Portofino, Sete, Palma de Majorca

[poodlewhisperer]

We'll be on the Regatta and have most ports planned out but would appreciate any advice on these ports. Any recommended tours, places to visit? Walkable, any tour companies to recommend? Would like to see/do as much as possible. Thanks.

[Jayayeff]

We'll be on the Regatta and have most ports planned out but would appreciate any advice on these ports. Any recommended tours, places to visit? Walkable, any tour companies to recommend? Would like to see/do as much as possible. Thanks.

Cannot help with Sete but last summer when onboard Insignia we did both Portofino and Palma de Majorca. Portofino is a tender port and you arrive right in the centre of things. You can wak all around the small harbour and the 'town' centre, we then walked up the hill to the chapel of St. Georges then carried on walking around the pathway to the lighthouse. Lovely views very nice walk. As a Brit I had been to Majorca several times before and as it was a Sunday, shops closed, etc. I took the friends I'd met up with here on CC over to the West Coast on the Tren de Soller. This is a very old narrow guage railway that runs from Palma to Soller through the hills, then you disembark and take a tram (street-car?) from where the train track ends down to the small port of Soller. Upon return to Palma we took a tour on the hop on/hop off sightseeing bus which we got off at the port and walked back onto the ship. Lovely day which my US friends and I enjoyed much more than those who took the ship's shore excursions.
Anne

[KCruisin']

We stopped at Portofino twice on two different cruises on O.
The first time we used an O excursion and we sailed along the coast to Camogli stopping along the way at a lovely little beach hotel accessible only by boat. It was a great excursion. The second time we went to Santa Margherita. It was too early when we got into port to take the ferry so we road the local bus - it was a fun experience but it is very crowded with standing room only so not for someone who cannot maneuver well. We took the ferry back. The day we were in SM they had a street market with both food and crafts. I don't know if it is always there but we got some Italian meats, cheeses and breads and ate on a park bench overlooking the water - wonderful time! Both times we had ample time to explore Portofino too. There is a gift shop on the right hand side of the street that sells Venitian glass jewelry at the best prices you will see on the trip and owned by a lovely woman and her mother. This is a fabulous port - the scenery is breathtaking. One of the days we were walking the street early and saw two ladies hanging out their wash and talking to each other out the windows a floor apart!

In Mallorca we again took the O excursion "Taste of the Past" - our guide was a wonderful funny lady who entertained us as well as informed us. The Els Calderers manor house was very interesting and of course you will get a tour of one of the pearl factories

[Member]

We found Montpellier (a 30-min. drive north-east of Sete) very grand and should spend at least 3 hours there instead.