Great Iberian Cities

The airport for Puerto La Cruz in northeast on the Caribbean. Isla de Margarita is off the coast.

Portugal is for explorers. Its valiant seamen first charted the Azores, discovered Japan, and unlocked the major sea routes the world over. Now you can share the anticipation they must have felt as you explore this exciting city.

You’ll discover an 8th-century Moorish castle, quaint cafes and a palm-studded coastline. The Alfama district is a maze of narrow, twisting streets, whitewashed houses, flowered balconies, archways, terraces and courtyards that charm your socks off. (And if you can find your way out of this dizzying array, 20th-century Lisbon is just as intoxicating.)

Of course, if you’d rather play by the sea, the Portuguese Riviera lies just outside town, offering something for everyone, from sun, sand and surf to thrilling casinos. Lisbon is a vast garden abounding with flowers and tropical plants. The city’s appeal lies in the magnificent vistas from its many belvederes and in the tree-lined avenues and squares decorated with mosaic pavements.

This historical city, located in Andalusia, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and contains many landmarks, including the Moorish Alcazar and the Gothic Cathedral. Seville was also the site of the 1992 world’s fair.

Toledo, seat of Lucas County, northwestern Ohio, a port on the Maumee River, at its mouth on Lake Erie; incorporated 1837. The city’s extensive transportation facilities include its fine natural harbor, which is a port on the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Seaway and ranks among the world’s leading soft-coal-shipping ports; an extensive network of railroads; and an air cargo terminal. Other commodities handled include grain, automobile parts, iron ore, and steel. Toledo is also a commercial and industrial center, with manufactures that include metal goods, jeeps, instruments, machinery, automobile parts, chemicals, textiles, and plastics. Its large glass-manufacturing industry dates from 1888. The city is a terminus of petroleum and gas pipelines and is a major oil-refining hub. The city has a museum of art and a museum of health and natural history.