19-night Mediterranean cruise: Lisbon to Athens (Piraeus), Greece on Allura
The Lisbon to Athens is a 19-night Mediterranean cruise aboard Allura, operated by Oceania Cruises. Departing Lisbon on September 26, 2027 and arriving in Athens (Piraeus), Greece on October 15, 2027, the voyage visits 19 ports including Malaga, Melilla, Alicante. Fares start from $9,149 per person.
Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.
Lisbon
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a city open to the sea and carefully planned with 18th-century elegance. Its founder is said to be the legendary Ulysses, but the theory of an original Phoenician settlement is probably more realistic. Known in Portugal as Lisboa, the city was inhabited by the Romans, Visigoths and, beginning in the 8th century, the Moors. Much of the 16th century was a period of great prosperity and overseas expansion for Portugal. Tragedy struck on All Saints' Day in 1755 with a devastating earthquake that killed about 40,000 people. The destruction of Lisbon shocked the continent. As a result, the Baixa (lower city) emerged in a single phase of building, carried out in less than a decade by the royal minister, the Marques de Pombal. His carefully planned layout of a perfect neo-classical grid survived to this day and remains the heart of the city. Evidence of pre-quake Lisbon can still be seen in the Belém suburb and the old Moorish section of the Alfama that sprawls below the Castle of St. George.
Lisbon is a compact city on the banks of the Tagus River. Visitors find it easy to get around as many places of interest are in the vicinity of the central downtown area. There is a convenient bus and tram system and taxis are plentiful. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. After a fire destroyed parts of the historic neighborhood behind Rossio in 1988, many of the restored buildings emerged with modern interiors behind the original façades.
The city boasts a good many monuments and museums, such as the Jeronimos Monastery, Tower of Belém, the Royal Coach Museum and the Gulbenkian Museum. High above the Baixa is the Bairro Alto (upper city) with its teeming nightlife. The easiest way to connect between the two areas is via the public elevator designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Cruising up the Tagus River to the ship's berth, you can already spot three of Lisbon's famous landmarks: the Monument to the Discoveries, the Tower of Belém and the Statue of Christ, which welcomes visitors from its hilltop location high above Europe's longest suspension bridge.
Malaga
The elegant central zone of Málaga – a stop-off on your MSC cruise of the Mediterranean – is largely pedestrianized with the focal point, marble-paved Calle Marqués de Larios, lined with fashionable stores, its most elegant thoroughfare.
Plaza de la Constitución, Málaga’s main square, hosts a monumental fountain flanked by slender palms and the terraces of numerous cafés and restaurants. Málaga centre has a number of interesting churches and museums, not to mention the birthplace of Picasso and the Museo Picasso Málaga, housing an important collection of works by Málaga’s most famous son.
Perched on the hill above the town are the formidable citadels of the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, magnificent vestiges of the seven centuries that the Moors held sway here.
Málaga is also renowned for its fish and seafood, which can be sampled at tapas bars and restaurants throughout the city, as well as at the old fishing villages of El Palo and Pedregalejo, now absorbed into the suburbs, where there’s a seafront paseo lined with some of the best marisquerías and chiringuitos (beachside fish restaurants) in the province.
The impressive Alcazaba is the place to make for if you’re joining a shore excursion. Clearly visible from your cruise ship, to the left of its entrance on c/Acazabilla stands the Roman Theatre accidentally discovered in 1951, and – following excavation and restoration – now a venue for various outdoor entertainments.
The citadel, too, is Roman in origin, with blocks and columns of marble interspersed among the Moorish brick of the double- and triple-arched gateways. Above the Alcazaba, and connected to it by a long double wall (the coracha), is the Gibralfaro castle. Like the Alcazaba, it has been wonderfully restored and now houses an interesting museum devoted to its history.
Melilla
Carved out of the Moroccan coastline, Melilla has both an old town - containing a 14th century fortress, which juts out into the sea, caves and numerous museums; and the 'new town', full of Modernist buildings - the second-largest collection outside of Barcelona. The centre is the long triangular Parque Hernández, well worth exploring, and the sandy beaches are ideal for relaxing on. Tax is lower here than on the mainland, and it is one of the last places in Spain to still provide free tapas with every drink in all its bars.
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Named to reflect the excitement of starting an immersive new journey, Allura invites you to discover some of the world’s most captivating locations, enjoying the freedom of exploration while sailing the open seas. In true Oceania Cruises style, Allura will serve The Finest Cuisine at Sea®, boast exceptionally personalized service with warm and welcoming staff, and feature captivating residential furnishings and decor as she sails a variety of destination-rich itineraries. Sister ship to Vista, Allura will debut in 2025 with her Inaugural Season opening for reservations this summer.
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