Destinations Canary Islands Caribbean

A wonderful world of water

The sea may be the star of any P&O Cruises holiday, but it's far from the only beautiful body of water yucan explore. From serene crater lakes to restlessly flowing rivers, you choose - still or sparkling?

4 min 22 Apr 2020

Editorial Team

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1. Bonaire National Marine Park, Bonaire, Dutch Antilles

One of the least developed Caribbean islands, Bonaire boasts one of the region’s most extraordinary protected marine environments. The Bonaire National Marine Park is a diver's and snorkeller’s paradise. The fringing reefs, which begin at the water’s edge and extend seaward for up to 300 metres, are hotspots of biodiversity with more than 340 fish species and every type of hard and soft coral known to the Caribbean.

View cruises to Bonaire here.

Reef in Bonaire

2. Godafoss, Akureyri, Iceland

The elemental power of water is on full display at Goðafoss, a 30-metre-wide waterfall that thunders over a 12-metre drop in the north of Iceland, carrying a huge volume of water from the Skjálfandafljót River. The falls earned its name – literally ‘Waterfall of the Gods’ – at the time of Iceland’s conversion to Christianity in AD1000. Wooden idols of Norse mythology were thrown into the falls in a symbolic gesture, sweeping away the old religion. The falls ice over in the winter months, only to roar afresh with the coming of spring.

View cruises to Akureyri here.

Godafoss, Akureyri, Iceland

3. El Golfo Lagoon, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Famed for their subtropical climate and dramatic desert landscapes, the Canary Islands are not often feted for their lakes. But on the coast of Lanzarote lies a lake like no other – one that seems to glow an otherworldly shade of green. Located in a protected park on the west of the island, the 100-metre-long volcanic crater is filled with seawater and coloured by minerals and micro-organisms. It is surrounded by rugged red cliffs on one side and a jet-black beach on the other, defining the time-worn phrase ‘land of contrasts’ in a single, unforgettable scene.

View cruises to Lanzarote here.

El Golfo Lagoon, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

4. Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Ponta Delgada, Azores

Set in the lush crater of a long-extinct volcano, the twin lakes of Lagoa das Sete Cidades are perhaps the most striking sight in the Azores. Legend has it they were formed from the tears of a blue-eyed princess and a green-eyed shepherd when they realised their love was doomed. The result is a deep-blue body of water (reflecting the colour of the sky) bordering an emerald green neighbour (reflecting the vegetation of the crater walls), and a beauty so total you might shed a tear of your own.

View cruises to Ponta Delgada here.

Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Ponta Delgada, Azores

5. Cetina River, Split, Croatia

The world’s great rivers were once arteries of trade – powering mills and carrying goods. Today, they are at the forefront of a new economy, as travellers seek out new experiences, from gentle countryside cruising to thrilling white-water rafting. On Croatia’s stunning Cetina River, visitors can enjoy both, with opportunities to glide past lush canyon scenery or join an experienced rafting guide for a dramatic zig-zag descent to a well-deserved beachfront lunch.

View cruises to Split here.