8-night Authentic Mediterranean Shores Cruise

Jun 06, 2027 - Valletta

Valletta is the capital of Malta. This remarkable fortified city with its massive bastions followed the most advanced Renaissance ideas in town planning, with streets laid straight on a grid looking over the Grand Harbour. Outside the 'City Gate' is the famous Triton Fountain. 'City Gate' has public buses and vendors selling soft drinks and all sorts of traditional fresh Maltese bread and sweets. Freedom Square shows an extraordinary capital with buildings of fine architecture of different tastes and styles ranging from the Mannerism to Baroque to Rococo to Neoclassicism. Valletta is a fascinating city for wandering around looking at what used to be the Knight's own cathedrals and Auberges. The city's backbone is Republic Street, which runs straight through the city center to Fort St. Elmo. Valletta has several narrow, steep side streets decorated with traditional Maltese pastel colored balconies and a statue on almost every street corner. There are plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants to choose from.

Jun 07, 2027 - Porto Empedocle

While there is little to see in Porto Empedocle except the 16th century Quadrangular Tower of Carlo V, the jewel is Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples. Numerous remarkable monuments are present all over Agrigento including the Cathedral and the 13th century Church of Saint Nicholas - now an Archeological Museum. However, it is the Valley of the Temples, built in the 5th century BC, which is the most significant evidence of the Greek civilization in Sicily. In a countryside of blooming almond trees, enjoy the wonderful ruins of temples which even after centuries still keep their architectural grandeur intact.

Jun 08, 2027 - Trapani

Trapani was founded in antiquity on Sicily's western coast by the Sicanians. Trapani is an unusual Sicilian city for its westward position, which affords spectacular views of some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful sunsets. The oldest parts of the city have been modernized in many respects, but Trapani shows its medieval past. The Annunciation Sanctuary was built in the fourteenth century in Romanesque Gothic style and still retains splendid medieval elements such as the facade's portal and rose window, though the church's interior has been modified. The Pepoli Regional Museum is renowned for its medieval and modern collections, including articles from the Bourbon era, though it also houses ancient finds. Giudecca Palace is a Catalan Gothic structure built in the sixteenth century. The Church of Saint Mary of Jesus has a splendid Renaissance Gothic facade. The Church of Sant'Agostino is Romanesque Gothic with a beautiful rose window. The Cathedral and Collegio Church were built in Baroque style during the seventeenth century.

Jun 09, 2027 - Palermo

Palermo is a city and seaport in Italy on the northwestern coast of Sicily, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the largest city and chief port of Sicily. Many of the oldest buildings in the city date from the period when Sicily was a Norman kingdom and show Arab, Byzantine, Norman, and Spanish influences. Outstanding examples are the cathedral (1169-1185), the Palatine Chapel (1140), and the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (1132).

Jun 10, 2027 - Lipari

Cast in the Tyrrhenian sea, the Lipari Islands experience an increasing amount of tourism due to unusual scenery and mild climate. The variety and beauty of rock formations, the volcanic phenomena of Stromboli and the crystalline waters always impress visitors. Local-style architecture adds charm to picturesque villages. The main islands include famous Stromboli and Lipari. In a bay on Lipari’s east coast lies the main town of the same name - dominated by the Castello or Acropolis, which separates the town’s two harbors. Within Castello are the cathedral and the former Bishop's Palace, which now houses the Archaeological Museum. It is noted for its fine collection of relics from recent excavations, Greek masks and statuettes from theatrical life as far back as Sophocles and Euripides. At Marina Corta there are hydrofoils and boats offering trips to neighboring islands. The most southern Lipari Island, Vulcano Island, has a spectacular volcanic landscape of rugged peaks rising above beaches. A steep trail leads up from the plain to a 1,150-foot crater.

Jun 10, 2027 - Stromboli

Stromboli is a volcanic island located just north of Sicily in Italy. It is home to one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, with its continuous eruptions in the past 2000 years. The island itself is 2 miles in diameter and about 3000 feet above sea level.

Jun 11, 2027 - Reggio Calabria

Jun 12, 2027 - Siracusa

Sicilia is the favorite island of Gods in traditional poetry. The most powerful and biggest ancient city in Sicilia is Siracusa. Its name may come from the native word "Siraco", which means "marsh", due to the bogs which surrounded the city. Or it may derive from a Phenician etymology signifying the presence of seagulls on its rocky shores. Few cities of the ancient world had the importance Syracuse had in Magna Grecia, the ancient Greek settlements in Italy. The most spectacular monuments in the archeological area surrounded by colorful Mediterranean vegetation are the Greek amphitheatre and the Orecchio di Dionisio (Dionysius' Ear). Besides touring the Archeological Museum that contains beautiful objects, Ortigia Island, the heart of the old Greek city, is worth a visit. Outside the city limits is Eurialo Castle, an incredible structure built to protect the city from the Cathaginians, and Pantalica, the great rocky necropolis in Anapo Valley.

Jun 13, 2027 - Taormina

The east coast of Sicily is considered by many to be its most magnificent. Lovely Taormina was called "the greatest work of art and nature" by Goethe in his Italian Journey. Situated above the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna as a spectacular backdrop, this storybook town of sculpted gardens, stately palaces and ancient monuments is easily one of Sicily’s most striking sites. There is much to see and do here; the main attractions in Taormina are seen on foot. Incredible vistas are available from Taormina's Public Gardens which are filled with exotic flowers and plants. In Giardini-Naxos, close to the pier, the Bourbon fort contains a fine museum, Museo Archaeologico. The entrance is via a garden bisected by an ancient lava flow.

Jun 14, 2027 - Valletta

Valletta is the capital of Malta. This remarkable fortified city with its massive bastions followed the most advanced Renaissance ideas in town planning, with streets laid straight on a grid looking over the Grand Harbour. Outside the 'City Gate' is the famous Triton Fountain. 'City Gate' has public buses and vendors selling soft drinks and all sorts of traditional fresh Maltese bread and sweets. Freedom Square shows an extraordinary capital with buildings of fine architecture of different tastes and styles ranging from the Mannerism to Baroque to Rococo to Neoclassicism. Valletta is a fascinating city for wandering around looking at what used to be the Knight's own cathedrals and Auberges. The city's backbone is Republic Street, which runs straight through the city center to Fort St. Elmo. Valletta has several narrow, steep side streets decorated with traditional Maltese pastel colored balconies and a statue on almost every street corner. There are plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants to choose from.