Hurtigruten to Launch African Cruises
The expedition cruise line will explore the African West Coast next year.
Santo Antão village in Cape Verde. Photo: Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten will introduce cruises exploring the West Coast of Africa to its offerings next year, adding four new countries to its 2022/23 season.
The 13-day itinerary includes four countries: Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal, with MS Spitsbergen based out of Dakar, one of Africa’s most bustling cities.
Hurtigruten’s first-ever African adventure will depart on Nov. 27, 2022, and will be the first in a series of expedition cruises to visit Cape Verde and the Bissagos Islands, where guests can experience distinctive wildlife and diverse landscapes as they enjoy four days exploring the 88-island archipelago that is home to hippos, dolphins, crocodiles, sea turtles, manatees, and 500 species of birds.
The itinerary spends four full days visiting the ports and destinations of Cape Verde. The islands have colonial churches, palatial mansions, and old forts, as well as wildlife like whales, dolphins, and sea turtles.
The itinerary also includes a day in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa. All cruises out of Dakar include land-based adventures as part of the itinerary. Before departure, guests will explore the island of Gorée. A city tour of Dakar is included on the disembarkation day,
The expansion follows the expedition cruise line’s recent launch announcement of year-round expedition cruises to the Galapagos Islands starting early 2022. Hurtigruten will also introduce a series of itineraries to the Canary Islands and Madeira for the 22/23 seasons.
“2022 will be one of the most adventurous years for Hurtigruten Expeditions,” said Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen. “We are very excited about expanding to new unique destinations, which complements our Caribbean and South American expedition cruises and strengthens our global position.”
“We know our guests want to explore many different parts of the globe, and our ambition is to offer the world’s most exciting destinations that can best be explored by our small ships. With the Bissagos Islands and Cape Verde, we offer a truly unique and off-the-beaten-track destination that is perfect for an expedition adventure like no other,” said Lassesen.
Following Hurtigruten African cruise debut, sailings will depart Dakar on Dec. 9 and 21, 2022, and January 2 and 14, 2023.
