Islands of the Atlantic
A ten-night voyage along the Atlantic shores of West Africa, featuring guest lecturer Alex Filippenko, a renowned astrophysicist.
This program, designed to attend to both the natural and cultural history of West Africa and the Canary & Madeira islands offers an opportunity to explore a fascinating part of the world that has been shaped both by the natural forces of geology and climate and by the human forces of conquest and colonialism.
We begin in the cosmopolitan city of Dakar, where museums and markets teem with African arts and crafts, and where the somber legacy of the transatlantic slave trade is memorialized on the UNESCO Heritage Site of Gorée Island.
A day at sea brings us to the seldom-visited Western Saharan port of Dakhla, where the desert meets the ocean, producing stunningly beautiful beaches, and where we tour the charming city that was once capital of the Spanish Rio de Oro.
Leaving the mainland, we set sail for the Canaries and the Madeira Archipelago.
On the Canary Island of Tenerife, visit La Laguna, the colonial capital and now a UNESCO Heritage Site, and drive through a stunning volcanic landscape to Teide National Park to visit the observatory.
La Palma provides the chance to visit the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, site of the world’s largest single-aperture optical telescope.
Then, during two days in the Madeira Archipelago, tour the capital, Funchal, its museums, and its magnificent Botanical Garden; spend a day on Porto Santo, where Christopher Columbus resided for a time; and enjoy a tasting of the eponymous wine for which the archipelago is famous.
Joining us throughout the voyage will be Alex Filippenko, Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at UC Berkeley. Professor Filippenko looks forward to sharing his experience and expertise in a series of lectures, including a discussion of the role of the Canary Islands Observatories in modern astronomical research.
We hope you will be able to join us as we travel to Islands of the Atlantic: From West Africa to Lisbon Exploring the Canary & Madeira Islands.
Michael Shermer
Executive Director, Skeptics Society
8% of your expedition fee will be a tax-deductible donation to The Skeptics Society — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
For a detailed, day-to-day itinerary, rates, and inclusions, please download and share with family and friends the complete 8-page Expedition Brochure (PDF):
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IMPORTANT! This expedition must be booked through Thalassa Journeys. Please do not book through your own travel agent.