Port guides

Kos

Greece · Mediterranean

Just a stone’s throw from the coast of Turkey, Kos is a lush destination with plenty of history. Perhaps most famous as the birthplace of Hippocrates, since the early days of civilization this tiny island has welcomed intellectuals, scholars, and fellow world travelers seeking a little rest and relaxation. Head to the center of Kos town (founded in 366 BC) and visit the Hippocratic Museum to learn more about the father of western medicine. Then just keep on walking because this old town is a pedestrian’s dream: car-free streets filled with interesting shops that offer everything from jewelry and ceramics to paintings and intricately embroidered tablecloths. Wander through the central market to pick up bottles of authentic olive oil, thyme-honey, and local produce like figs, grapes, and almonds.

70 cruises

Portovenere

Italy · Mediterranean

The Gulf of La Spezia has been so frequent a subject for poets over the years - from Dante and Petrarch to Byron and Shelley - that it is often referred to as the Golfo dei Poeti. The elongated yellow and orange houses, which line the harbor stretch up the steep slope toward ancient battlements beyond. Mentioned as a landing place in Claudius Ptolemy's "General Geography" (150 AD), today Portovenere is a resort with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

69 cruises

Delos

Greece · Mediterranean

Delos is a Greek island and archaeological site in the Aegean Sea's Cyclades archipelago, near Mykonos. The mythological birthplace of Apollo, it was a major religious center and port during the 1st millennium B.C. The island's ruins encompass Doric temples, markets, an amphitheater, houses with mosaics and the iconic Terrace of the Lions statues. The Archaeological Museum displays statues excavated from the site.

68 cruises

Ljubljana, Slovenia (Koper)

Mediterranean

Ljubljana is Slovenia's capital and largest city. It's known for its university population and green spaces, including expansive Tivoli Park. The curving Ljubljanica River, lined in outdoor cafes, divides the city's old town from its commercial hub. Ljubljana has many museums, including the National Museum of Slovenia, displaying historic exhibitions, and the Museum of Modern Art, home to 20th-century Slovene paintings and sculptures.

67 cruises

Port Vendres

France · Mediterranean

The gem of the Vermillion Coast, the chosen retreat of kings past, the inspiration of great 20th-century artists, Collioure is nestled in a small, rocky bay, dwarfed by the Alberes Mountains. The village is perfectly integrated into the countryside; the church and the stone chateau are the color of the rocks, the beach and the mountains. The town has kept much of its medieval character, with the bay separated into halves by the 13th-century royal castle of the Kings of Mallorca. Between the castle and the sea is a bustling old town, full of cafes, shops and art galleries. Among the great artists who have congregated here are Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Dufy and Derain.

67 cruises

Roses, Spain

Mediterranean

Founded by Greeks in the pre-Christian era, the Catalan town is set on a lovely curve of beaches on Spain’s Costa Brava. It is crowned by the Castell de la Trinitat, which anchored the wall that encircled the entire town in medieval times. It was the site, until 2011, of Ferran Adria’s Michelin three-star restaurant El Bulli, which will reportedly reopen in 2014 as a culinary creativity center. Shop for a souvenir from the back of a street hawker’s donkey, or wander to nearby Figueres or Cadaques to visit one of Salvador Dali’s museums.

66 cruises

Gironde

Mediterranean

The Gironde is a navigable estuary in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just downstream of the centre of Bordeaux. Covering around 635 km², it is the largest estuary in western Europe.

65 cruises

Golfo Aranci, Sardinia

Italy · Mediterranean

The Sardinian coastline is serrated by deep-cut coves of sparkling sea, surrounded by rocky prominences and edged in lovely strands of beach. The Aga Khan fell in love with the place, and dubbed it the Costa Smeralda, creating a magnet for the global glitterati. At Golfo Aranci, shining arcs of silvery sand are linked into a larger curve, encircled by a muscular peninsula that looms protectively between the town and the sea. It looks expensive, and it is.

63 cruises

Hydra

Greece · Mediterranean

When you disembark at the picture-perfect, crescent-shaped harbor on your Hydra cruise, the first thing you’ll notice is the serenity and intense quiet. Cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles are not permitted on the island, making it an ideal setting for quiet relaxation and peaceful respite during a European cruise. Make no mistake—quiet is by no means boring. The island’s romantic and rustic beauty regularly attracts celebrities, artists, and writers. Twice each year, the Hydra Nautical Club hosts regattas that bring sailboats and yachts to the harbor and add an extra touch of glamour to the island. Each summer, the DESTE Foundation hosts a series of contemporary art exhibitions, including a special exhibition by an artist or team. On a cruise to Hydra, you can’t help but be captivated by its natural beauty, like its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters quietly lapping at the shores, and the Peloponnese Mountains as a constant backdrop. As you walk Hydra Town, you’ll be charmed by streets lined with bougainvillea, the neoclassical architecture of old manor houses and mansions, and churches both humble and ornate.

61 cruises

Igoumenitsa

Greece · Mediterranean

Igoumenitsa, is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia. Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece, connecting northwestern Mainland Greece with the Ionian Islands and Italy.

59 cruises

Gallipoli

Italy · Mediterranean

Kalè polis, meaning beautiful city, is the name ancient Greek mariners bestowed on Gallipoli, with good reason. Situated on a mound, the Old Town with its labyrinth of winding lanes, emerges from the Ionian Sea. It is connected to the mainland and modern Gallipoli via a 17th-century bridge. The area lies on the Salentina Peninsula in the extreme southeast end of Italy, commonly referred to as the heel of the boot. The Salento region was inhabited already in prehistoric times; later centuries were marked by Greek, Norman, Byzantine and Baroque cultures. It is a land of farms, castles, works of art, myths and legends. Many heroic battles were fought; fierce resistance was shown by Gallipoli's citizens against numerous invaders that included Romans, Vandals, Swabians, Venetians, French and lastly the English in 1809.

58 cruises

Monopoli

Italy · Mediterranean

Located on the Adriatic where the heel of Italy’s boot connects to the sole, Monopoli is part of the Puglia region, relatively undiscovered compared to the more heavily traveled regions of Tuscany and Campania. Puglia shares many things in common with Italy’s center-stage attractions, including delicious food, here known for its herbaceous and earthy qualities, and its architecture, ranging from elaborate Baroque to basic stone. In Monopoli, the days pass a little slower and the sun seems to shine a little brighter, perhaps because there is time to stop and bask in it. At the small port, you’ll find traditional fishing boats bobbing in the water and the 16th-century castle overlooking the sea from a rocky promontory.

57 cruises

Cesme

Turkey · Mediterranean

Çeşme (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈtʃeʃme]) is a coastal town and the administrative centre of the district of the same name in Turkey's westernmost end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula that also carries the same name and that extends inland to form a whole with the wider Karaburun Peninsula. It is a popular holiday resort and the district center, where two thirds of the district population is concentrated. Çeşme is located 85 km west of İzmir, the largest metropolitan center in Turkey's Aegean Region. There is a six-lane highway connecting the two cities (Otoyol 32). Çeşme district has two neighboring districts, Karaburun to the north and Urla to the east, both of which are also part of İzmir Province. The name "Çeşme" means "fountain" and possibly draws reference from the many Ottoman fountains that are scattered across the city.

55 cruises

Sardinia/Porto Cervo

Mediterranean

You’re in luck—we happen to think the best way to arrive in Cagliari is by sea. (Not that we’re biased or anything!) This way you get to witness to full specter of this colorful city rising haphazardly from the sea, cresting with a rocky centerpiece better known as Il Castello. The capital of Sardinia, Cagliari boats over 25 centuries of history to explore in the form of Roman ruins, museums, churches, and numerous galleries.

54 cruises

Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, Spain

Mediterranean

The Straits of Gibraltar separate Ceuta from European Spain. Ceuta is an ancient city - it has been continuously inhabited since its founding by Carthage in the 5th century B.C. Over the millennia, Ceuta has been ruled by Carthage, Rome, the Moorish Kingdom of Granada, Portugal and, since 1580, Spain. From 1912 until 1959, the city was also the capital of Spanish Morocco, a colonial protectorate created when France and Spain divided that kingdom during the "Morocco Crisis" of 1912. Generalisimo Francisco Franco launched the Spanish Civil War from Ceuta in 1936. Today, Ceuta boasts an easy-going charm and a cosmopolitan mix of cultures. The city is also a gateway for Morocco proper and the dramatic landscape of the Rif Mountains.

53 cruises

Frejus, France

Mediterranean

Although today it is cut off from the sea, Fréjus was the second-largest naval port in the Roman empire in the 1st Century B.C. The town’s name descends from Forum Julii, the retirement center for the 8th Legion. The Roman ruins in the area are what draws most visitors today, and the massive pillars of the aqueducts, sections of walls and the crumbling remains of the tree-shaded theater and amphitheater are picturesquely situated and satisfying. In the town center, a central square faces the medieval stone cathedral and its adjacent cloisters, with impressive doors, handsomely carved woodwork and elaborate ceilings. Outside town, the 1889 Palladian Villa Aurelienne sits amid 60 acres of Mediterranean gardens. Fréjus suffered a terrible flood in 1959 when runoff from unprecedented rains swept down the mountains and broached the dam at Malpasset. The ruined site is a reminder of man’s fragility in the face of Nature’s power. On another hilltop, the small, octagonal Chapel of Notre Dame de Jerusalem is richly decorated with stained glass windows and colorful frescoes designed by the artist Jean Cocteau and completed after his death.

53 cruises

Parga

Greece · Mediterranean

In the heart of a sheltered cove on the north western shores of Greece in the Epirus province, Parga was Venetian from the 15th to the end of the 18th century. During that period it belonged to Ali Pacha, a high official of Soliman the Magnificent. Its imposing Venetian citadel built on a steep rocky promontory dominates the town, the port and the sweet smelling pines which surround it. Today it is a lovely seaside resort.

53 cruises

Reggio Di Calabria

Mediterranean

53 cruises

Symi

Greece · Mediterranean

Symi belongs to the Dodecanese islands and lies across the Asia Minor coast and just a few nautical miles NW of Rhodes. Aristocratic and far off the model of mass tourism, Symi pleasantly surprises its visitors with its plain, aristocratic yet wild beauty. As you glimpse the perfectly formed harbor of Symi, Gialos, you are confronted with a beautiful picture-postcard Venetian village. Wonderfully well-preserved two and three story mansions with their facades painted in bright and vivid colors reflect the island's rich past since Symi was once one of the richest islands with a tradition in sponge diving, ship building and wood carving. The history of Symi goes back to ancient times. Aigli, Metapontis and Kariki are some of Symi's ancient names where according to mythology the Graces were born. Symi got its current name from the nymph Symi, who according to the myth mated with Poseidon, God of the Seas, and brought to life Hthonios who became the leader of the island's first inhabitants.

53 cruises

Antalya

Turkey · Mediterranean

Surrounded on three sides by snow-capped mountains, Antalya is situated on a vast fertile plain that was known in antiquity as Pamphylia. Here the Toros Mountains, blanketed by green forests, sweep down the rocky headlands to isolated coves of clear turquoise water. The stunning scenery and mild climate have made Antalya a principal resort on the "Turquoise Coast" of Turkey sometimes referred to as the "Turkish Riviera." Full of ancient sites, the area was once part of empires controlled by the Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Seljuks, Cypriots and Ottomans. Many of the Mediterranean world's best-preserved ancient ruins are east of Antalya, the most spectacular of which are Perge and Aspendos. The city itself has much to offer the visitor who wishes not to venture far afield. The Kaleici, the historic quarter, protected from modern development and closed to cars, is a perfect place to discover the city's historic past. The old Roman Harbor is now a yacht marina and the winding streets of the picturesque Old Quarter leads you past quaint wooden houses, cafes, shops and the ruins and monuments of bygone eras.

52 cruises

Camargue

Mediterranean

52 cruises

Tunis

Tunisia · Mediterranean

Tunisia's capital lies at the western end of the shallow Lake Tunis, which opens to the sea at La Goulette. This is the first of a string of beach suburbs that stretches away to the north; it is here that the city's port is located. This coastal area includes the ruins of ancient Carthage and the picturesque suburb of Sidi Bou Said, places that attract more visitors than Tunis itself. As far as capital cities go, Tunis has an easy-going, unhurried air about it. View less It is a very liberal city by Islamic standards and certainly leading the way in Western trends for the rest of the country. In Tunisia, the struggle for independence didn't take the violent course that it did in Algeria. Ruler Ahmed Bey, who governed from 1837 to 1855, encouraged Westernization and brought in military and other advisors to this end. In 1861, during the reign of Mohammed Sadiq, a constitution - the first in the Arab world - was proclaimed. Until the time of the French protectorate, the medina was very much the center of things. Then, under the French influence, the ville nouvelle (new city) emerged with its major banks, department stores, and administrative services. The main focus of ville nouvelle is the wide, tree-lined Avenue Habib Bourguiba. At its western end, this major thoroughfare becomes the Avenue de France, terminating in the Place de la Victoire and the entrance to the medina.

51 cruises

Zakynthos, Greece

Mediterranean

A favorite of the Venetians during their three centuries of rule, Zakinthos today is increasingly popular with pleasure-seekers from throughout the world. Although virtually destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1953, the town was painstakingly rebuilt stone by stone by its citizens, who remain fiercely proud of their island and its history. Explore Solomos Square and the fascinating Museum of Post-Byzantine Art with its fine collection of templos, carved, gilded icon screens. Shoppers will find no shortage of boutiques, particularly around St. Mark's Square. Above it all stands the ancient castle, complete with fortified walls, which once provided safety to the Medieval population. The views are excellent. Special Note: October 28 is a national holiday in Greece.

50 cruises

Rab

Croatia · Mediterranean

Rab is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It’s known for the old town of the same name, encircled by ancient walls. The town’s 4 prominent church bell towers include the Romanesque tower at the Cathedral Svete Marije (St. Mary) and the tower at the ruins of Sveti Ivan Church (St. John the Evangelist). The monastery at the 16th-century Church of St. Justine (Crkva Svete Justine) is now a museum of sacral objects.

46 cruises