The Best of the Mediterranean - N815B

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

Mykonos is the principal town of the island of the same name, which is part of the Cyclades, and could well be described as the most sophisticated of the Greek Islands. Visited by innumerable international celebrities - you may even see some enjoying a coffee on the sidewalk - it is not surprising that it is considered by many to be one of the top tourist destinations in the world. It is also an island with beautiful landscapes, scores of churches, some fascinating monuments, and windmills. Read more about Mykonos, Greece

Rhodes is the principal city of the island of the same name, situated in the Aegean Sea. It is renowned for having the longest summer of any of the Greek islands. It is famous for being the site of the Colossus of Rhodes - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - as well as being the home of the Citadel of Rhodes, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. Read more about Rhodes, 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

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

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

Corfu Island, located just off the west coast of Greece, boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the Greek Isles. With its impressive landscapes, rich vegetation, long golden beaches, the elegant capital Corfu Town, and many traditional villages, it is not surprising that this island receives many visitors each year. The capital is possibly most impressive, due to the Venetian, French and English civilisations that are remembered for the architectural elements they have left behind. Read more about Corfu, Greece

Located along one of Montenegro's most beautiful bays is picturesque Kotor. The bay is the deepest natural inlet in the Adriatic Sea, and the scenery around it is spectacular. Its well-preserved Old Town - surrounded by an impressive city wall - nestles at the head of southern Europe’s deepest sunken river valley. Read more about Kotor, Montenegro

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

Barcelona, located in Catalonia Spain, is Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, and one of the world’s major global cities. Today, Barcelona balances itself on the cutting edge of architecture, intellectual life, and style. Indeed Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. Read more about Barcelona, Spain

Located on the SE coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille is France's largest commercial port, and is also the largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. It serves as a gateway to the lush fertile region of Provence and all its cultural contributions to gastronomic excellence, impressionistic art, and ancient architecture. This cosmopolitan city with 300 days of sunshine a year, clear blue skies and the down-to-earth warmth of its residents, boasts a trading history that goes back more than 2,500 years. Read more about Marseille, France

Santa Margherita, an old-fashioned seaside resort of the Italian Riviera, is situated on the shores of Ligure Bay, about 35km SE of Genoa. Set on the Gulf of Tigullio between Rapallo and Portofino, the resort/fishing town of Santa Margherita Ligure really couldn’t be in a better neighborhood. Fashionable but much quieter than Portofino, life in Santa Margherita Ligure centres around the lovely palm-laden harbour, where boating and simple sunning are the orders of the day. Read more about Santa Margherita, Italy

Ajaccio (aka Aiacciu, Aiaccio) is a port on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 390 km SE of Marseille. It occupies a sheltered position at the foot of wooded hills on the northern shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio. The city not only encloses the entire harbour but takes up the better part of the Gulf. Read more about Ajaccio, France

Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region in Italy. An ancient city, it has seen the rule of several civilisations and in the ‘old city’ that lies on the top of a hill with a wonderful view of the ocean, it’s amazing to see the walls still intact, together with its two 13th century limestone towers. Importantly, the city is also home to exceptional beaches, rocky cliffs and numerous underwater caves. Read more about Cagliari, Italy

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

Located along one of Montenegro's most beautiful bays is picturesque Kotor. The bay is the deepest natural inlet in the Adriatic Sea, and the scenery around it is spectacular. Its well-preserved Old Town - surrounded by an impressive city wall - nestles at the head of southern Europe’s deepest sunken river valley. Read more about Kotor, Montenegro

Corfu Island, located just off the west coast of Greece, boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the Greek Isles. With its impressive landscapes, rich vegetation, long golden beaches, the elegant capital Corfu Town, and many traditional villages, it is not surprising that this island receives many visitors each year. The capital is possibly most impressive, due to the Venetian, French and English civilisations that are remembered for the architectural elements they have left behind. Read more about Corfu, Greece

Stromboli is a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, just off the north coast of Sicily, in Italy. It one of the eight Aeolian Islands that form a volcanic arc. Stromboli volcano (926 m) is one of Italy’s three active craters (the others being Vesuvius 240 to the north, and Etna 120 km to the south). Read more about Stromboli, Italy

The city of Salerno, Italy, is situated on a gulf of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city is within an easy distance of the dazzling Amalfi Coast. It is best known for being the home of the first University of Medicine in the world! Read more about Salerno, Italy

Rome, sometimes referred to as "The Eternal City," is the capital city of Italy. Cruises from Rome depart the Rome Cruise Terminal which is approximately 1.5 hours by train North-West of the city centre. Rome is renowned across the world for its rich past, impressive archaeological sites, delectable cuisine, gorgeous gardens, homes of local nobility, and significant structures including the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Read more about Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Livorno is the third largest port on the west coast of Italy, and is well known for supporting cruise ship tourism to Florence, the Tower of Pisa, the hill towns of Tuscany, Cinque Terre with its enchanting villages, and the Chianti wine region, generally with time allowed for visiting some famous outlet stores of famous fashion houses. However the port of Livorno itself has a lot to offer visitors. Criss-crossed by Medicean canals that are still navigable, and with its port overlooked by towers and fortresses, this well-planned city is most appealing. Read more about Livorno, Italy

Ajaccio (aka Aiacciu, Aiaccio) is a port on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 390 km SE of Marseille. It occupies a sheltered position at the foot of wooded hills on the northern shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio. The city not only encloses the entire harbour but takes up the better part of the Gulf. Read more about Ajaccio, France

Alghero is situated on the NW coast of the Italian island of Sardinia, and while it reflects a Spanish influence - it was colonised by Spain the 14th C - the thriving marina and its old walled town with its network of narrow lanes that are mostly free of vehicles, provides a truly fascinating Italian port of call. The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times, while the Ozieri culture was present here in the 4th millennium BC. During WW II (1943) Alghero was bombed, and its historical centre suffered heavy damage. Read more about Alghero, Italy

Messina is a harbour on the eastern coast of Sicily, a short ferry crossing to mainland Italy lying to the east. Due to the several earthquakes that have struck the area on several occasions, the city is almost completely modern. Mostly viewed as the starting point for tours and trips to Taormina and Mount Etna, both of which are truly unforgettable, it also has much to offer in the way of history and beauty. Read more about Messina, Italy

Corfu Island, located just off the west coast of Greece, boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the Greek Isles. With its impressive landscapes, rich vegetation, long golden beaches, the elegant capital Corfu Town, and many traditional villages, it is not surprising that this island receives many visitors each year. The capital is possibly most impressive, due to the Venetian, French and English civilisations that are remembered for the architectural elements they have left behind. Read more about Corfu, Greece

Located along one of Montenegro's most beautiful bays is picturesque Kotor. The bay is the deepest natural inlet in the Adriatic Sea, and the scenery around it is spectacular. Its well-preserved Old Town - surrounded by an impressive city wall - nestles at the head of southern Europe’s deepest sunken river valley. Read more about Kotor, Montenegro

Dubrovnik, a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, is a prominent tourist destination. The city joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. An outstanding feature of the Old Town of Dubrovnik is its intact city walls that run uninterrupted for 1,940m encircling the city. Read more about Dubrovnik, Croatia

Split, in Croatia, is a busy port on the shores of the Mediterranean and has numerous ferries operating to and from nearby islands. It is also a popular tourist resort with beaches and pleasant promenades. Venetian, Gothic and Renaissance houses and several medieval churches add architectural interest. Read more about Split, Croatia

Trieste is a modern lively city, yet much of its former grandeur is still clearly apparent in the form of imposing buildings with neo-classical facades. It became a part of Italy at the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Trieste has often been referred to as Vienna by the Sea. Read more about Trieste, Italy