In 2022, Hurtigruten Expeditions will be adding a new itinerary: the African West Coast and its archipelagos, the Bissagos Islands and Cape Verde.
The 13-day itinerary includes four countries: Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal, with the MS Spitsbergen based out of Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
The world’s largest expedition cruise line will also introduce itineraries to the Canary Islands and Madeira for the 2022/2023 season.
“2022 will be one of the most adventurous years for Hurtigruten Expeditions. We will start the year by launching our Galapagos operations in January, and at the end of the year, we will introduce our first African cruises,” said Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen in a statement.
“We are very excited about expanding to new unique destinations, which complements our Caribbean and South American expedition cruises and strengthens our global position.”
First Itinerary Overview
The cruise line’s first ever African journey will depart on 27NOV, 2022. The following departures will be on 09 and 21DEC, 2022, and 02 and 14JAN, 2023.
First, four days in the Bissagos Islands will be spent exploring the 88-island archipelago that is home to hippos, dolphins, crocodiles, sea turtles, manatees, and 500 species of birds.
Then in Cape Verde, pax can explore the colonial churches, palatial mansions, and old forts in many of the cities and towns spread out across the archipelago, the islands are also a birdwatcher’s haven with many migratory and endemic species crisscrossing the islands. That’s without mentioning the whales, dolphins and sea turtles.
The itinerary also includes a day in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa. Before even leaving, guests will explore the island of Gorée. A city tour of Dakar is included on the disembarkation day.
Meanwhile, the five 10-days sailings to the Canary Islands and Madeira begin in NOV 2022 and JAN through MAR of 2023.
These expeditions claim to “show a different side of the island” with a focus on hiking, parks and cultural walking tours. An optional excursion will allow guests to identify and remove invasive plant species with a local naturalist.
For more information, visit Hurtigruten’s website.
