Tema is the starting point. Dakar is 13 nights away, but the first stretch is much more than a run north.

Elmina Castle brings the transatlantic slave trade sharply into view. Abidjan is a different kind of stop, contemporary and energetic, with arts and music at its center. Freetown was founded as a settlement for freed slaves and still carries that history. From there, guests can choose an optional visit to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

The Bijagós Archipelago gets two expedition days. Landing sites are decided according to local conditions; forests, mangroves, wildlife and long-established island communities are what give the time here its character.

Banjul is the final call before SH Diana reaches Dakar on 5 May.

SH Diana leaves Dakar for Lisbon, with nine nights of Atlantic sailing ahead.

Cape Verde comes first. Praia brings markets, busy streets and colonial history; Palmeira, on Sal Island, follows.

La Palma is a place to walk. Trails cross native pine forest and volcanic ground, with Mirador de la Cumbrecita and La Concepción among the viewpoints. Madeira comes after that, greener and softer, with Funchal below the mountains.

Nine nights after Dakar, Lisbon is the last stop, on 14 May. Tiled facades, old trams and cafés by the river make a very different ending from the coast where the journey began.