Aegean Odyssey: Athens to Istanbul

Athens, the capital and largest city of Greece, is also one of the world's oldest cities with an unparalleled history that spans around 3,400 years. Experiencing long periods of sunshine throughout the year, and known as "the cradle of Western civilisation", it is a 'must-see' destination for world travellers. The city contains a fascinating variety of different architectural styles, ranging from Greco-Roman through Neo-Classical, to Modern. Read more about Athens, Greece

Today’s Corinth was built on the shores of the Gulf of Corinth in 1858 after an earthquake destroyed the former city which was situated near the ruins of ancient Corinth. Today’s Corinth is about 78 km SW of Athens, on the Corinthian Peninsula, ‘separated’ from the mainland by the Corinthian Canal. The city is surrounded by several coastal townlets and the inland townlets of Exmilia and perhaps, best known, the archaeological site of the ancient city just 5km to the SW. Read more about Corinth, Greece

The scenic seaside Greek town of Katakolon, with a population around 3,000, is your typical small-town cruise port with delightful cafes along the waterfront, shops that sell T-shirts, hats and jewellery, and a small beach that draws swimmers and sandcastle-builders. But that's not why ships make the town a destination. They arrive because Katakolon serves as the cruise gateway to ancient Olympia, just 40 km away, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Read more about Katakolon, Greece

Chania is the second largest city of Crete and lies along the north coast of the island. This region as a whole is rich in history, and Chania's Old Town with its old aristocratic appearance, arched doorways, stone staircases, small and crumbling Venetian harbour, a mosque, and narrow streets, is considered the most beautiful and well-preserved urban district on Crete. Places of interest include the Archaeological Museum housed in the church of St Fragiskos, the Chania Public Baths, and the Fortezza, a large Venetian castle. Read more about Chania, Greece

Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the Aegean Sea, about 200 km from Greece's mainland. It is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion some 3500 years ago, which destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and which resulted in the creation of the current geological caldera. Take the cable car to view the beautiful panorama of Santorini. Read more about Santorini, Greece

Delos (or, Dilos), is the sacred island at the centre of the ring of about 220 islands called the Cyclades archipelago, in the Aegean Sea about 150 km SE of Athens. A few kilometres to the NE of Delos is the larger tourist-frequented island of Mykonos. According to Greek mythology Delos was the birthplace of the mythical Apollo and Artemis. Read more about Delos, Greece

The Greek Island of Patmos is possibly best known as the place where the apostle John received his vision and wrote the Apocalypse, and is subsequently sometimes called the Jerusalem of the Aegean. Whether you are interested in history and religion or not, the Monastery of St. John is regarded as a 'must see'. Read more about Patmos, Greece

Kusadasi is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast and the centre of the seaside district of the same name. While best known as a starting point for visiting Ephesus, once one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a history dating from 3000 BC, there’s also a delightful range of activities in town. Places of interest include: the City Walls, of which one gate remains to-day; the peninsula at the end of the bay with its castle and swimming beaches; several aqua parks with wave-pools and white-water slides; Ladies Beach, once segregated but now open to all; and Dilek Peninsula National Park. Read more about Kusadasi, Turkey

Molyvos, or Mithymna, is a town on the Greek island of Lesbos, mid-way between the Dardanelles and large Turkish port of Izmir. Though just 10 km off the mainland Turkish coast, this is one of many Greek islands in the east of the Aegean Sea. The island’s history is ancient, and filled with mythology, occupied by Greek dynasties, Romans, Arabs, and Turks. Read more about Molyvos, Greece

The Dardanelles is a narrow strait in NW Turkey, connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Like the Bosphorus, it separates Europe and the mainland of Asia. Of great strategic importance, it was crossed by Alexander the Great in 334 BC, was part of the Byzantine Empire until the 14th century, and was the scene of an Allied campaign in WWI. Read more about Dardanelles, Turkey

Istanbul (Byzantium from 660 BC, Constantinople from 330 CE, and Istanbul since 1930) is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth largest city proper in the world. It has dominated the Straits of Bosphorus, in the NW of the country, for 25 centuries, and as Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was a metropolis of stunning splendour when the great capitals of Europe were mere villages and is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Read more about Istanbul, Turkey