Clients can follow in the wake of the great navigators on a cruise with a difference along the Guadalquivir and Guadiana rivers.

Spain has long been the UK’s most popular short-haul holiday destination, yet it isn’t the first country that springs to mind when you think about river cruising. However, for agents in the know, it offers a one-of-a-kind waterborne experience.

The 408-mile Guadalquivir, which rises in the Cazorla Mountains, is Spain’s second-longest waterway and the country’s only navigable river.

During the golden age of seafaring, this river saw the great mariners Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan, set sail for, respectively, the Americas and the first circumnavigation of the world.

Today, CroisiEurope is the one line to offer cruises along the 50-mile downstream stretch of the Guadalquivir from Seville, which is now the only section that can be negotiated by boats due to narrow channels further upstream. Its 176-passenger ship, La Belle de Cadix, is also unusual as the sturdy dual-purpose vessel can sail on both the river and sea.

On a seven-night round-trip itinerary, it enters the Atlantic at Cadiz and sails for 18 miles along the coast before taking in a stretch of Guadiana, the narrow river that separates Spain and Portugal, and then returning to Seville.

Local highlights

John Fair, CroisiEurope’s UK director of sales, said: “Our Guadalquivir and Guadiana cruises visit some of the most renowned sites in southern Spain and offer something very different for those cruisers who have done the more mainstream itineraries.

“Combining river and sea, the cruises travel to the heart of Andalusia, allowing guests to experience the region’s cultural heritage, delicious food and beautiful scenery.

“The itineraries are perfect for travel agents to switch sell to clients who usually take city breaks as they include visits to Seville, Jerez, Cadiz and Grenada.”

Indeed, the itinerary includes three nights moored in Seville, providing ample time for independent passengers to explore individually or opt for one of CroisiEurope’s excursions such as a walking tour taking in highlights including the vast Gothic cathedral and labyrinth of streets in the former Jewish Quarter, or an evening flamenco show in the birthplace of the fiery dance.

From Seville, there are also coach tours to the sun-baked city of Cordoba, dominated by the grand La Mezquita mosque, and Granada to visit the landmark Alhambra Palace.

Once underway, the cruise provides more atmospheric experiences such as a trip to a grand hacienda on one of the rice-growing estates lining the Guadalquivir to watch a dressage display by magnificent Andalusian horses combined with flamenco dancing. In charming El Puerto de Santa Maria, passengers can visit the cathedral-like cellars of the Osborne winery for a sherry tasting.

A natural highlight is Donana National Park, a former royal hunting ground that’s now a safe haven for thousands of migratory and resident birds nesting in the dunes and wetlands, most notably storks that can be seen close up on giant nests of up to 5ft in diameter.