Cruise lines offer several Mediterranean cruise itineraries, and depending on your interests, Travel Leaders can help you find the perfect one.
Western Mediterranean itineraries hit iconic cities like Barcelona, Rome and Marseilles. View Gaudi’s masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia and eat authentic paella in Barcelona. Speaking of masterpieces, in Rome you’ll see works by Michaelangelo and Raphael among other luminaries, many works of art housed in the magnificent Vatican Museum. Dive into Roman history at the Colosseum and enjoy superb pasta dishes in trattorias throughout the city. Sunbathe (and people watch) on the beaches of Marseilles as you dine seaside on fresh bouillabaisse.
Speaking of beaches, you’ll find some outstanding ones on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise through the Greek Isles. Crete boasts Elafonssi Beach with its unique pink sand, and the beaches on the isle of Milos are famous for eerily beautiful volcanic landscapes and colorful rocky shorelines. History lovers will have a heyday in these islands visiting the ancient site of Minoan civilization on Crete and the sacred island of Delos near Mykonos. Akrotiri on Santorini is a well preserved ruin of a Bronze Age (1600 BC) civilization destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
If you’re a history buff, you’d also enjoy an Adriatic cruise that often begins in Italy visiting Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily or some of the Greek Isles before entering the Adriatic Sea and visiting ports in Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, and Albania. History-loaded excursions on these cruises may include the UNESCO-designated walled town of Budva, Montenegro and Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia. And the scenery here is breathtaking.
Dining experiences on Mediterranean cruises emphasize fresh local ingredients (lots of seafood, fresh veggies and spices and local wines) and are always accompanied by crusty, fresh breads.
If you’re looking for a winter getaway, consider a Mediterranean cruise. Prices are lower, crowds are at a minimum, and destinations in Spain, southern Italy and Greece are much more comfortable for sightseers who want to avoid the intense heat of a European summer.
Call your Travel Leader professional and set sail on a Mediterranean adventure!
