Catalina, La Romana, Dominican Republic

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Catalina is a tropical island of the Caribbean Sea, located in the southeast of the Dominican Republic in the province of La Romana. There are no inhabitants on the island but it receives thousands of people through the cruise ships that let their passengers spend a day of relax, sea and beach. Everything awaits you to enjoy this paradisiacal place; you will find sun loungers, parasols, services, snorkelling, etc. A buffet meal will also be offered by your cruise line. The island is a small paradise with stunning white sandy beaches with crystal clear waters. It takes half an hour to get there from La Romana. You can snorkel or dive to discover its colorful fish. The island is surrounded by corals.

Tips

When leaving the ship, do not forget to bring the necessary items for a day of beach, especially sunscreen, glasses and towels. The rest you can find on site and the chairs are free. But be careful in the sea because there is no surveillance.

Consider that you will be transported there by the rescue boats of your ship and if you have sea sickness, plan to take your medicine against transport sickness and bring it to take it before returning.

You will find local craft items so bring in a little money if you want to buy some souvenirs.

If you like Latin music, you will have the opportunity to dance or learn how to dance with the local animation staff.

Lisbon, Portugal

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Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal, having the most active port of the European Atlantic coast. Its Old Center is in decline demographic but they work hard to renovate the palaces and the museums because there are many unhealthy housing. Avenue De la Liberdade is considered one of the most expensive streets on a world scale. The city is known for its typical trams and funiculars.

Tips

You can buy a rechargeable card and ask for the Pass 24 to have unlimited access to public transport for 24 hours.

Do not forget to visit the Alfama district with its winding and steep alleys and its Moorish heritage: a jewel.

To have one of the most beautiful views of the city, visit the St-George Castle.

You can take the elevator from the castle which is free.

If you are there on a Tuesday or Saturday, visit the Feira da ladra, where you will find typical handicrafts, azulejos, clothes, etc.

Cathedral of St. James of Compostela, Spain

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The cathedral of St. James of Compostela, dedicated to the Apostle James of Zebedee (saint patron and protector of Spain) is a cathedral located in the historical center of the city of St. James of Compostela, purpose of one of the great pilgrimages of medieval Europe; initiatory way in which people followed the wake of the Milky Way. At the beginning of the ninth century, Alfonso II had built the first church; in 899, Alfonso III replaced it for a greater pre-Romanesque church. The present cathedral is a Romanesque building built in granite, which work began in 1075 and was finished in 1211. It is dedicated to the relics and pilgrimages. The two towers of the western façade (Baroque churrigueresque) are from the Middle Ages and its monumental staircase of 1606. Its chapels form a museum of paintings, sculptures, reliquaries and altar pieces accumulated over the centuries. The cathedral has a plan of three naves, a large transept with aisles and stands and a sanctuary with ambulatory surrounded by a ring of chapels. The original plan had additions of the Renaissance and Baroque. A sumptuous statue of St. James is in the main altar; the crypt is below with the remains of St. James and his disciples, St. Theodore and St. Athanasius. The ambulatory, the beautiful gates, the vault of the Chapel of Mondragón, the Renaissance door of the sacristy and the cloister are the most outstanding items. Above the transept of the cathedral stands a lantern tower from whose summit is hung by steel cables a brass censer of 54 kilos which is used in special ceremonies as in Compostelan years. The treasure is housed in a Gothic chapel in the south transept of the cathedral; it has a tympanum representing the equestrian figure of the Apostle (XIII century). The King of France, Charles V had made a very important gift for it to be celebrated daily a mass for the prosperity of France, so the San Salvador chapel is also known as the Chapel of the King of France; this is where the pilgrims after confessed, received the Compostela; certificate of pilgrimage.

 
Tips

Pilgrims can go to kiss the holy mantle by a staircase behind the altar.
You can also visit the library which displays the censers and tapestries (it’s part of the cathedral museum), even as the pieces found in the excavations .
The archives of the cathedral has a copy of the Codex Calixtinus (set of texts dated around 1140); in the texts you can find practical advice for pilgrims.