrive in Dakhla.

Day 10 : Dakhla

The southernmost town of Western Sahara, Dakhla is located on a long peninsula jutting into the Atlantic. Capital of the old Spanish colony Rio de Oro, and known until 1975 as Villa Cisneros, Dakhla is now mostly populated by Moroccans and tribesmen who previously lived in the desert.

Day 11 : Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Built on the Cap Blanc peninsula, Mauritania’s Nouadhibou is a mix of African, Mediterranean, and Oriental elements. The city’s exotic air is accentuated by the flowing robes worn by the friendly and hospitable locals. Visit the local market, with its silversmiths, cloth sellers, and other artisans, and then drive to the desert, where a special lunch will be served in a tent, accompanied by traditional music. Explore the desert, and then return to the ship to sail along the coast of Mauritania.

Day 12 : Nouakchott

Arrive today in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, built between the sea and the desert. Visit the National Museum, with its fine collection of artifacts, and the Artisanal Center, a market where exquisite silver jewelry, embroidery, batiks and other items are sold. End the tour of Nouakchott with a stop at the atmospheric Fishermen’s Beach.

Day 13 : Dakar, Senegal

After cruising along Senegal’s coast, Callisto arrives in Dakar late in the afternoon and remains docked for the night. Enjoy a festive New Year’s Eve celebration this evening.

Day 14 : Dakar / Disembark / Goree Island / Dakar

Disembark in Dakar in the morning for a visit to Goree Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within Dakar, visit the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noir, one of West Africa's finest museums, then stop at the Marche Soumbedioune, a craft market with fine examples of artisan workmanship. Transfer to the Hotel Sofitel Teranga Dakar for dinner and accommodations until the late evening return flights home.

Ship Description: Callisto

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  Callisto

The finest, most memorable voyages take place aboard a luxurious private yacht. On a private yacht one is part of a small, select, sociable community. Cabins are more like guest rooms in a fine home -- beautifully furnished, comfortably arranged, and complete with the little extras one would expect from a thoughtful host. The yacht's public areas, whether indoors or out on deck, are warm, inviting places where friends meet for conversation, a drink, or to pass a pleasant hour with a good book. The cuisine is superb. And the service is considerate and congenial.

This is the kind of exceptional experience you'll enjoy aboard the Callisto, a beautiful oceangoing yacht that is the fulfillment of a traveler's dream.

Like a fine country house, Callisto is furnished with rich fabrics, handsome woodwork, gleaming brass, rare antiques, and fine works of art. The guest list is limited to no more than 34 individuals -- a group large enough to bring together an interesting mix of travelers, but small enough to foster a genuine spirit of camaraderie.

In addition to all of the other pleasures of the Callisto, the ship's guests enjoy an advantage that eludes travelers aboard big ships: because Callisto is a yacht, it can visit those unspoiled islets, pristine beaches, and intimate coves and harbors that have been familiar to fishermen and other sailors of small craft for thousands of years, but which are inaccessible to large commercial cruise liners.

Callisto was designed with the comfort of her guests in mind. All staterooms are exterior with large windows (portholes on Daphne Deck) that look out on the sea and the yacht's various ports of call; they are air conditioned and feature generous storage space, a telephone, two-channel radio, and a marble bath with shower. The yacht's public areas include a spacious lounge; a dining room in which all guests are accommodated at a single unassigned seating; two broad decks for sunbathing and dining alfresco; and a swimming platform at the yacht's stern. The Callisto flies the Greek flag and is served by a crew of 18.

Cat D Stern outside cabins on Daphne Deck with portholes	Cat C Outside cabins on Daphne Deck with portholes
Cat B Outside cabins on Leto Deck with picture window	Cat A Outside cabins on Leto Deck with two picture windows