Europe´s Atlantic Highlights From Lisbon

Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. From imposing São Jorge Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored buildings, Tagus Estuary and Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of decorative ceramic tiles. Just outside Lisbon is a string of Atlantic beaches, from Cascais to Estoril.

The Port of Leixões is one of Portugal’s major seaports, located 4 km north of the mouth of the Douro River, in Matosinhos municipality, near the city of Porto. Leixões Sport Club, commonly known simply as Leixões, is Matosinhos’ sports club.

Ferrol is a city in the Province of A Coruña in Galicia, on the Atlantic coast in north-western Spain, in the vicinity of Strabo’s Cape Nerium. According to the 2016 census, the city has a population of 66,065, making it the seventh largest settlement in Galicia.

Gijón is a large coastal city in northern Spain. It’s known for its maritime heritage and the old fishermen’s quarter of Cimadevilla. Santa Catalina hill has a clifftop park and sculpture. The 18th-century Revillagigedo Palace houses an international arts center. It adjoins the Collegiate Church of San Juan Bautista, now a concert hall. Nearby is the 16th-century Clock Tower, with a museum about the city.

San Sebastián de La Gomera is the capital of La Gomera, one of Spain’s Canary Islands. The Church of the Assumption has a mural depicting an 18th-century battle, and a museum with religious artwork dating from the 16th century. Nearby, La Gomera Archaeological Museum traces the island’s indigenous cultures through artifacts and scale models. South is the Torre del Conde, a medieval fortification set in a lush park

Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. Public gardens line the curving river quays. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool.

Saint-Malo is a port city in Brittany, in France’s northwest. Tall granite walls surround the old town, which was once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the center of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history. Nearby is La Demeure de Corsaire, an 18th-century privateer’s house and museum.

Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the central region of the Rio Grande Valley of the southern part of the U.S. state of Texas, about 30 miles from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, is connected to the North Sea by the Elbe River. It’s crossed by hundreds of canals, and also contains large areas of parkland. Near its core, Inner Alster lake is dotted with boats and surrounded by cafes. The city’s central Jungfernstieg boulevard connects the Neustadt (new town) with the Altstadt (old town), home to landmarks like 18th-century St. Michael’s Church